The face of Punjab can change with the guarantee of MSP of lentils, arhar, urad, maize, and cotton by the central government. At the same time, the cultivation of pulses will get a boost in the country. This will reduce imports. However, this will promote agricultural diversity in Punjab. The suitable temperature for the cultivation of lentils is between 20 to 30 degrees.
For the cultivation of lentils, the pH value of the soil should be between 6.0 to 7.5. This is perfect for Punjab. It is done between October and December. It is important to provide adequate water to the seeds after sowing them, especially in the first 2-3 weeks after sowing.
Special varieties of lentils are also available for the farmers of Punjab. The cultivation of lentils in Punjab is very low, but farmer experts say that if it happens, 29 lakh tonnes of lentils, pigeon peas, and urad will have to be imported in 2023. This is an increase of about 40 percent in imports compared to last year.
The support price of lentils in Punjab in the year 2020-21 was Rs 5100 per quintal. At present the market price of lentils is around Rs 6100 to Rs 6125 per quintal, which is less than the minimum support price. A few months ago the price of lentils was Rs 7500-8000 per quintal.
Farmer leader Balwant Singh says that this year the lentil crop was planted in a 19 lakh hectare area. This is 4.40 percent more than last year. Australia is also a major producing country in the global market. Australia's lentil production in the year 2023-24 is 14 lakh tonnes.
Import of pulses increased by 39.70 percent last year
Pro. Hari Singh Brar says that the import of three pulses – masoor, arhar, and urad increased by 39.70 percent last year. During the calendar year 2022, the import of these three was about 20 lakh tonnes. From January to December 2023, the import of these three commodities has increased to 29 lakh tonnes. Farmers of Punjab can easily grow these pulses. The price of lentils goes up and down in the market, hence the farmer gets nervous. Farming in Punjab is done in very less areas but if the guarantee is given then it will be good for Punjab.
Decrease in the area of maize crop
Punjab farmers cultivated maize in 97,000 hectares in 2023. For the last decade or so, the area under maize was about one lakh hectares. The average maize production in Punjab is 5 lakh tonnes. Maize was grown on 5 lakh hectares in 1974, but over the years, the traditional crop area has declined drastically.
In the past few years, maize cultivation was used as silage, which is considered a superfood for cattle and poultry feed, but now the scope of the crop has expanded after distillery units showed interest in purchasing maize from farmers. A lot is being felt.
The condition of maize is bad in Punjab. The government has increased the MSP of maize from Rs 1962 to Rs 2090. Despite this, maize is not being purchased from farmers at that rate. This season, maize was sold in Punjab for up to Rs 1,000 a quintal, which was half the price of the MSP. Farmer leader Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan says that this is why the farmer is asking for a guarantee on MSP.
The graph of cotton cultivation is falling day by day
As against the target of three lakh hectares for cotton cultivation, the area under cotton cultivation is only 1.75 lakh hectares. The area under cotton cultivation in Punjab has fallen below two lakh hectares for the first time this season. In Punjab, cotton was cultivated on seven lakh hectares in the 90s, but in subsequent years it gradually decreased. In 2012-13, cotton was cultivated in 4.81 lakh hectares, which was further reduced to 2.91 lakh hectares in 2017-18. In the session 2018-19, cotton was cultivated in an area of 2.68 lakh hectares, in 2019-20, it was cultivated in an area of 2.48 lakh hectares, in 2020-21, it was cultivated in an area of 2.51 lakh hectares and 2021-22, it was cultivated in an area of 2.51 lakh hectares.
9.79 lakh quintals of cotton arrived in the markets of Punjab, out of which Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) bought only 1.76 lakh quintals, while private traders bought 7.98 lakh quintals. 2.46 lakh quintals of cotton have been purchased at lower rates. MSP is fixed at Rs 6900 but it is sold in the market up to Rs 5200 per quintal.
Train Derail Conspiracy: Now a big conspiracy to overturn a train in Gujarat, tampering with railway track; accident averted
A big conspiracy to overturn a train in Gujarat was foiled. The up-line railway track under Vadodara division near Surat was tampered with. Some unknown persons opened the fish plate and key of the
Arvind Kejriwal: After getting interim bail, Kejriwal again reached the doorstep of the Supreme Court, now made this request
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, accused in the money laundering case related to the excise policy scam, has again sought relief from the Supreme Court. In
IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill's anger erupted over Lord's controversy, showing the mirror to England and English media in the middle of the press conference
Indian Test team captain Shubman Gill has termed the strategy of deliberately wasting time by England's openers on the third day of the Lord's Test as 'against the spirit of the game'. Gill said that
From Fawad Khan to Mawra Hocane, India once again dashed the hopes of Pakistani artists.
There has been a lot of tension between India and Pakistan since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. On May 7, when Operation Sindoor Mission was carried out against Pakistan, India had taken many big
'Pointing fingers at people directly...', Chum Darang spoke on Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, never thought Sonam would get the murder done.
The murder case of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi has heated all over the country. The surprising thing is that the person who got Raja killed was his wife Sonam Raghuvanshi.
Aakash Chopra raises a big question on Rohit Sharma's 'poor' captaincy, Jasprit Bumrah not fully utilized?
Team India lost by 10 wickets in the Adelaide Test played under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. It was a pink ball day-night test. After this defeat, Rohit Sharma's captaincy has come under question.
Emergency like situation in Delhi: AQI still at 500 today, schools closed... many flights and trains delayed; visibility affected
Air pollution in the country's capital Delhi has reached dangerous levels. The fog along with pollution has increased the trouble of the people. Not only Delhi but NCR is also facing the brunt of
Big B took a dig at 'biased commentary' during the India-Australia cricket match, and said this
India had won the first Test of the five-match series being played in Perth by 295 runs over Australia. Led by fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, India defended the target of 534 runs and bundled out
Nayanthara: After accusing Dhanush, Nayanthara expressed gratitude to these stars, Shahrukh-Chiranjeevi's names were included in the list
Nayanthara recently accused Dhanush of refusing to permit to use of scenes from the film 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' in her documentary 'Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale'. She claimed that his legal team
Pakistan's attitude cooled down after Operation Sindoor, PM Shahbaz Sharif appealed for 'peace talks'
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday proposed talks with India. He says that Pakistan wants to hold talks with India to restore peace.
