In Muktsar, rain-hit farmers may ditch cotton for paddy

Archit Watts

Muktsar, April 3

The ongoing inclement weather has left the cotton growers in the district worried, who are even thinking of dumping this cash crop in favour of paddy.

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According to them, the sowing of cotton is more labour intensive and the input cost is higher and in case of its failure, they will have to incur heavy losses. The sowing of cotton has started in the region and will continue till mid-May. Since the harvesting of the wheat has been delayed due to the recent rain, only the farmers who have harvested mustard are sowing cotton.

Jagjit Singh, a farmer who today visited the District Administrative Complex here to know the status of girdawari of his damaged wheat crop, said the weather had by and large remained unpredictable this season. “We have already suffered loss due to damage to the wheat crop. If the weather remains uncertain, we will have to switch to paddy again.”

Meanwhile, rain lashed some parts of the district again today. Gurpreet Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar, said the sowing of cotton had already started. “The crop was sown over 33,000 hectares in the district against the target of 45,000 hectares last year. This year, we will try to increase the area under this crop even as some farmers want to stick to paddy. But the soil is favourable for cotton and the farmers will definitely opt for it.”

He said if the weather improved in the next two-three days, the harvesting of wheat would start on Baisakhi and the grain would reach mandis by April 15.

Meanwhile, Bikramjit Singh Shergill, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, today held a meeting with Revenue Department officials to know the status of the girdawari and told them to expedite the work.