Paddy yield in Malwa higher than govt estimates
Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, October 5
The paddy yield this year in the Malwa region is much higher than what the estimates prepared by the Agriculture Department have suggested. This will bring cheer to the state’s farmers in the ongoing festive season.
The department had initially suggested that the average yield would be around 26 quintal per acre. However, the arrival of paddy in various mandis of the Malwa region has now revealed that the yield is much higher, with the maximum going up to 35-36 quintal per acre.
This higher yield is being reported from Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Mansa, Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana districts. This shows that there has been a limited impact of the rice dwarfing virus and of the inclement weather just before harvesting.
When asked about the discrepancy in the prediction and actual output, officials said they had only given a report for the average expected yield. “We had not given details regarding the maximum expected yield. The data for maximum yield from all paddy growing districts is being collated again and will be submitted to the Food and Supply Department,” said Punjab Director of Agriculture Gurwinder Singh.
While this means a boom for the state’s largely agrarian economy, the financial scale of the operation will also have to be changed. Interestingly, the Anaj Kharid portal, where the default setting for accepting paddy from a farmer had been initially kept at 26 quintal per acre (plus minus five per cent), the settings are being changed now to accept paddy with yield of 35 quintal per acre. If these are not changed, then any grain above 26 quintal per acre, will not be accepted from a farmer by government procurement agencies.
This would have left the farmer high and dry as nine to ten quintal per acre of his produce would be left either unsold or he would be forced to sell it to private traders at prices lower than the MSP of Rs 2,040 per quintal. Such farmers would also get a red entry in their revenue records, under suspicion that they are getting cheaper paddy from outside the state to be sold to government agencies at higher MSP here.
Have sought revised estimates
Higher yield has been reported by commission agents from various grain markets. Based on their inputs, we have asked the Agriculture Department to give us a revised estimate of paddy yield. — Rahul Bhandari, principal secretary, food and supplies
