Drastic fall in wheat export
AGRICULTURE exports in the country are estimated to have declined during 1997-98 largely due to a drop in foodgrain exports from Rs 3,784 crore to Rs 2,480 crore in value terms.

Self-reliant orchardists
By P.P. S. Gill

CHHAUNI KALAN: It is a typical rural setting: rows of chairs are arranged in a semi-circle under a big tree. The occupants could not have asked for more on a day like this in this season given the kaleidoscopic weather changes every hour. The rustle of leaves, a gentle breeze and fleeting clouds complete the stage-setting.

The occasion is an informal get-together of a group of farmers drawn from different parts of Punjab. They are “progressive” horticulturist, owning orchards in one or another agro-climactic zone in Doaba, Majha and Malwa. These farmers have made it here (on the outskirts of Hoshiarpur) in their Sumos, Suzukis, Hondas and Zens to attend a seminar-cum-field visit on “integrated crop management in orchards”.

The informal meeting invitation was sent by New Age Fruit Growers Association president Bhagwant Singh Ahluwalia. His idea behind this organisation is to provide a platform to fellow growers to share their experiences and experiments for mutual benefit. These farmers face the same set of problems, share common needs and are keen on managing their own business needs through their own abilities. They are wont to be self-contained and self-sufficient in several ways, including acquiring new technical know how, dissemination of the same and even take care of the marketing of their produce.

The associations aim, says Khushwant Singh, is simple: supplementing members’ requirements and complimenting, if need be, the role of extension wings of the Department of Agriculture and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The informal interface enables members pick up information and tips on “how’’ of higher production, preserving plant health and soil fertility and integrated crop management practices.

The association wants to do what extension agencies have failed to do. The members want to fend for themselves. The initiative for such interaction has come from Bhagwant Singh, who has “modified” with success the “rigid” recommendations of farm scientists, who nurture new techniques in laboratories and are keen to test them in land.

On this particular day (September 2), farmers are keen to know and see the efficacy of using herbicide Glycel, a product of Excel Industries, successfully used by Bhagwant Singh in his orchard to eliminate weeds. What mechanical and manual operations failed to do, the agro-chemical did it for him. At hand to answer inquisitive farmers are Excels’s director Dipesh Shroff, zonal manager Anil Kakkar and an expert (from the UK) on converting city wastes into organic matter, Keeth Newman.

Besides Glycel is on display Celrich: a bio-organic soil enricher, which Newman has helped manufacture. The use of Glycel has helped the host reduce fertiliser consumption by 30 per cent. The use of a motorised, tractor-mounted special applicator has proved useful.

There is only one thumb rule: follow the instructions or the prescription and not what “retailers” of agricultural inputs, farm machinery, equipment, chemicals and fertilisers, say.

There is always a catch: wrong application will do harm, but the correct use of agro-chemicals will give benefits.

The Punjab Agro-Industries Corporation Chairman, Mr Jagjit Singh Ghungrana, a progressive farmer from Ludhiana, shares his views and does plainspeaking: forget the cooperatives, give up dependence on the government, opt for the corporate sector for technical guidance and transplant such associations elsewhere suited to collective interests based on the specific needs of farmers. Marketing should be of prime concern, but unless there is “quality”, there will be problems.

Such associations will mean, he says, triggering competition among firms dealing in farm-related inputs. The same will be provided at an economic price to associations which in return can distribute it among themselves resulting in decline in the cost of cultivation better production and more profits. Now is the time to look to private wholetime consultancy services to tend to plants, soil, etc. The existing services available through the Department of Agriculture and PAU are becoming inadequate. Extension staff lack information and commitment.

The rural and urban settlements have a symbiotic relationship, says Newman. The former produces food for the latter. The city wastes of the latter when converted into organic matter helps raise production.

Since agro-chemicals both benefit and harm, affect environment and ecology, a balanced, minimum and optimum use in an “integrated” manner alone can deliver the desired service and results. As in the case of any other trade farm produce “quality” is assuming importance in a competitive world. The way wheat and rice of Punjab are refused entry into consumer homes in other states due to their poor quality the same could happen with fruits, say kinnow.

