Patiala: Farmers in Punjab are getting prices far below MSP for their maize crop.
In Nabha, they got only Rs 800 per quintal whereas in Rajpura grain markets, they sold the crop for Rs 850 per quintal as against MSP of Rs 1,850 per quintal.
Despite the agriculture department in Punjab making efforts to increase the area under maize cultivation and to reduce area under paddy as part of the crop diversification plan, farmers are unwilling to opt for maize crop as they had suffered losses last year too.
Ajaypal Singh, district mandi officer, Patiala said, “Around 1,300 quintals of maize was purchased in Rajpura grain market by private players for Rs 850 to Rs 1,000 per quintal whereas in Nabha, around 386 quintals was purchased in the grain markets by private players for Rs 800 to Rs 1,480 per quintal.
Procurement of maize crop is not done by government agencies.
Sometimes, the yield price falls due to high moisture content of up to 25% against permissible moisture content of 13% to 15%.” BKU Sidhupur leader in Rajpura, Harjeet Singh Tehalpura said, “Farmers are getting as low as Rs 700 per quintal for maize.
Despite MSP, no government agency purchased maize crop.
This time, farmers are avoiding maize and going for paddy, which ensures procurement on MSP.” Farmer Daljit Singh and BKU leader of Channo village in Sangrur district had grown maize crop on around 17 acres but this year, he claimed to have reduced the area under maize to only 8.5 acres.
“Around Rs 5,000 expense is incurred on 10 kg to 12 kg maize seed sown per acre of agricultural land while Rs 2,000 is incurred on sowing with machine, Rs 2,000 on DAP, Rs 850 on three bags of Urea, Rs 850 on potassium and remaining expenses are incurred on spraying insecticides and labour,” he said.
Inderpal Singh, a farmer from Chanarthal Kalan village in Fatehgarh Sahib reduced land under maize cultivation from six acres to two acres.
He said, “Last year, I had sown maize crop on six acres but this time, I did so only on two acres and that too for animals.
In 2019, we got Rs 1,300 per quintal, following which we did not face losses however last year I faced huge loss from the crop as farmers got Rs 700 per quintal only.
Expenses including on labour was in excess of income.” Punjab agriculture director S S Sidhu could not respond to calls and messages but joint director (Inputs) Baldev Singh said, “Last year, area under maize crop was 1.14 lakh hectares while this year, we had a target to increase the area up to 1.5 lakh hectares in Punjab.
The crop is primarily grown in Nawanshahar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali, Ludhiana and parts of Fatehgarh Sahib as well as Patiala.
We are making efforts to promote maize crop.” He admitted that farmers were getting low price for the crop but refused to comment further.
Patiala chief agriculture officer Jaswinder Singh Garewal said, “Maize crop takes 90 to 100 days against 135 to 140 days of paddy crop.
Irrigation for maize is three times less than paddy.
In 2019 and 2020, the area under maize was 200 and 250 hectares respectively in Sangrur district whereas in Patiala it was 846 and 845 hectares.
This year, we have planned to take around 350 hectares in Sangrur and 1,000 hectares in Patiala under maize crop.
Farmers will be provided 50% subsidy on maize seeds up to two hectares.
Some long term varieties including PNH13, ADB 2/93, GC12, PMH 11, PMH01, Parbhat, PHM13 (hybrid) produce around 25 quintals yield whereas some short term recommended varieties, having 85 to 90 days crop duration, including JP4 and K3 produce 16 quintal yield.”