Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
Email:[email protected]
Farmers in the district allegedly buying the seeds of PUSA-44,Dogar Pusa and Peela Pusa from others states, which have been completely banned by the Punjab government.
These varieties are of long duration, takes about 15 to 30 days more than the PR varieties recommended by the PAU Ludhiana, produce more stubble, need many sprays of insecticides and pesticides besides leading to the fast depletion of water table as they need more water.
Though these varieties have been banned in Punjab, yet farmers are somehow buying those from neighboring states.
“I am confused which variety should I choose. My commission agents from kotkapaura who has also a rice mill indirectly convey us a message that we should not choose PR 126 and 131 as they have more brakeage and indirectly want us to sow long duration varieties. I have got some seed of Pusa 44 at Rs 150 per kg,” a farmer from village Sandhwan told this reporter at KVK Faridkot today.
When asked some farmer from village Ghania that which varieties he prefer to sow, he said that they prefer to sow Pusa 44 and some other long duration varieties. ”But I must sow PR 126 as well. I had it last year and it gives good yield. There was no problem of its sale to me last year, provided farmers harvest it fully dried,” he said.
“I am also confused and bought 30 kg Pusa 44 seeds ,I am not sure whether other varieties would be procured hassle-free,” said Jaswinder Singh, a farmer from village Bir Sikhan Wala.
Though the state government has banned all hybrid and long duration varieties, yet there must be something behind it that millers want the farmers to grow these.
Some said that more out turn ratio(more than 67 kg) is greed for them.
“The farmers ask us which variety they should choose. We tell them that rice millers say that they do not want to procure PR 126 and 131. They want PUSA 44, but it has been banned by the government. I can not say what is the problem of the industry, but fact is that. So what has been left, PR 111 and 114 etc ,they have expired their shelf life as well. So we tell the farmers that they should decide it on their own or panchayat level,” said a commission agent from grain market Kotkapaura wishing not to be named.
“The time is very bad.We fear backlash and I do not want to be quoted,” he said.
“Actually, we don’t ask farmers which variety to choose.PR 126 and 131 don’t loose moisture when the farmers go in for three crops rotation. I think if sown in time and the produce is dry, then there is no problem,” said Hari Krishan Goel, a rice miller and commission agent from Kotkapaura.
Chief agriculture officer speak
Kulwant Singh, chief agriculture officer Faridkot when contacted said, if the farmers are buying banned varieties, it is illegal and they are bypassing the ban. But in the state, the government has totally banned the sale of all hybrid and long duration varities.The Chief minister has assured the farmers that all the PR varieties recommended by the PAU would be purchased.
“We are holding camps and making farmers aware about it that they should choose any recommended variety and it would be procured as the government has promised,” he said.
But the farmers are in dilemma that government had also promised to buy all varieties including PR 126, but then the farmers were at the receiving end as the millers were not ready to stock it.