The shelf life of kinnow has to be prolonged. Its grading, waxing packaging and marketing will have to be paid greater attention. It can be done and made to spin more foreign exchange (see box). For all this to happen Hoshiarpur needs a modern pre and post-harvest technology, better communication and a chain of labs specialising in leaf analysis and analysis of micronutrient requirements of the soil.

Two orchard districts from Malwa, Surinderpal Singh, a grape grower from Jaitu (Faridkot), and Jasinderpal Singh from Abul Khurana with orchard at Kuttianwala, say: Waterlogging has taken its toll in Malwa. It is time to save Hoshiarpur from the chaos of choes, soil erosion, and other problems.”

There is a hope that the new-age farmers will work for a sustainable agriculture and replicate their association.

Mango gives way to kinnow

Hoshiarpur is synonymous with horticulture. But where once the mango reigned supreme, there is the rule of the kinnow now.

Almost 70 per cent of the mango-bearing trees have been felled. The countryside now stands dotted with rows of kinnow plants. This fruit occupies approximately 5,000 hectares out of a total area of 8,000 hectares under different fruits in the Shivalik foothills. The runnersup are mango, guava and peach.

Of the total statewide kinnow production of approximately three lakh tonnes annually, the contribution of Hoshiarpur is significant: 50,000 tonnes.

The per hectare yield is 10 tonnes. The average orchard holding is one hectare, while over 30 “big” orchardists own farms of more than 10 hectares.

Of the total statewide export of kinnow of approximately 1,000 tonnes, on an average annually, Hoshiarpur’s Deepak Puri alone contributes approximately 200 tonnes (1997-98). He is a successful kinnow grower and exporter.

At 49, Puri has carved a niche for himself in the markets in Kenya, the UK, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and near at home in Chennai and Mumbai. Although in the brick-kiln business, Puri had to find temporary shelter in New Delhi when terrorism was at its peak. He returned “home” in 1993 and began looking after his business as well as tending to his 45-acre orchard at Chohal. During the past four years or so, his exports have improved from 60 tonnes to 200 tonnes.

For a 10-kg pack, containing nearly 60 pieces, the price in the international market is between $ 6.5 and $ 7 Puri acknowledges the help of the Punjab Agro-Industries Corporation in grading, waxing, packaging, etc. It has a unit at Kang Mai. The marketing season is from November to March.

Puri feels agriculture has a “bright” future. Treated like industry and given the farmers’ entrepreneurship and expected knowhow on new production techniques flowing in from different quarters, it should not be difficult to attract young, educated sons of soil to return to their roots. They can earn and serve the country’s food needs.

Kinnow is not the only choice. Vegetables and mushroom have potential just as floriculture has. While finding self-employment and working with patience and perseverance, agricultural production can again be raised.—PPS

Control of temperate snail
By R.N. Barwal

DURING the recent years, temperate snail, macrochlamys glauca pfr, has emerged as a pest of crops in the temperate hills of Himachal Pradesh due to the increased thrust for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits and forest plantations which brought about agro-ecological changes in the state. Thus, the introduction of suitable host plants and damp soil underneath the perennial plantations have been responsible for the multiplication of this snail. It has been found damaging the summer crops in Kulu, Mandi and Hamirpur. Some areas of the adjoining districts have also been affected.

In the temperate environment of Katrain in the Kulu valley, this snail remains active for six months from April to September.

Snails are not seen on any vegetation from October to March as the falling temperature and humidity in September induce hibernation in them and, therefore, they go deep into the loose soil and decaying leaves. They are also found in the crevices of the walls, underneath rocks, inside the rotting logs and the tree hollows during winter.

They regain activity in April, but low temperature as a result of rains and snowfall restricts them to their hibernation sites. Further, they re-appear on the prevalence of hot and dry weather in summer. They, however, disperse to their preferred hosts with the onset of rains in July.

Mating and egg-laying take place during late June to August. In June, copulation is preferred between midnight and dawn due to the availability of dew and cool weather.

