Latest news with #PUSA44
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.
Hindustan Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Farmers resist shift to early-maturing paddy amid procurement concerns
Farmers in Punjab are expressing reluctance to adopt early-maturing paddy varieties such as PR126, citing concerns over the government's procurement timeline that, they say, does not align with the crop's harvest period. Paddy sowing in districts such as Sangrur, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Mansa, Moga, Barnala, Patiala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Nawanshahr commenced on Monday. Despite a state-imposed ban on long-duration paddy varieties, farmers have continued sowing the water-guzzling, long-duration PUSA 44 variety. The state government has advised farmers for a shift to short-duration varieties like PR126 and PR121. These varieties mature 15-20 days earlier than PUSA 44, offering benefits like reduced groundwater use and less stubble burning. However, farmers argue that the early harvest of these new varieties does not align with the government's procurement timeline, which typically begins in October. 'If we sow PR126, it will be ready by September, but there won't be any procurement in the mandis at that time,' said a farmer from Laddi village in Sangrur. 'Last year, our crops went unsold and got damaged. This will happen again,' he added. The government's policy aims to address the growing environmental crisis, including water scarcity and air pollution caused by late-harvest paddy. But farmers remain skeptical, citing last year's experience, where those who adopted PR126 faced procurement delays, leading to financial losses. Agricultural experts and farm bodies have urged the state and central governments to adjust procurement schedules or create dedicated channels for early-maturing varieties. 'Promoting a new crop variety without addressing market linkage issues will only deepen farmer distress,' said an agriculture economist. BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan emphasized the growing distrust between farmers and the government. 'The government shouldn't dictate what we grow,' he said. 'Sheller owners prefer PUSA 44 due to its higher rice recovery rate, which is why they buy it readily. Without MSP guarantees for alternative varieties like basmati, there's no incentive to shift,' he added. Ugrahan also raised concerns about the government's push to replace paddy with maize. 'What if the new crop yields poorly? Will the government compensate us?' he asked. He called for a more farmer-centric approach, suggesting that the government offer an MSP for basmati rice, which could provide a viable alternative to both PUSA 44 and maize. Responding to these concerns, Sangrur chief agriculture officer Dharminderjit Singh assured that the government's procurement system would adjust to early-harvested crops. 'The crops will be procured when the mandis open. There is no issue with the government's procurement process,' he said. Singh admitted that the government does not currently have a compensation plan for farmers who face losses from sowing alternative varieties. He added that these newer paddy varieties incur lower costs due to their natural resistance to pests, reducing the need for expensive sprays.
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Paddy sowing kicks off in five districts of Punjab's Malwa belt
Paddy sowing began in five districts of Punjab's Malwa belt --Faridkot, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Fazilka -- on Sunday, June 1, in keeping with the early schedule for transplantation notified by the state government last week. Though agriculture department officials could not readily provide data on how much area was covered on the first day, an official said that 'farmers are enthusiastic about the early schedule'. The crop, this season, is expected to be grown over more than 31 lakh hectares (76 lakh acres). The water guzzling crop has seen an increase in area by 2 lakh hectares in the last three years. In March, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has sent recommendations to the state government for starting transplantation in Muktsar, Faridkot, Mansa, Bathinda, Ferozepur, and Fazilka from June 20. As per the advisory, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Roopnagar, SAS Nagar, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts were to start from June 23 and Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, SBS Nagar, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur and Barnala were to start from June 26. This was suggested to conserve subsoil water which is fast depleting, especially given the weather conditions in June. However, to appease the farmers, the transplantation schedule was pushed back. The state decided to allow transplantation in Faridkot, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Fazilka from June 1, in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Hoshiarpur from June 5 and in Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Mansa, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar from June 9. Direct seeding of rice (DSR) is permitted statewide from May 15 to 31 but the government has not received very encouraging results for this method. Contrary to the state agriculture department's observation that there is enthusiasm among farmers for early sowing, the PAU has said that farmers have understood the benefits of late sowing of paddy. 'There are short-duration varieties developed by PAU available and the start of transplantation of paddy coinciding with the start of monsoon is a best practice for better quality and crop,' varsity officials said. Officials in the state agriculture department said many farmers still prefer the cultivation of the long-duration, water-guzzling PUSA 44 and PR 126 varieties, despite bans and advisories against their use. PUSA44 gives higher yield out turn ratio (OTR) and is preferred by the rice millers.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- 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.
