Fruit growers rue shortage of power for irrigation

Amritsar, March 24

Even as the government often exhorts farmers to go for crop diversification and come out of wheat-paddy monoculture, all its policies, especially regarding power supply to the agriculture sector, are a big discouragement for farmers.

Reason: Horticulturists or those cultivating fruits complain that power supply is given to fields as per the need of wheat and rice cultivators and they were often ignored.

At present, farmers who have grown orchards on their land need electricity to run their tubewells, so that they can irrigate their fruit trees that are in flowering stage.

They complained that irrigation was needed at least twice a week. In the absence of irrigation, flowers would fall and the production of fruit crop would be drastically low.

Narinder Singh Samra, a retired superintending engineer of the PSPCL, who has a pear orchard at Birbarpur village in Verka block, said: “I have written at least 20 letters since 2010.” He said during the previous season, he somehow convinced secretary, horticulture, to issue a letter to the power corporation in this regard.

However, the letter by the secretary, horticulture, recommended at least four-hour daily supply to horticulturists from the months of March to June, but he complained that in the last five days, his feeder was receiving an average of one-hour power supply only. Fruit cultivators complained that as their number was small, they were unable to exert pressure on the power corporation for power supply.

Sukhwinder Singh, another horticulturist, said: “If the government ensures power supply to farmers who have diversified on the pattern of paddy growers, then it can easily achieve the target of crop diversification.”

Farmers said in Pathankot and Patti, where the number of orchards was more, farmers get regular supply during summer months.

Horticulture Dept giving subsidies

Amritsar: A meeting was held under the chairmanship of District Horticulture Mission Committee-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Ranbir Singh Mudhal, in which Chief Agriculture Officer, Divisional Land Defence Officer and officials of the Markfed, Mandi Board, NABARD, KVK were also present. Deputy Director, Horticulture, Tajinder Singh said the department was giving a subsidy of Rs19,000 per hectare on planting new orchards, Rs50,000 on vermicompost unit, and Rs8,000 for vermibeds. He said the subsidy was also being given on various other projects as mechanisation of various process, bee keeping and others. Major Manmohan Singh, a well-known horticulturist, said subsidy should be given on marketing of pear fruit on the same lines as subsidy is given by the Punjab Agro on marketing of kinnow. TNS