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| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday, September 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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Poplar popular no more Pesticide business booms as cotton suffers Strawberry fruits in 100 days A VIEWPOINT Denuded Lahaul valley needs greening
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Poplar popular no more
POPLAR growers of Punjab are seeing their green dreams wilt with prices of their produce touching an all-time low. A glut-like situation prevails in North India owing in part to mass felling of even half-grown poplar trees by farmers of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh in view of the ongoing process of consolidation of land in the two states. The situation has come to such a pass that disturbed over falling prices, farmers in Punjab are forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices anywhere between Rs 125 and Rs 200 per quintal. The crash was unparalleled this time; even last year, poplar prices were between Rs 300 and 400. Growers even apprehend that the unprecedented crash could be due to manipulation—an outcome of tricks of certain groups of plywood manufacturers and commission agents so that they could purchase raw wood at low prices. The fears seem justified in view of the explanation they give—though the poplar wood prices have been crashing for the past three years, there has been no major difference in the prices of plywood, which have remained stable. While most farmers, particularly those with small holdings, have even gone to the extent of resolving not to plant poplar now on, a small section is of the view that the situation would not last beyond the next two years. “We have never seen such low prices. A farmer has no option but to sell at the price offered. If he tries to delay the sale, he would suffer more as the wood would lose its quality,” says Mehnga Singh, sarpanch of Lambran village in Jalandhar district and a reputed poplar grower. “At the time of plantation we had thought that the ‘magic’ tree would change our lot. But that was not to be. Actually, for the past three years, a major chunk of the trade has gone into the hands of a mafia comprising ‘bogus’ commission agents, sales tax officials and weighing-machine owners who fleece farmers jointly by controlling the prices. Most of the so-called commission agents do not have licences, but they are still doing a flourishing business,” rues Mehnga Singh. A large number of small growers in certain pockets of Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar are resorting to pre-mature felling, seeing the sharp fall in prices and due their incapacity to bear losses for more than a year. Another reason for their reaction is non-availability of marketing facilities and a lack of big plywood manufacturing units in Punjab. The state has only 10 or 12 small units around Jalandhar, Pathankot and Amritsar. Examining the factors behind the price crash, Mr Pal Singh Randhawa, a Wariana village (Jalandhar) farmer, who also has a poplar nursery, says a major reason for the glut is sudden flooding of the market by lakhs of tonnes of poplar wood from certain districts of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, where a land consolidation process is underway as part of the reorganisation of the two states. “We have observed that people of those areas are cutting even small trees of one year and are bringing it to markets like Saharanpur in their effort to not leave any tree on their land lest it is transferred in the process of consolidation,” says Mr Randhawa. “From my experience, I can tell you that this downward trend is not going to be there beyond two or three years and farmers who don’t cut their pre-mature trees in panic now are likely to get a better price for their produce, ranging between Rs 500-600 per quintal. I would advise farmers not to act in panic,” says Mr Randhawa. Mr Piara Lal, a well-known plant nursery owner of Semi village, near Jalandhar, maintains that in view of the crash, the sale of saplings has also declined. “The situation is such that poplar plants are lying unsold in nurseries,” he says. According Mr Mehnga Singh, the biggest factor responsible for the plight of growers is the inability of the government to launch a crackdown against the poplar mafia. “There is no check on their activities. The so-called commission agents are issuing bogus slips to farmers. Such people are pocketing the entire profit. We are going to meet the Punjab Agriculture Minister soon in this regard,” he says. Mr Anurag Sood, a Hoshiarpur-based young farmer, says he was planning to plant poplar trees on 10 acres at his farm at Patehrian village, near Hoshiarpur, early this year, but was put off seeing the plight of other growers. “Now I would go for some other alternative like eucalyptus,” he says, adding that the government should create a separate wing in the Agriculture Department to deal with the problems of poplar growers. |
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Pesticide business booms as cotton suffers BATHINDA: A deadly cotton pest, American bollworm, has set the cash registers ringing for the ever-growing pesticide industry in Punjab. Failure of the cotton crop in 1992 was the beginning of an era of agony for cotton growers. The pesticide industry started looking up ever since. It jumped from about Rs 400 crore in 1992 to Rs 1,200 crore in 2003. The 1992 crop failure initiated a phase of indebtedness for cotton growers, which continues till date, raising a question over the overall economic benefits of pesticide-driven farming. The unending endeavour of the growers to kill various pests, including bollworm, has also proved to be a boon of sorts for Bathinda, which, being a cotton belt, has emerged a major pesticide market in North India. Market sources claim that Bathinda has a share of approximately 65 per cent of the total pesticide sales in the state. Punjab farmers, according to an estimate, use pesticides worth more than Rs 500 crore per annum. Pesticides worth Rs 700 crore are being marketed in the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. At present the cotton crop is under severe pest attack. To cash in on the situation, unscrupulous businessmen slip spurious pesticides into the market. This leads to not only crop failure, but also farmers spending on pesticides over and over again to somehow save their crop. The Bathinda market supplies agro-chemicals to Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, besides the rest of Punjab, says Mr Narinder Mittal, a local dealer. Mr Ashok Bansal, district president of the Punjab Fertiliser, Pesticide and Seed Dealers Association, says that over the years the pesticides business has grown manifold. Dr Ajmer Singh, Director, Agriculture, Punjab, says his department is discouraging the use of pesticides and has been promoting “integrated pest management” technology. Agriculture officials say that nature has provided strong protection from American bollworm in the shape of 28 known natural enemies of the deadly pest. However, the heavy doses of pesticides sprayed also kill these crop-friendly insects. |