In July and August, however, moisture is not a problem. So feeding, mating and egg-laying activities are performed throughout the day – during the rain, at night and underneath bushes and in orchards.

If rains prevail for long, they crawl up to the tree tops, but they crawl down or even drop down with the cessation of the rains and warming up of the weather.

The maximum damage by this snail is recorded in radish, marigold, tomato, French bean and okra. In addition, the snails congregate in large numbers in cabbage, cauliflower, zinnia, hollyhock and china rose. They prefer to feed upon the bark of bottle gourd, inflorescence of cucurbits and maize cobs at milky stage and rotting or partially damaged fruits.

In order to manage this snail, its hibernation sites may be located during April to June. Infested locations should be treated with metaldehyde (2 per cent) bait or “snail kill” spot application of 5 g bait, soaked in 5 ml of water. These should be made 0.5 m apart from each other. Bait is more effective when placed on a thick paper due to the retension of moisture, but disappears quickly in its broadcasting in the field, particularly due to the heavy rain and biological degradation.

During the rainy season, the snails disperse evenly in the field. So the spot application is not very effective. Under such a situation, trap crops like, radish, marigold, etc. should be grown either around the field or in 1 m2 plots at 10 m distance from each other.

The snails are attracted by the trap crop and can easily be killed with the application of metaldehyde bait. Thus, the integration of the trap crop and molluscicide will be an economical and effective approach in the management of this snail. The metaldehyde bait placement method will also be suitable in the kitchen garden, but should not be accessible to pets. If this molluscicide is not available then the snails may be collected and killed by dipping in 1 per cent common salt solution. Salt, however, should not be sprayed on the snail-infested crops due to its phytotoxicity. Snail-infested commodities can be washed and consumed without any adverse effect.

Drastic fall in wheat export

AGRICULTURE exports in the country are estimated to have declined during 1997-98 largely due to a drop in foodgrain exports from Rs 3,784 crore to Rs 2,480 crore in value terms.

Major exports in the sector fell from over Rs 11,000 crore in value terms during 1996-97 to over Rs 10,500 crore during 1997-98, according to official sources.

Though basmati exports rose to 16.74 lakh tonnes as against 12.47 lakh tonnes during the previous year (in value terms it rose from Rs 523.16 crore to Rs 1,721.80 crore), on the whole there was a decline in exports of many of the farm products.

Oil meals exports, for instance, fell from 34.95 lakh tonnes to 34.03 lakh tonnes, while that of the processed vegetables fell from 1.16 lakh tonnes to 1.09 lakh tonnes.

As a percentage of the total exports, the share of farm exports fell to 15.87 per cent during 1997-98 as against 17.96 per cent during the previous year.

One of the areas which witnessed a drastic fall in exports was wheat which fell from seven lakh tonnes to very negligible levels.

Sugar exports fell to 2.4 lakh tonnes from 8.6 lakh tonnes during 1996-97, the sources said, adding in value terms it fell to Rs 175 crore from Rs 667.27 crore during the 1996-97 financial year.

In the foodgrains sector, exports of rice (other than basmati) is estimated to have fallen from 19.25 lakh tonnes during 1996-97 to 16 lakh tonnes in the subsequent year which translated to a fall from Rs 1,989.04 crore to Rs 1,721.80 crore in value terms during 1997-98.

Pulses export, interestingly, rose from 1.31 lakh tonnes to 3.54 lakh tonnes, thereby rising from Rs 55.22 crore to Rs 160.18 crore in value terms.

On the import front, agriculture as a percentage of total imports, was 4.27 per cent as against 4.03 per cent during 1996-97.

The total imports of agriculture products is estimated to have risen from Rs 5,592.58 crore during 1996-97 to Rs 6,470.32 crore during 1997-98, sources say.

Wheat imports are estimated to have risen from 4.03 lakh tonnes during 1996-97 to 9.71 lakh tonnes during 1997-98. In value terms it stood at Rs 1,344.65 crore during the previous fiscal year as against Rs 612.68 crore during 1996-97. — PTI