Jalandhar, Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat on Monday inaugurated the region’s first government-owned virus indexing laboratory at the Centre of Excellence for Potato in Dhogri village here.
Addressing a gathering here, Bhagat hailed the project as a path-breaking initiative by the Bhagwant Singh Mann government to support thousands of potato cultivators. Reaffirming the administration’s commitment, the minister stated that farmers remain the backbone of the state’s economy and that the government stands firmly behind them to drive holistic rural growth.
By ensuring farmers refrain from planting infected seeds, the facility will prevent devastating disease outbreaks post-cultivation, saving both labour and significant financial resources by boosting the capacity of disease-free potato seeds, he said. “As only the second government-owned facility of its kind in Punjab, this laboratory will cater to potato growers not just in Jalandhar, but across the entire state,” Bhagat said.
