 "Punjab, Haryana cotton growers lose 40% crop")
An extensive damage has been caused to the cotton, which is major kharif crop in Haryana and Punjab after paddy. The officials figures would be available after the completion of girdawari but an estimated 40% of the crop has been destroyed by the sap sucking insect, white fly. Senior officials in the agriculture department of Punjab, in connivance with pesticide companies allegedly supplied spurious pesticides in cotton growing districts of Punjab that failed to counter the widespread pest attack on cotton.
The Congress Leader of Opposition Sunil Jhakhar alleged that the selection of sub-standard pesticides by the officials in the department of agriculture worth Rs 33 cr has ruined the crop of farmers. The Punjab government, late last evening transferred the Director Agriculture, M S Sandhu, against whom, the charges were levelled.
Haryana Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar said that the work of special girdawari has been started in the State to access the extent of damage to crop caused due to white fly. He said that with a view to ensure that the problems of white fly do not occur in future, a 5-member committee has been constituted which also comprised of Vice-Chancellors of Ch. Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. This committee would submit its report in a month.
The parameter for the compensation of loss would be same as that is followed in case of wheat crop in Haryana. Punjab has announced a compensation package of Rs 10 cr for the cotton farmers.
Punjab produced an estimated 1.5 million bales of cotton last year and Haryana produced close to 2.6 million bales. With the on going loss due to pest attack, the traders are projecting a crop size of 0.8 million bales for Punjab and about 1.9 million bales for Haryana.
The farmers organisations have demanded a Rs 40,000 per acre compensation for the cotton growers.