Preparing contingency plan for flood-ravaged Punjab: Shivraj Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Centre was working with the Punjab Government to ready a contingency plan in the wake of floods ravaging farmland in the border state.

Speaking to reporters after a two-day rabi conference at PUSA complex here, Chouhan said all necessary aid would be extended to Punjab and other flood-hit states for safeguarding agricultural yield.

After Chouhan stated that the state had been asked for an assessment of seeds for the rabi season, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian asked for 2 lakh quintal of certified wheat seed, 637 quintal of certified mustard seeds and 375 quintal of black gram seed.

The Punjab Government also urged timely supply of urea and DAP to farmers to ensure sowing does not face any further delay. Overall, Chouhan said there was an estimated requirement of 229 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of seeds for the rabi season and the Centre and its agencies already had 250 LMT of seeds available.

Thus, there’s no shortage of seeds, he said, adding that the Centre had fixed a target of 362.50 million tonnes of foodgrain for 2025-26.

“In 2024-25, India produced 353.96 million tonnes (MT) of foodgrain which was 21.66 MT more than the previous year. This production was 12% higher than the target of 341.55 MT set for 2024-25. We hope to surpass targets this year as well. While we are self-sufficient in rice and wheat, the conference discussed ways of boosting oilseed and pulses production with special current focus on cotton and soybean,” Chouhan said. He added that the Centre had constituted flying squads to check misuse of fertilisers.

Khudian, who also spoke at the conference, said recent floods had damaged five lakh acres under various crops across 2,185 villages of the state.

He urged the Centre to provide additional financial assistance of Rs 151 crore to the state under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for restoration of land silted-up due to the flooding in border districts of Punjab.

The Punjab minister said floods had adversely affected large areas of cultivable land and caused heavy losses to the standing crops.

He said border districts — Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Kapurthala, Fazilka and Ferozepur —were the worst hit and up to five feet of silt/sand had been deposited in the fields.

“Punjabis have always come forward with open hearts during tough times in any part of the country. Now, the Centre should extend its helping hand to pull out the state of this critical situation,” the minister said, asking for timely release of additional funds under the RKVY to compensate farmers for losses and ensure revival of the agricultural economy.

Khudian also asked the Centre to release Rs 80 crore to provide 2 lakh quintal of certified wheat seed to the affected farmers under the seed village programme.

He demanded 25 lakh for the wheat seed separately under the national food security mission. The minister also flagged non-release of Rs 8,000 crore of rural development and other funds by the Centre.

State seeks 2L quintal wheat seeds

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has sought 2 lakh quintal of certified wheat seed, 637 quintal of certified mustard seeds and 375 quintal of black gram seeds

The minister urged the Centre to provide additional financial assistance of Rs 151 crore under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana for restoration of land silted due to the flooding

Khudian flagged non-release of Rs 8,000 crore of rural development and other funds by the Centre