Fearing losses, Punjab farmers plough back cotton crop, go for paddy

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12

Apprehensive of poor returns from cotton due to whitefly and pink bollworm attack, farmers in Punjab have started ploughing back cotton crop in their fields, opting for a safer late-maturing paddy variety that allows them an assured income.

In the past week, there have been instances of farmers in Bathinda, Mansa and Fazilka, ploughing the cotton crop back in the fields, and then using the fields for transplantation of PR 126 variety of paddy.

The cotton crop, which has been infested by whitefly and pink bollworm, though at most places this was below the economic threshold level, has reportedly been ploughed back in half of the fields, while it remains standing on the other half.

Whitefly, pink bollworm attack big concern

• Cotton crop has been infested by whitefly and pink bollworm at many places in the state
• Fearing losses, many farmers have ploughed back cotton crop on half of their fields in various districts
• They are then sowing PR 126 variety of paddy in that area for assured returns

In Fazilka, where 10 infestation hotspots have been identified by the Agriculture Department, Gurpreet Singh and his father Ajaib Singh of Patti Sadiq village in Fazilka, told The Tribune that they ploughed back the cotton crop on one and half acres of their land on Saturday, while retaining it on three acres.

Though the Agriculture Department’s team that visited their field today said the whitefly and pink bollworm infestation was below ETL, Gurpreet Singh said he had ploughed back the crop due to fear of suffering losses for a second consecutive year. “I have many social and family obligations to fulfil. I ploughed back my cotton crop realising that my input costs would zoom due to frequent sprays to control whitefly,” he said.

There have been reports of farmers ploughing back their crops in the fields at Khui Kheda and Jhurar Kheda villages in Fazilka and Giana and Tungwali villages in Bathinda.

Officials in the Agriculture Department said 128 teams had visited 240 spots in the cotton belt. Insect attack was witnessed at a few places, but it was within ETL. The farmers are being told about the best farming practices to prevent insects from devouring the cotton plants, they said.

Last year, over 25 per cent of the cotton produce was sold by farmers at rates below MSP of Rs 6,620 per quintal. In 2022-23, the crop sold at an average price of Rs 10,000 per quintal. Farmers fear incurring losses this year again due to whitefly and pink bollworm attacks.

Director of Agriculture Jaswant Singh said department officials had been undertaking field visits twice a week (Monday and Thursday) to keep tabs on the standing cotton crop. “There have been reports of farmers ploughing back the crop, but it is only in cases where they have seedlings of PR 126 variety of paddy available for sowing. This is why they are ploughing only half the fields, retaining cotton crop on the other half of fields,” he said.