Experts discuss crop diversification, stubble management at PAU

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, hosted a special meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the Agro-Economic Research Centre (AERC), Department of Economics and Sociology. Devajit Khound, Principal Economic Adviser, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, chaired the session.

During the discussions, Khound commended the research efforts being made at the AERC and emphasised the need for more studies on effective paddy stubble management and crop diversification, focusing on pulses and oilseeds in Punjab. Promodita Sathish, adviser at the department, also acknowledged the significant research contributions of AERC, Ludhiana, who actively participated in the deliberations.

Dr AS Dhatt, director of research at PAU, stressed the importance of conducting economic analyses on alternative crops to paddy and wheat, addressing groundwater depletion, and developing effective marketing strategies for various crops.

Before this, Dr JM Singh, director (AERC)-cum-head, Department of Economics and Sociology, presented an overview of AERC’s research progress. He highlighted completed studies on paddy stubble management, farmer suicides, land titling and agricultural productivity, cost and returns of milk production, and the decentralised wheat procurement scheme in Punjab. He also provided insights into the ongoing research initiatives undertaken by AERC, Ludhiana. The meeting served as a critical platform for strategic discussions, guiding future research in agricultural economics and policy formulation.