Chandigarh, October 5
It’s a double whammy for Punjab farmers. First, the untimely rains damaged their kharif crop and now the plummeting basmati and cotton prices are hitting them hard. Early this week, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had exempted traders from paying certain taxes on the purchase of paddy. But the step hasn’t yielded the desired result so far.

Expecting better prices, farmers in Punjab had enhanced area under basmati by 3 lakh hectares this year. The crop, however, is selling at a far lesser price than last year.

At Budladha, the 1509 variety of basmati is being sold at Rs 2,500 - Rs 2,700 per quintal. At Batala, it is being sold for Rs 2,350 - Rs 2,450 per quintal and at Fazilka at Rs 2,490 - Rs 2,750 per quintal. Last year, the average price of this variety was around Rs 3,100-Rs 3,200 per quintal. The other variety (1121), harvesting for which will begin in a few days, had last year fetched up to Rs 4,400 per quintal in Budladha and 1509 variety up to Rs 3,500- Rs 3,600 per quintal.

Even ordinary varieties such as ‘parmal’ are selling at less than the minimum support price. Due to high moisture content, government agencies are not keen on purchasing the ordinary varieties at the MSP. “It’s being purchased by private traders between Rs 1,325 -Rs 1,370 per quintal whereas against the MSP of Rs 1,400 per quintal,” said a commission agent from Batala.

The cotton crop, hit hard by the untimely rains and then by white fly and bacterial blight, is fetching Rs 4,300 per quintal. Last year, it was sold for up to Rs 5,200-Rs 5,400 per quintal. The average price last year remained at Rs 4,700-Rs 4,800 per quintal. At Fazilka, cotton is being sold at Rs 4,200 to Rs 4,250 per quintal. The yield in the cotton belt this year has been less. Farmers had expected up to 10-12 quintals per acre. But the yield has been 4-6 quintals per acre in the Mansa-Bathinda belt. The crop suffered damage in the Muktsar-Abohar and Fazilka belt.

“We will not be able to recover the sowing cost. Because of the good prices fetched last year, farmers had got land on lease at a higher price this year. Their debt burden will rise manifold this year,” rued Bogh Singh, a farmer from Datewas village near Budladha.

Sale shock

Basmati varieties selling at a lower price than last year

Even ordinary varieties such as ‘parmal’ selling at a rate less than the MSP.

Due to high moisture content, government agencies not keen to buy these varieties