While the state government has been asking farmers to adopt crop diversification and grow maize and pulses instead of paddy, the farmers claim that absence of assured procurement has been keeping them away from diversification. In Ambala, nearly 86,000 hectare land is covered under paddy crop. Last year, while maize was sown in 900 hectares, there was no urad cultivation.
A progressive farmer Puneet Thind said, “The major issue with crops, other than paddy and wheat, is that there is no assured procurement. The government has not been able to create a favourable scenario where the farmers can get remunerative prices for their produce. Minimum support price (MSP) has been announced but at the time of procurement, the government fixes quota for it. In the past, farmers had sold pulses at a throwaway price to wholesalers while the rate in retail market was very high.”
Rajiv Sharma, a farmer from Naraingarh, said, “We are well aware of the ill-effects of the paddy cultivation but poor quality seeds and no assured procurement have been keeping the farmers away from other crops. The MSP and subsidy don’t attract farmers, if the government assures to purchase the entire stock only then the they will start cultivating and there will be no need of an incentive to attract farmers.”
This news has not been edited by Apni Kheti staff but has been published by various news feeds
Source: The Tribune
