Panel tells farmers to opt for diversification of crops

Tribune News Service

Moga, December 11

With an aim to reduce the trend of wheat and paddy crop rotation, the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP) has urged farmers to take up maize or cotton cultivation as an alternative crop in view of diversification.

A team of CACP led by chairman Prof Vijay Paul Sharma, along with Director, Agriculture, Punjab, Dr Sutantar Kumar Aeri, and Joint Director, Agriculture, Manmohan Kalia, was here to listen to problems being faced by the farmers on grassroots level.

Moga Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Balwinder Singh Brar, Plant Protection Officer Dr Jaswinder Brar and Agriculture Officer Kuldeep Singh accompanied the team and took it to many villages, including Talwandi Bhangeria, Manuke and Dina Sahib. The team listened to the problems of farmers regarding the actual cost incurred on farming.

Professor Sharma assured farmers to resolve all their issues and urged them to opt for cultivation of maize or cotton, as unlike paddy, their cultivation will save a lot of water and help recharge the groundwater table to a great extent.

When it comes to depletion of underground water and contamination of water resources, the state is facing one of the biggest crisis in its history.

The farmers told the team members a huge expenditure of around Rs5,000 per acre that is incurred to plough the paddy stubble into the field. The problem of stray cattle was also raised.

A large section of farmers agreed on diversifying their crop to maize, but, demanded the team to fix the minimum support price (MSP) of maize at Rs3,000 per quintal. The team assured the farmers that it will take up their issues with the Union Government.

Recently, the CACP had advised the Centre to launch a scheme for commercial crops, wherein growers are paid directly, if the market price drops below a particular level.

Sharma said the government should allow farmers to sell their produce to traders and compensate them only when the market rate is less than the MSP. And if the market price is higher than the MSP, then the producers can opt to sell in the open market.

The Centre already has PM-AASHA scheme, wherein direct payment of the difference between MSP and selling price is made to pre-registered growers selling their produce in the notified market yard via a transparent auction process. The scheme does not involve any physical procurement of crops.