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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Paddy cultivation on the way out in Punjab, Haryana? -Gargi Parsai

Paddy cultivation on the way out in Punjab, Haryana? -Gargi Parsai

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published Published on Aug 28, 2012   modified Modified on Aug 28, 2012
-The Hindu

Centre mulling alternative crops

The Union Government is looking at the possibility of replacing rice crop in Punjab and Haryana with alternative crops such as pulses, fodder and oilseeds that help in nitrogen fixation. The water-intensive rice cultivation over the years has become unsustainable in these two States and the water table has fallen to precarious levels.

Giving this information to members of Parliament’s Consultative Committee for his Ministry, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said a meeting had been planned with the two Chief Ministers in September to consider various aspects related to the proposed crop substitution. This will include suitability of alternate crops, their impact on water production, and cost of production, marketing and processing.

Commenting on the proposal, Planning Commission Member (Agriculture) Abhijit Sen told The Hinduthat this would succeed only if the Punjab farmers got a profitable alternative crop because they were used to a Minimum Support Price for kharif paddy.

At the same time, the quantum of rice production that would go down with substitution had to be assured from the Second Green Revolution States in eastern India.

Asked if this was linked to climate change and the pressure on India to reduce rice cultivation, he said: “No, this is not linked to climate change. It was recommended by a panel. There was an attempt by the former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to implement it some seven years ago.”

The implication for the States’ farm economy too would have to be studied considering the high stakes for rice millers, another expert pointed out, adding that wheat cultivation would have to be continued so that food security would not be impacted.

Punjab, the third largest producer of kharif rice, contributes about 10 million tonnes to the country after West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

The Hindu, 28 August, 2012, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3829591.ece


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