After flood devastation, Punjab may require to retransplant paddy crop in 2.50 lakh acres
Due to the devastating floods, Punjab may need to retransplant paddy and basmati rice varieties in approximately 1.05 lakh hectares (around 2.50 lakh acres) of land across over half a dozen districts, according to agriculture officials.
By the first week of July, before the incessant rain hit the state, rice cultivation had already covered 86 per cent (27.29 lakh hectares) of the expected area of 31.67 lakh hectares. Sowing on the remaining area was then underway.
According to the initial estimates from the Punjab Agriculture Department, which is yet to conduct a special ‘girdawari’ (crop inspection) to gauge the actual damage in collaboration with the Punjab Revenue Department, floodwaters have submerged around 2.37 lakh hectares (5.85 lakh acres) of paddy fields.
Malwa, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Kapurthala districts have experienced the most significant losses. The damage is expected on approximately 44 per cent of the flooded fields. Punjab Agriculture Department Director Gurvinder Singh said the actual damage would be calculated only after the water recedes from all areas.
The government has already requested Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana for assistance, and surplus paddy nursery sown by several farmers will be procured. Additionally, several farmers have come forward with their available nurseries.
According to experts, there is still time to retransplant short-duration paddy and Basmati varieties, including PUSA 1509 and PR-126, both of which have good yields.
While paddy transplanting is typically completed in the state by mid-July, some farmers transplant short varieties even by the end of July. Farmers are waiting for the water to recede so they can proceed with retransplanting, as several parts of the state still have standing water in the fields.
Jagmohan Singh, general secretary of BKU (Dakaunda), stated that due to global warming, there are significant climate changes, and governments must be prepared for any emergencies and make advance arrangements. He added that individual farmers are growing surplus paddy nurseries, and the government is planning that after the floods.
In Punjab, the floods may also increase the Basmati cultivation area, which is crucial considering the shorter duration of Basmati. Punjab had set a target of growing Basmati on 6 lakh hectares this year.
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