Groundwater depleting, grow moong, cotton instead of paddy: Punjab CM to farmers

Chandigarh, March 30

Describing crop diversification as the need of the hour, CM Bhagwant Mann today gave a clarion call to farmers for a paradigm shift in agriculture by taking to alternative crops like cotton, basmati and moong.

In a video message to farmers, the CM said several crops were grown in the state, but gradually the farmers confined themselves to paddy only. This has adversely affected the topography of the state due to excessive power consumption, depletion of water table and pollution due to burning of stubble etc.

The CM said the need of the hour was to take to alternative crops. A high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary had also recommended the adoption of these crops.

Therefore, the state government was adopting it in a big way. He promised to provide canal water for cotton crop from April 1 and announced 33 per cent subsidy on cotton seeds certified by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), besides providing crop insurance cover and MSP on basmati.

The CM said the Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police had been instructed to depute force for checking theft of water so that the farmers at tail end could benefit.

He said preventive measures were also being taken to check white fly and pink worm attacks on crops. The government had decided to conduct research on new insecticide and pesticides to control these problems, he added.

The CM said the government was planning insurance cover for cotton crop to safeguard farmers’ interest. He said basmati would be promoted as alternative crop with assured MSP. Markfed would be the nodal agency to procure basmati on MSP, he added.

The CM said laboratories were being set up to inform farmers about the quantity of insecticides to be used on basmati so that it met the export standards.

He said MSP would continue on moong. He, however, advised farmers not to cultivate moong in Mansa, Bathinda, Muktsar and Fazilka districts due to the prevalence of white fly attacks.

Panel set up

• A high-level committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, was constituted
• The committee recommended farmers to take to alternative crops like cotton, basmati, moong etc.
• Instead of paddy, farmers should grow basmati on which MSP will be ensured
• Cotton growers will get canal water from April 1, besides 33% subsidy on seeds