Punjab : Kharif maize struggles to gain ground in Ludhiana
Despite Punjab government’s push for kharif maize as a water-saving alternative to paddy, farmers remain unconvinced. Only 320 hectares were sown with kharif maize, compared to 16,000 hectares under summer maize. The lack of financial incentives and lower returns—₹40,000–₹45,000 per acre versus ₹65,000 for paddy—have deterred adoption. Summer maize, though water-intensive, is preferred for its silage value.
The Punjab government’s much-publicised push for kharif maize—touted as a sustainable alternative to water-guzzling paddy—has found few takers in the district. According to the agriculture department, kharif maize has been sown on just 320 hectares this season, in stark contrast to the 16,000 hectares under the summer maize cultivation.
“So far this kharif season, only 320 hectares in the district have been cultivated with maize. Summer maize, on the other hand, has covered 16,000 hectares,” said chief agriculture officer Gurdeep Singh.
Kharif maize is considered an environmentally viable substitute for paddy, requiring just 200 litres of water to produce a kilogram of maize—compared to paddy’s massive 3,000-litre requirement per kilogram of rice. Yet, despite government efforts, kharif maize continues to be overlooked, while summer maize, which is equally water-intensive, remains widely adopted by farmers.
“Summer maize requires 15 to 20 irrigation cycles—almost as much water as paddy,” said Surinder Kaur Sandhu, principal maize breeder and head of the maize research group at Punjab Agricultural University. This excessive usage further exacerbates the state’s already critical groundwater depletion.
A National Green Tribunal (NGT) monitoring committee had raised concerns in June 2022 about the state’s groundwater crisis, citing a report that warned the state had reserves for only 17 more years. Since then, the state government has pitched maize as a key alternative to paddy during the kharif season.
However, a senior agriculture official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the shift hasn’t materialised due to financial disincentives. He argued that the summer maize was grown more for silage than for grain, fetching farmers around ₹40,000 to ₹45,000 from an acre during the time their fields lay unused.
“Kharif maize doesn’t match paddy in returns,” the official said. “A farmer can earn up to ₹65,000 per acre from paddy, while maize brings in only ₹40,000 to ₹45,000.”
While the kharif maize brings low dividends, summer maize brings in additional income in between the rabi and kharif crops, he emphasised.
To Read more about Maize News continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : Hindustan Times
