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Time of India

Subsidy on Bt cotton seeds to bring more area under cultivation: PAU V-C

Ludhiana: While the Punjab govt has offered a 33 per cent subsidy on Bt cotton seeds recommended by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in an effort to promote crop diversification , the subsidy will only apply to PAU-recommended varieties. Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian has allocated Rs 20 crore for this initiative. Commenting on the move, PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal said the measure would help bring more area under cotton cultivation. He added that the subsidy would encourage farmers to purchase the university-recommended seeds, which have higher resistance to pests and diseases. It is noteworthy that the area under cotton cultivation in Punjab has declined significantly — from about 7.58 lakh hectares in 1988–89 to less than 1 lakh hectares currently. Multiple factors have contributed to this decline, including pest infestations. In contrast, rice, for which a minimum support price (MSP) has been fixed, is less prone to pests and diseases, making it a more attractive option for farmers. "Subsidy helps," Gosal noted, "especially since pure seeds result in higher yield, which benefits the farmers." Another key reason for the shift away from cotton is the absence of an assured MSP. "Cotton is mainly procured by the Cotton Corporation of India. If farmers are assured of support in the procurement process, they will be more inclined to grow cotton," Gosal said. He further emphasised that the Cotton Corporation of India should declare a price assurance before the sowing season to build farmer confidence and encourage cotton cultivation. He pointed out that pink bollworm has been a major pest impacting cotton crops over the past four to five years, discouraging many farmers. Other serious threats include the cotton leaf curl virus and whitefly infestation. States such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat face similar pest-related challenges. Gosal also mentioned that earlier, American bollworm was a major threat, but the introduction of Bt cotton in 2002, which was resistant to it, had initially provided relief to farmers.