Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
May 16,2026
As the Bhagwant Singh Mann led government has allowed the farmers to transplant paddy from June 5 ,the farmers and the other vested interest people have tried their best to exploit this period, freely offered by the government, which is extended about 15 days than the normal sowing date of the paddy nursery.
As per the recommendations of the Punjab Agriculture University, all the PR varieties for nursery are recommended to be sown from May 20 onwards.
But since the government announced that it would supply power to the tube-well sector from June 5 in Faridkot region, farmers, seed dealers and others who have high interests in those unwelcome varieties exploited this move. They started sowing the nursery from May 5 onwards or even earlier.
“The varieties are allegedly PUSA 44,Peela PUSA or so called Dogar PUSA,” the farmers said.
Some of them had their own seeds stored from the previous crops or some bought those without any bills from the local dealers.
“We are in a wait and watch mood. If the government advances the paddy sowing, we shall switch to the long duration varieties, otherwise we shall buy other varieties to sell,” a seed dealer in April told this reporter.
“I have bought Peela Pusa from a dealer but he did not give me any bill,” said a farmer wishing not to be named.
Actually, these water guzzling verities ,which take from 15 to 20 days more for maternity, are ruining the state of its natural water. They are also a major reason for paddy stubble burning and too much use of chemicals.
If the paddy transplantation starts from June 15 onwards or June 20, then these varieties can not be grown as they do not mature in time.
But as the government ,scientists’ and farmers have allegedly shut their eyes from saving sub soil water, it goes on.
Actually ,all are allegedly mute spectators when the government wants to do anything for its populous measures.
When contacted, Chief agriculture officer Faridkot Kulwant Singh said that these varieties are not much in practice.
“Mostly farmers are adopting PR varieties.The PUSA 44 variety has been denotified and some hybrid varieties are there which may take some long time. However, some of the farmers may have sown these water guzzling varieties who have kept their own seeds from the previous years crops. Otherwise, most of the area is going to be under PR varieties and some under Hybrid varieties,’ said Kulwant Singh,CAO Faridkot.
The CAO also said that in our area, the nursery does not get mature for transplantation in 30 days and so some of the farmers sow it earlier by 5 to 7 days.
However, on ground zero, if the department takes stock of the situation, the nurseries grown before or after May 5 are mostly of the so called denotified varieties, sold unbilled, or kept from the previous crops.
PR varieties, which are developed to save water, produce less straw, require less water and chemicals, if sown before May 20 or so, do not yield properly.
If they are transplanted earlier, they mature in more than normal temperature and yield too less.