Latest news with #PUSA
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Lower water usage, international demand and an opportunity to grow a third crop: This is why Punjab farmers are going for basmati this year
1 2 Amritsar: Lower water usage, international demand and an opportunity to grow a third crop between seasons are spurring farmers in Punjab's Majha region to cultivate basmati despite only marginal differences in earnings compared to traditional paddy. Last year, basmati fetched an average price of over Rs 3,300 per quintal in the private market, ranging between Rs 2,531 and Rs 3,550. Paddy was sold at around Rs 2,400 per quintal under the minimum support price (MSP) regime. Although paddy offers slightly higher yields, basmati's added advantages are fuelling the shift. "Unlike paddy, basmati requires significantly less water, which aligns with the govt advisory of promoting sustainable farming amid growing water scarcity. Early-maturing basmati varieties like PUSA 1509 also allow farmers to grow a third crop—typically vegetables such as potatoes or peas—between the wheat and rice cycles, adding to their income," explained Tejinder Singh, chief executive officer of Amar Singh Chawla Wala, makers of the popular Lal Qila basmati brand, said. Basmati grown in the districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, and parts of Tarn Taran commands higher demand compared to other areas, further incentivising farmers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Last year, out of the total 1.8 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation, 1.5 lakh hectares were under premium basmati varieties, while 30,000 hectares were used for traditional paddy. This year, the agriculture department aims to bring at least 10,000 additional hectares under basmati cultivation. "We're seeing unprecedented interest in basmati, especially in the high-yielding, disease-resistant PUSA 1692 variety, which delivers 22 to 24 quintals per hectare," said Dr Baljinder Singh Bhullar, chief agriculture officer. Dr Raman Kumar, subject matter specialist (plant protection), added that PUSA 1509 is a preferred short-duration variety, giving farmers sufficient time to plant another vegetable crop. "Farmers are increasingly opting for PUSA 1121, 1509, 1692, and similar basmati variants," he said. Farmers are also optimistic about prices this season, partly due to geopolitical developments especially Israel-Iran war. "Earlier, our basmati shipments were often returned due to pesticide residues, but with the ban on use of pesticides, Punjab's basmati is high in demand abroad. This year we expect it will fetch a handsome price due to demand from West Asian countries," said Ravinder Singh, a farmer from Amritsar.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
2.58L hectares paddy to be sown in Ludhiana district
Paddy transplantation began in Ludhiana on Monday with the agriculture department expecting around 2.58 lakh hectares of area to be cultivated this Kharif season. This Kharif season the state government divided the state into three zones to effectively facilitate farmers in paddy transplantation. It begins on June 1 for Zone 1, June 5 for Zone 2, and June 9 June for Zone 3. The process is expected to continue for over a month. 'Last year around 2.58 lakh hectare area was cultivated with paddy and basmati. This time, we are expecting it to stay near that only,' said chief agricultural officer Gurdeep Singh. 'It only started today. This will go on for well over a month,' he added. While the state government has been calling for diversification to protect the depleted water table, the only alternative for farmers in Ludhiana is maize, which is not expected to register any significant increase in the area under cultivation. As per the agriculture department last year, around 5,000 – 6,000-hectare area was recorded under maize cultivation, which is not expecting any change this Kharif season. However, the agriculture department is hopeful that the ban on water guzzling PUSA 44 variety, which made up 15 percent of the area under paddy cultivation last year, will bring relief to the burdened water table. 'This year, the government banned PUSA 44, and we ensured that the seeds for the variety weren't sold in the district. That should also bring some relief,' added Gurdeep Singh. PUSA 44, besides consuming more water, also takes more time to mature thus affecting the timely sowing of wheat.
