Punjab : Rana Gurjeet launches website to support farmers in growing maize, replacing paddy
Punjab Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh launched **[www.barsatimakki.com](http://www.barsatimakki.com)** to promote maize as a sustainable alternative to water-intensive paddy. He assured MSP procurement at ₹2,240/quintal for registered farmers. The portal provides guidance on best practices. Singh urged the Punjab government to support maize cultivation and recommended expanding the programme to districts facing severe groundwater depletion.
Chandigarh: To promote maize cultivation as a sustainable alternative to the water-intensive paddy crop, senior Punjab Congress leader and MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh launched a dedicated web portal. He assured farmers that their entire maize produce would be procured at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,240 per quintal.Launching the website — www.barsatimakki.com — Rana Gurjeet Singh emphasised, “I am not pursuing any political agenda with this initiative. I am working in mission mode, taking full responsibility. I may be alone for now, but the people are appreciating my efforts and joining the ‘Navi Soch, Nawan Raah’ programme that I have launched.
“He added that maize would be purchased from farmers who register on the portal, and they would receive guidance to adopt best agricultural practices. According to the MLA, the govt should have taken such initiatives forward. “I urge the Punjab govt to implement programmes and policies that truly benefit farmers and other sections of the population,” he said.Reflecting on last year’s crisis when the cotton crop suffered from a pink bollworm infestation, Singh said he initiated maize cultivation trials as an alternative.
The trials yielded encouraging results, prompting him to take on the mission of replacing paddy with maize.Farmers replacing paddy with maize are encouraged to register on www.barsatimakki.com using their phone and Aadhaar numbers and provide details of the land under maize cultivation. For ease of access, the website is available in both Punjabi and English. Once registered, farmers will receive support for adopting good agricultural practices, including guidance on quality seeds, nutrients, agro-chemicals, irrigation scheduling, weed and herbicide management, and more, said the Sultanpur Lodhi MLA.Addressing a query, Rana criticised the state govt’s hesitancy.
“Some in the govt question the future of maize cultivation after two years. I ask —why not plan beyond that? Why isn’t the govt committing to MSP procurement and seeking support from the Centre to ensure it?”He further highlighted that the central govt announced a subsidy of Rs 17,500 per hectare — totalling Rs 21 crore — for farmers shifting from paddy to maize. “I propose that the Punjab govt also offer an additional Rs 10,000 per acre saved from power used for paddy cultivation,” he added.Rana also recommended expanding the scope of maize cultivation beyond the proposed districts of Kapurthala, Bathinda, and Gurdaspur to include Sangrur, Barnala, and Mansa, where the issue of groundwater depletion is especially severe.
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Source : The Times Of India
