Latest news with #GurdevSinghKhush
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Experts to farmers: Punjab's draft agri policy gets universal thumbs up
Even as the state government continues to delay the adoption of its Punjab Agriculture Policy-2023, experts across disciplines have hailed the draft as an excellent document with some limitations that can be removed at the time of implementation. Experts said that the 200-page document offers a comprehensive roadmap for reviving the state's ailing farm sector. They praised the draft policy for its depth, innovation, and forward-thinking recommendations. They described it as a potential game-changer — if implemented with commitment and urgency. From scientists to economists and farmer leaders, voices from across the agricultural spectrum have urged the government to act swiftly on the policy. Gurdev Singh Khush, a renowned Indian-American plant geneticist and rice breeder who is known as the 'Father of Super Rice', in written communication to the committee members, said that he enjoyed the draft thoroughly. 'The chapter on the good old agriculture of the past brought back memories of my childhood. The section on Green Revolution captures how it transformed Indian agriculture. Making Punjab's farming healthier, profitable, and globally competitive should be a cherished goal. The concept of Natural Growing Areas is insightful. Marketing is rightly emphasised, and institutions like AMRII and IAMS are essential. The chapter on ecosystem and climate change is well-balanced. The alarming water and energy scenario calls for urgent implementation of the policy's recommendations. I found the document immensely informative — truly an Encyclopedia of Punjab Agriculture. It reflects months of dedicated work,' said Khush, who has won World Food Prize (1996), Japan Prize, Wolf Prize, and Golden Sickle Awards. Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman, a renowned agricultural economist and a member of high-powered committee established by the Supreme Court to address the grievances of farmers, said that despite three policy drafts on Agriculture over the past decade, Punjab still lacks an official agriculture policy. The first draft of 58 pages was submitted in March 2013 but was never adopted. The second draft of 21 pages submitted in 2018 met with the same fate. An 11-member committee headed by Sukhpal Singh submitted a comprehensive draft on October 13, 2023. 'While building on earlier efforts, this version includes more detailed and innovative recommendations. It must be implemented,' Ghuman said, adding that the limitations should be addressed, and the policy must align with industrial strategy to tackle rising unemployment and declining agri-sector jobs, while factoring in processing, cooperatives, and market linkages. BKU (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan also hailed the draft policy and said that the Punjab government should implement it at the earliest. Darshan Pal Singh, president of Krantikari Kisan Union, said that the majority of the recommendations in the 2023 Agricultural Policy are pro-Punjab and pro-farmer. 'It should be implemented to address the ongoing agrarian crisis in the state. Along with BKU (Dakaunda) and BKU (Ugrahan), we have demanded that the government adopt this policy. In my opinion, it is a much-needed step forward,' he said.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Paddy sowing from June 1: Punjab farmers opting for water-guzzling varieties a big worry
Chandigarh : Punjab is set to commence paddy transplantation from June 1, despite warnings from agricultural experts about the ecological risks involved and ongoing issues related to banned crop varieties. Officials in the state agriculture department have said many farmers still continue to prefer the cultivation of the long-duration, water-guzzling PUSA 44 and PR 126 varieties, despite bans and advisories against their use. According to people privy of the matter, the government lacks effective mechanisms to monitor or prevent the cultivation of these banned varieties once sowing begins, raising concerns about the sustainability of Punjab's water resources. Punjab's decision to advance the paddy transplantation date —originally delayed to conserve groundwater — has faced strong criticism from agricultural scientists and environmentalists. Despite petitions filed with the National Green Tribunal, the state government issued a notification allowing staggered transplantation beginning June 1. According to the notification, transplantation will start on June 1 in Faridkot, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Fazilka; from June 5 in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Hoshiarpur; and from June 9 in Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Mansa, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Direct seeding of rice (DSR) is permitted statewide from May 15 to 31. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) former vice-chancellor BS Dhillon condemned the decision, stating: 'Shifting the transplantation date back to June 1 undermines years of effort since 2009 to conserve Punjab's groundwater and pushes the state towards ecological disaster.' Controversy over PUSA 44, PR 126 With the announcement of early sowing, farmers in the state are preferring long-duration water-guzzling PUSA44 which gives the highest rice outturn ratio (OTR) against the short-duration varieties. However, it produces higher crop residue about 15-20% more raising hackles of experts who warned that it might lead to a spurt in farm fires. Though Punjab has banned the variety which has been discontinued by its producer Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), farmers are purchasing seeds from Haryana and Rajasthan. 'The long duration variety of 150 days is suffering varietal fatigue and needs 20% more water for irrigation,' said Gurdev Singh Khush, World Food Prize laureate and eminent rice-breeder fondly known as 'father of rice revolution'. 'We are making efforts that farmers do not cultivate PUSA 44 and also avoid PR 126 which caused problems to the farmers at time of selling the produce during the last season,' said a senior officer in the state agriculture department. The sale of seeds has been banned but there is no mechanism to stop cultivation of banned varieties, he added. A senior agriculture official from Ludhiana said, 'The decision to allow early transplantation appears to appease farmers and rice millers lobbying for higher OTR through PUSA 44. The PAU has alternative short-duration varieties like PR 131 and PR 132, but enforcement of bans on PUSA 44 remains weak.' PAU vice-chancellor Dr SS Gosal said that 22,000 quintals of short-duration paddy seeds have been sold, enough to cover at least 3 lakh acres. He also advised that late transplantation —up to mid-July — could achieve better results while conserving water. Punjab's water crisis Punjab faces a severe groundwater crisis, with an annual decline of nearly one metre. The state's 14.5 lakh irrigation tubewells are critical for crop survival during dry pre-monsoon months. The government's earlier delay in paddy transplantation was meant to coincide with the monsoon onset in July, reducing water demand during the hottest months when evaporation rates and irrigation needs rise by 10-15%. The National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, has warned that continued groundwater depletion could render Punjab a desert in the near future. Despite these challenges, paddy cultivation covers over 30 lakh hectares annually in Punjab, driven by assured procurement under the minimum support price (MSP), which is set at ₹2,320 per quintal for 2024. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann defended the early transplantation policy, stating it would ensure better-quality crops with lower moisture levels reach mandis, minimising rejection and farmer losses. He said the availability of short-duration varieties and assured farmers that hybrid seeds would not be allowed. Mann also noted that full canals would support irrigation, reducing dependence on groundwater.
