Ludhiana, February 13
If politics divided the land of five rivers along religious lines, geography continues to keep the two parts alike in terms of economy and agriculture. This is what two agricultural economists of Punjab Agricultural University found during their extensive research on agriculture in two parts of Punjab.
This is the 'crop story' of two Punjabs, Indian and Pakistani, scripted by R S Sidhu and A S Bhullar, both Economists at Punjab Agricultural University. While scrutinising statistics and data on the "patterns and determinants of agricultural growth" in the two states, they stumbled upon more similarities and fewer differences.
This study identifies three areas of agricultural exchange programmes between the two Punjabs, which possibly could lead to amelioration of the economic conditions of farmers on both sides of the border.
Dr Sidhu and Dr Bhullar have identified three areas of co-operation from which the two Punjab farmers can benefit. These are technology transfer, acting as 'one' block in agricultural trade, say for aromatic rice and cotton; and easing trade restrictions and encouraging bilateral business.
Elaborating on the trade exchanges, the duo gives the example of wheat. Whenever Pakistan faces a shortage of wheat, it can import the same from the Indian
Punjab. Likewise, depending upon the "economic competitiveness and production, the two countries can stretch the easing of trade restrictions benefits to fruits and vegetables.
Both Punjabs, the study reveals, registered more than 5 per cent growth, largely contributed by crop yields till the end of 1980s. It was 42 per cent to 52 per cent in 'our' Punjab and 53 per cent in 'their'
Punjab. What led to this growth rate, at least one-third of five per cent, was increase in area under crops and the 'shift' in crop patterns towards 'high-yielding' and 'profitable' crops.
Being 'twins', the two states also faced a "slowdown" in agriculture growth rate and stagnation in 1990s, resulting in decline in productivity in important crops; though the growth of productivity in crops was higher in Pakistan Punjab in 90s.
However, productivity in all crops, except cotton, was higher in Indian Punjab. Pakistan scored over Indian Punjab cotton growers.
Sieving through available crop data and policy
frame-works operative in the two Punjabs, the experts observed that in Pakistan primarily poor irrigation and less or non-application of modern production technologies or inputs had led to lower productivity. In Indian Punjab tubewells played a major role in providing assured irrigation than canals; just as did fertilisers and plant protection chemicals.
Indian Punjab farmers have had several "advantages" over their Pakistani counterparts, say of government price support or assured market mechanism or power subsidies .
These farmers also had the advantage of institutional credit and infrastructure investments, besides rural electrification, which has helped in a big way to log higher productivity.
Pakistan Punjab farmers, on the other hand, did not have these "advantages" as they have had to fend themselves in the choppy market waters. They do not get any minimum support price for their farm produce and there is no system of national "food buffer stock".
Electricity supplied to the agriculture sector is at the same rate or tariff as admissible to "domestic power", which is much costlier than "industrial tariff.
Interestingly, farmers in both Punjabs facesimilar problems, say water depletion and soil degradation.
The soil, in Pakistan and India, has become "nutrient-exhaustive, lost fertility and become a victim of salinity. Consequently, the production patterns are reaching unsustainable limits from both the economic and ecological point in both states.
As both India and Pakistan are key players in the international market for basmati , the two must bargain hard for price as also protect their geographical barriers. The two must also learn to jointly manage "volatility" in cotton prices in the international market.
