Latest news with #PunjabAgricultureDepartment
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Despite record production, government wheat procurement in Punjab falls short of 2024 figures
Although Punjab has witnessed a bumper wheat crop this year, with the highest-ever productivity per hectare, the procurement season has seen a notable decline in government purchases compared to both last year and the previous season. As of May 8, 2025, the Punjab government has procured 116.29 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat, marking a drop of 3.07 LMT from the 119.36 LMT procured on the same date last year, and 1.61 LMT less than the 117.90 LMT collected in 2022-23. This year, Punjab recorded an average yield of 5,390 kg per hectare, according to 94 per cent of the crop-cutting experiments – it estimates crop yield by selecting a representative section of a field, harvesting it, and using the data to project the overall yield for the entire area – conducted by the Punjab Agriculture Department so far. This yield is the highest ever, surpassing the previous record of 5,188 kg per hectare in 2018-19. Only the results of 6 per cent of the crop-cutting experiments are pending, but authorities have stated that these remaining results will not significantly impact the overall productivity. This year, wheat was grown on 35 lakh hectares in Punjab, leading to a total production of 189 lakh metric tonnes. In comparison, last year, wheat was planted on 35.16 lakh hectares, resulting in a total production of 182 LMT. This year's government procurement figures have come down despite what has been described as a 'bumper crop' with the total wheat arrivals in mandis (markets) exceeding last year's numbers till May 8. A total of 127.02 lakh tonnes of wheat has already reached the mandis this season, surpassing the 126.68 lakh tonnes recorded at the same time last year and well above the 122.53 lakh tonnes recorded in 2022-23. However, while the quantity of wheat reaching the mandis is high, the pace of government procurement has slowed considerably. Of the 127.02 lakh tonnes arriving in mandis this year, 126.62 lakh tonnes have been purchased, including 10.32 lakh tonnes procured by private players. Last year, in the entire season, approximately 134.13 lakh tonnes of wheat had arrived in the mandis. This year, the procurement season will end on May 31. With just weeks left until the official end of the season, it seems increasingly unlikely that the government will meet last year's procurement target. One of the key reasons for the decline in government procurement is the increased participation of private players in the wheat market. This season, private traders have been more aggressive in sourcing wheat directly from farmers, offering competitive prices and incentives. As a result, some farmers have opted to sell their wheat to private buyers instead government. With private traders offering a slightly higher price than the Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers have also started holding back a portion of their wheat in anticipation of better prices in the coming weeks. 'The private players are offering better prices than the government right now. With a bumper crop this year, some of us have decided to hold on to a part of our wheat and sell it later when the prices might go higher,' said Gurmail Singh, a farmer from Ludhiana district. 'It's a risky strategy, but we have seen the prices going up in the last year too, so it is worth the wait,' he added. As of Thursday, May 8, less than 1 lakh tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive in mandis, with only about 76,000 tonnes recorded on that day. This indicates that the bulk of the wheat has already been procured by the government, and now the remaining wheat supply is dwindling. The procurement season in Punjab typically runs until the end of May, but it is clear that with only 5 per cent of the expected supply remaining to be sold, government procurement this year will fall significantly short of last year's total of 12.5 million tonnes (approximately 125 lakh tonnes). Experts believe that the state's procurement agencies are unlikely to match the wheat procured in the previous season, with the final figure likely to be considerably lower.
