Punjab Budget 2026-27: Low farm allocation sparks criticism from agricultural experts

Farmer leaders and agricultural experts have expressed disappointment over the allocations for the agriculture sector in the Punjab Budget, stating that it fails to address the major concerns of farmers, labourers, women and youth.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema presented a Budget of Rs 2,60,437 crore on Sunday. However, farmer organisations have termed it an election-oriented Budget that does not provide a clear roadmap for strengthening agriculture or improving rural livelihoods.

Reacting to the Budget, agricultural expert Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, state president of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha (Punjab) and prominent leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, strongly criticised the allocation for the farm sector.

He said agriculture continues to play a crucial role in Punjab’s economy, contributing nearly 30 per cent to the state’s overall income and providing direct or indirect employment to around 65 to 70 per cent of the population. Despite this, the Budget has allocated only about six per cent for agriculture, amounting to Rs 15,377 crore.

Dr Ajnala said the allocation should have been at least 20 per cent, considering the importance of farming in the state’s economy.

Farmer leader Lakhbir Singh pointed out that in the absence of MSP, farmers are currently forced to dump potatoes on roads as they are unable to recover even their production costs. He said that if vegetables such as potatoes, peas, onions, tomatoes and cauliflower had even a minimum MSP of Rs 12 per kilogram, farmers would not have suffered losses and consumers could have received vegetables at affordable prices throughout the year.

The farm leader also highlighted the problems faced by basmati growers. He said farmers had expected the government to announce an MSP of Rs 4,500 per quintal for basmati rice, as the crop has been facing losses in recent years. However, no such announcement was made in the Budget.

He added that instead of spending money on populist schemes, the government should focus on increasing the purchasing power of citizens by generating employment.