The state Government has been providing assistance to farmers who are unable to cultivate their lands properly due to fencing at International Border. I am pleased to inform this August House that the rate of compensation is being raised to Rs 10000per acre to be shared equally between the Government of India and the State Government. The major strategy of the State is to ensure growth and sustainability of agriculture in the state with a thrust on conservation of Natural Resources, especially land and water and raising the income level of the farmers by increasing the productivity of various crops and reducing the cost of production. For this purpose the following programmes are proposed to be taken in the field of Agriculture in the current year. Strengthening of the agriculture and allied sectors under RKVY. National Horticulture Mission National Food Security & Mission National & Mission of Agriculture Extension & Technology National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture National Oil Seeds & Oil Palm Mission Punjab Agricultural University has played a vital role in raising productivity levels and ensuring food security for the nation. There is an urgent need to expand the programmes to cover processing and value addition, integration of biotechnology with crop improvement mechanization using energy efficient machinery focus on small farmers crop production protection for export bio energy and development is committed to support the PAU and an outly of Rs 310 crore has been provided for this purpose State Government is giving greater emphasis on diversification of agriculture by encouraging crops such as maize, cotton, basmati, soyabean, etc,. for this purpose the tax rates on marketing and processing of these crops have been rationalized .To provide maize drying facilities to the farmers two maize drying units have been installed 5 more units are proposed to be set up. The Punjab Mandi Board has established 19 specialized Cotton Mandis with all facilities like grading labs ,farmers information centres etc. Substantial progress has been made in production of fruits and vegetables in the state.