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Lack of storage facilities causes post-harvest losses
A high agricultural yield in a land-based economy would naturally be seen as a positive development. However, in the absence of modern storage, processing, and packaging facilities, surplus production leads to two unfortunate outcomes: either farmers are forced to sell their produce at extremely low prices, or the excess vegetables go to waste. After suffering losses in wheat cultivation last year, a large number of farmers in Punjab turned to seasonal vegetables, including peas, potatoes, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, and radishes. As a result of large-scale production, reduced local demand, and low exports, market prices for vegetables dropped to their lowest levels in five years, causing significant financial losses for farmers. Ali Hamza, a farmer from Bhasin, faced heavy losses when he cultivated wheat on 10 acres of land last year. This year, he grew seasonal vegetables such as peas, turnips, carrots, radishes, and greens on five acres instead. However, due to falling market prices, he suffered losses once again. 'I suffered a loss of Rs300,000 in the cabbage and carrot crops alone. Instead of selling the cabbage in the market, I fed it to my cattle as fodder,' said Hamza. Similarly, Mian Afzal, a middleman in the vegetable market, shared that the situation also impacted middlemen who had provided advance payments to farmers for planting vegetables. 'Farmers usually repay the loan after the crop is harvested. Now, they're not even earning enough to cover the cost of harvesting and transporting the crop to market. How will they repay the middlemen?' questioned Afzal. According to Dr. Anjum Ali Buttar, former Director General of the Punjab Agriculture Department (Extension), vegetable cultivation began earlier than usual this season, and favorable weather conditions led to increased production. 'Moreover, this year, vegetables—especially potatoes and cabbage—could not be exported from Punjab to Afghanistan, which increased local supply and drove down prices,' explained Dr. Buttar. Aamir Latif, a senior scientist at the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute in Faisalabad, a government body focused on vegetable research, agreed that increased supply had driven prices down. 'Last year, farmers did not receive fair prices for wheat, so this year they turned to alternative crops, with vegetables at the top of the list,' said Latif. Data from the Punjab Agriculture Department shows that this year, wheat was cultivated on 1.191 million fewer acres. There was also a decrease in the cultivation of gram and green fodder during the Rabi season. In contrast, vegetable cultivation saw significant growth, with the area under peas increasing by 1.18 million acres (64 percent) and potatoes by 1.18 million acres (15 percent). Similarly, onion cultivation rose by 10,800 acres (15 percent). Progressive farmer Aamir Hayat Bhandara pointed out that, because vegetables are perishable, their shelf life could be extended with modern processing, storage, and cold chain facilities. 'This would eliminate the need to rush produce to the market. Dehydrated vegetables are common worldwide as they remain fresh longer, but unfortunately, they are not popular among local consumers,' said Bhandara.
Express Tribune
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Farmers to get super seeders on subsidy
The Punjab Agriculture Department has sought applications from farmers for providing them super seeders at 60 per cent subsidy in the third phase of an initiative to promote mechanised farming. According to an official statement, the super seeder project is likely to significantly reduce smog. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had launched the programme by carrying out balloting for 1,000 super seeders last year. In the second phase, the manufacturing of 2,000 super seeders is nearing completion and in the third phase, a target has been set to complete the provision of 2,000 seeders before the sowing of wheat in October. With the use of super seeder, the remains of the crop are mixed into the soil. As per the statement, wheat cultivation on more than 110,000 acres of land in Punjab has improved through super seeders. Increase in production and saving in fertiliser and seed costs for the wheat crop are also expected. The farmers who get the super seeders will also provide services on rent to other growers. In the third phase of the scheme, farmers who own 65 horsepower tractors can apply for super seeders through the official website or the offices of the agriculture officials concerned. A toll-free number 0800-17000 has also been established for information. CM Maryam Nawaz said regarding the scheme, "The dream of innovation in Punjab's agriculture has become a reality with agricultural mechanisation." She added, "The use of super seeder will prevent the burning of paddy residue and the farmers of Punjab will be equipped with the latest agricultural technology." She said, "We are adhering to our policy of reducing costs for the farmers by increasing production. The promotion of industry and trade is also conditional with better farming. 'Kisan Khushal, Punjab Khushal' is not just a slogan but a reality. Kisan Card, Super Seeder and other programmes will cause a visible increase in the production of crops as well as yield per acre in Punjab." Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken notice of reports regarding reaction of an injection on patients in Mayo Hospital.