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Strawberry fruits in 100 days
STRAWBERRY is a temperate fruit crop, but can be grown in sub-tropical and tropical regions. Its commercial cultivation is limited in the North by the extreme climate and lack of adequate knowledge about its cultivation. It is the only fruit that starts paying back in 100 days of planting. The plants are susceptible to frost and low temperature. Hence, it requires protection from frost and cold winds during winter. The growth of the plant is also affected during summer due to high temperature, which hinders runner production. Extreme climatic conditions can be countered by plasticultural techniques like mulching, use of low plastic tunnels and micro-irrigation systems. Low plastic tunnels and mulching during winter help in reducing the impact of cold. Micro-sprinklers help in maintaining proper micro-climatic conditions in summer. Strawberry plants should be raised on beds for proper drainage and easy intercultural operations. Beds 25 cm high and 1 m wide can be made 50 cm apart. The runners should be planted in the second fortnight of September at a spacing of 25 x 25 cm, with four rows of plants per bed. About 35,000-40,000 runners are required in one acre. During early growth, irrigation should be done through micro-sprinklers, which facilitate early establishment of the plant. During the reproductive phase, micro-sprinklers are replaced by drip irrigation, which helps in uniform and timely watering and facilitates fertigation. Strawberry demands a lot of nutrients throughout the fruiting season. Water-soluble fertilisers should be applied through the drip system, at an interval of 15-20 days for higher nutrient use and better fruit size. Mulching is an important practice as it helps in keeping the fruit clean and prevents rotting of fruit due to soil contamination. Black plastic mulching is considered best. Mulching should be done before flowering. Holes should be made in the plastic sheets to keep the plants above the sheet and the drip system below. During winter, the plants should be protected from wind during night by putting up plastic tunnels over the bed with the help of wires. The plant starts fruiting in three to four months after planting. The fruit should be harvested carefully and placed in shallow plastic trays. By following proper cultural practices, 8 or 10 tonne of fruit can be had from an acre. Strawberry is usually propagated from runners produced on established plants. After the reproductive phase, mulching is removed from the beds and the plants are allowed to produce runners on the beds. Apart from fruit, surplus runners can also be sold to generate additional income. |
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A VIEWPOINT ALBERT Einstein once remarked: “You can't find a solution to a problem by employing the same thinking that moved you into the problem in the first place.” These words need to be examined in the present context of the subsidy being sought by Punjab from the Centre to encourage contract farming, wherein private companies will tie up with farmers to ensure a buyback arrangement. Considered innovative, this partnership will corporatise agriculture on one hand and marginalise farmers on the other. Though this move will gradually ease the pressure on the state by eliminating farm subsidies and the onus of minimum support prices, farmers will be at the mercy of uncertain markets driven by global corporate interests. Clearly, gains in the short term will be negated by losses in the long term. Developing countries’ farmers are already fighting a losing battle against the imbalance in subsidies with their counterparts in the developed countries. By losing the cushion of subsidy, farmers will find themselves under control of the corporations which will not only decide the type of crops to be grown but will also determine the procurement price. In effect, the government might be falling into a trap. A series of questions arises on this policy: What has prompted the state to encourage contract farming? Why has the government not adopted a coherent and competitive marketing strategy for crops other than paddy and wheat? Why no minimum support price has been announced for pulses and coarse grains? To say that farmers will not switch from paddy-wheat without subsidy is ill-founded, given that farmers are facing a decline in markets for their present harvest as well. |
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Denuded Lahaul valley needs greening THE Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh has xeric (extremely dry) conditions. It has poor biodiversity with a depleting tree cover, leading to landslides, avalanches, erosion, and soil degradation. All types of forest in the valley are losing their quality and density. With the increasing demand for wood, there is an urgent need for reclamation, afforestation and management of degraded land. Cash crops grown with inorganic fertilisers and pesticides and expansion of agricultural areas have increased the rate of land deterioration. The problem could be curbed by going in for organic farming, accelerating natural regeneration, enrichment planting, cultivating fast-growing trees like willow species, poplar, or robinia apart from various indigenous species. The trees should be of good genetic stock and mixed plantations with fast-growing and climate-tolerant species should be established. Apart from agriculture, the Lahaul people have no alternative for economic development. Therefore, prevention of land degradation and reclamation of land is very important. Under the conditions, tree farming is a viable option, which can be undertaken by local people under the Joint Natural Resource Management Programme. — Oinam Santaram Singh and Yashwant Singh Rawat |
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Farmers’ camps JALANDHAR: The Punjab Agriculture Department is organising a series of district-level camps to apprise farmers of ways to enhance production and lower input costs. The schedule of these camps is as follows: Amritsar—Sept 16; Kapurthala and Phuglana (Hoshiarpur) — Sept 18; Jandiala (Jalandhar) and Nawanshahr—Sept 20; Sangrur and Mansa — Sept 30; Moga and Bathinda — Oct 1; Muktsar and Ferozepore — Oct 7. The department says farmers should contact district offices of the department in this
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