Ludhiana, October 5
The large turnout at a camp organised by the District Agriculture Department to promote contract farming in the district is an indicator of the willingness of the farmers to diversify and quit the wheat-paddy cycle. As many 200 farmers filled contract forms to sow mustard and winter maize in place of wheat on a part of their land.
The department has targeted 5, 500 hectares of land in the district to diversify this year to cope up the changing world scenario and to abide by the resolve of the government in this context. The first camp was organised at the office of the Chief Agricultural Officer here today afternoon.
Elaborating on the scheme to Ludhiana Tribune, Dr Rajinder Singh Pandher, Chief Agricultural Officer, said,” during this rabi season, we are to shift a total of 5, 500 acres - 5, 000 acres under oilseeds (hyola sarson) and 500 acres under winter maize. The seeds will be provided by two private companies, Advanta India Limited and ProAgro Limited, while the procurement of these crops would be done by state-owned Punjab Agro Industries Corporation,” he said.
Cautioning the farmers on the adverse effects of wheat - paddy monoculture, he said it was the right time to shift at this critical juncture of Punjab agriculture, when 60 million tonnes of foodgrains are already lying in the godowns and crores of rupees are being spent on their storage.
Earlier, while addressing the farmers, he said the seeds were of the utmost quality and had been priced within their reach. The companies supply the seed - PC 401 - while Punjab Agro would make the procurement. “ The assured procurement price has been fixed at Rs 1, 400 per acre. The yield could be increased to 15 quintals per acre while the expenses of raising the crop were half to that of wheat, “ he pointed out.
Interacting with the farmers, Mr S.S. Bassi, Senior District Manager of the PAIC, assured them about the results and marketing part which were the major stumbling blocks to diversification. “It is a state-wide programme as per the newly formed policy of diversification by the state government,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the agricultural technocrats have been educating the farmers abut bringing changes in the cropping pattern in the light of globalisation and depletion of natural soil and water resources.
