Punjab to give farmers assured price for Basmati rice: CM Bhagwant Mann
The government is setting up labs that will recommend how much pesticide is to be sprayed so that Basmati rice doesn’t run afoul of international standards.
To encourage diversification and turn farmers away from paddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Thursday that state’s procurement agency, MARKFED, would procure Basmati rice at an assured price.
In a video message, Mann announced the setting up of a committee under the chairmanship of chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to prepare a report on the factors that deterred farmers from quitting paddy cultivation. He said that after receiving the report, the government would try to remove these obstacles so that the area under water-guzzler paddy could be diverted.
Mann said that buoyed by the demand for Basmati last year, the government was encouraging farmers to sow Basmati this year also. But if the price is reduced considering the enhanced supply, MARKFED would buy the produce at the assured price.
The government is also setting up laboratories and research centres that will recommend how much pesticide is to be sprayed so that Basmati rice meets international standards, he said.
To ensure that the government is able to increase the area under cotton cultivation, Mann said the government would make available canal water on April 1 at the tail end so that cotton farmers are able to irrigate their crop at the seedling stage itself.
“At the kisan milni, cotton farmers gave us an idea that if water is available by April 1 at the tail end then cotton plants will be stronger and will require less pesticide. Many farmers told me that it would be for the first time that the cotton belt would get canal water on April 1. I will make sure this happens,” he said.
He said this could not happen earlier because influential people would steal water. “We have told the deputy commissioners, police and vigilance that water theft would not be allowed. I assure you that you will get good amount of water at the tail end,” he said.
The chief minister said Punjab Agricultural University was preparing pesticides so that pests like white flies can be controlled.
Mann said that a number of crops were sown earlier in the state. But farmers have switched over to paddy and all time, energy, water and power are being used for the crop. As a result, according to him, 80 per cent of Punjab’s land is in the dark zone now. “Then we have several problems at hand like stubble, pollution and health issues,” he said.
The chief minister said the government would encourage sowing of the PR-126 variety of paddy as PUSA 44 came with several problems. It used more water and power and resulted in more stubble.
The government would encourage moong cultivation and give the minimum support price, but moong gave birth to white flies in the cotton belt. “We advise the farmers in Mansa, Bathinda, Muktsar and Fazilka against sowing moong,” Mann said.
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