Chandigarh, Dec 26 (IANS): After the successful conduct of its investors summit for industry, the Punjab government Thursday announced that it will now hold an agriculture summit in the state in February next year.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that the agriculture summit will be a five-day affair starting Feb 16 at the Chappar Chiri village in Mohali, 20 km from here.

This is the first time that a mega agricultural event, the "Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit-2014", is being held in the state.

Green Revolution state Punjab contributes over 60 percent of the total foodgrain output to the national kitty despite having just 1.54 percent of the country's geographical area.

Badal said that the main objective of the agriculture summit was to give an impetus to the agro-based economy of the state by showcasing various technical aspects being introduced by the state government for agricultural development in Punjab.

"Punjab is basically an agrarian economy but today in terms of crop productivity and soil fertility, agriculture has reached a saturation point," a state government spokesman said here.

He said that there was an urgent need for farmers to diversify from the wheat-paddy crop cycle.

Badal directed officials to identify national and international institutions to ensure their participation in the summit. Progressive farmers, agriculture experts and leading agriculture companies from across the globe are being invited to the summit.

The summit will have an agro-exhibition zone spread over 50 acres, sharing the latest knowhow and technology with farmers.