Wheat area gets a boost

STATE WATCH: PUNJAB

The Rs 250 hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat has increased the area under cultivation in Punjab this rabi season.

As against the target of 33.75 lakh hectares, wheat has been sown in 34.80 lakh hectares. This is an increase of 13,000 hectares compared with last year's 34.67 lakh hectares.

During the last rabi season, the Centre had announced a bonus of Rs 100 over the MSP of Rs 750 a quintal of wheat on concerns of food security and shortage in procurement for the public distribution system.

Nearly 90 per cent of the total area is under wheat cultivation during this rabi season. Considering the increased area under wheat, the state agricultural department is hopeful of wheat production exceeding 15 million tonnes against the target of 14.5 tonnes.

To increase wheat production in the state, the Centre has selected seven districts of Punjab, namely Ropar, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozpur, Bathinda and Sangrur, for promotion of wheat.

The farmers have also been provided a subsidy of Rs 500 per quintal of wheat seeds in these districts, while in the rest of the districts the subsidy is being shared between the state and the Centre.

Thus, seeds have been provided to farmers at the rate of Rs 1,200 a quintal against the market price of Rs 1700 a quintal. Also, the state agriculture department has sown high-yielding variety of wheat in 37,000 acres to educate farmers in the latest techniques and practices involved in wheat cultivation.

As for procurement, 7.95 million tonnes of wheat had arrived in various mandis of the state till October 31 this year against a total production of 14.56 million tonnes.

Out of the total, 7.1 million tonnes was procured by various government agencies and 8.47 lakh tonnes by private agencies. During the corresponding period last year, 8.2 million tonnes of wheat had arrived in various mandis of the state against a production of 14.5 million tonnes.

Speaking to Business Standard, Tejinder Kaur, principal secretary, Food and Supplies, said that there was no move by the state government to ban private players from procurement.

Earlier, during the kharif season, the area under rice cultivation headed south. During the 2006-07 kharif, rice was cultivated in 2.62 million hectares. While the final figure for this year is yet to come, provisional data shows that it has been sown in over 2.57 million hectares.

SEEDING GROWTH

Against the target of 33.75 lakh hectares, wheat has been sown in 34.80 lakh hectares this rabi season

This is an increase of 13,000 hectares compared with last year

Nearly 90 per cent of the total area is under wheat cultivation

To increase wheat production, the Centre has selected seven districts for wheat promotion

Farmers in these districts have been provided a subsidy of Rs 500 per quintal of wheat seeds