The area under paddy cultivation in Punjab is likely to decrease by 135,000 hectares this kharif season against last year, on account of crop diversification. However, the area under basmati cultivation is likely to increase by 50,000 hectares this season as compared with the corresponding period last year.
According to preliminary estimates of the Punjab Agriculture Department, the total production is likely to touch 14.5 million tonnes as compared to 15 million lakh tonnes last year.
Speaking to Business Standard, Punjab Agriculture Department joint director agriculture (inputs) Harwinder Singh Bhatti said, "This kharif season, the total area under paddy crop in Punjab would be 2.6 million hectares as against 2.7 million hectares brought under the crop last year. The fall in area is mainly because the state government has given special impetus to crop diversification. However, the exact area will come into picture once the transplantation begins from June."
The Punjab government has directed the farmers not to grow paddy before June 10 in view of depleting water table in the state. It had also introduced Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Ordinance 2008 to prevent early plantation of paddy in the state.
However, he added that the area under basmati was likely to touch 350,000 hectares. Farmers will go for high yielding varieties like Pusa 1121 which has been accorded basmati status by the Centre.
As the state would not allow farmers to transplant paddy before June 10, and with the entire state transplanting paddy in one go, the Punjab government has cleared the names of eight firms that would provide paddy transplanters to farmer. This was aimed at avoiding the problem of labour shortage, which occurred last year as migrant labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh remained hooked to their parent states on account of the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
The government has also announced a subsidy of 50 per cent or Rs 1.5 lakh, whichever is less, on the cost of each transplanter. The average cost of transplanter depending on its capacity and technology varies from Rs 1.45 lakh to Rs 16 lakh.
It is worth mentioning that the present agriculture cropping pattern in the state is dominated by the wheat-paddy rotation. The area under these two crops has increased to 77 per cent in 2006-07 from 47 per cent in 1970-71.
