Two failed crop seasons hamper cotton sowing ops in Punjab
Two failed seasons in 2021 and 2022 have left the cotton growers in a quandary. With inclement weather also playing its part, cotton has been sown in only 8% or around 20,000 hectares of area in south Malwa, where the crop is considered an economic lifeline of the region.
Two failed seasons in 2021 and 2022 have left the cotton growers in a quandary. With inclement weather also playing its part, cotton has been sown in only 8% or around 20,000 hectares of area in south Malwa, where the crop is considered an economic lifeline of the region.
As per the advisory of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), cotton sowing should be completed between April 15 and May 15 and with just 12 days left the farmers are racing against time to complete the sowing operations of the key kharif crop.
Agriculture experts and farmers said that after two consecutive seasons of the failed crop, the cotton growers are in a quandary whether to invest in the cultivation of the traditional cash crop or look for an alternative.
Information gathered by the state agriculture department on Wednesday said the cotton-growing districts have recorded sowing in 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) against the target of 3 lakh hectares for the 2023-24 kharif cycle. In 2022-23, about 2.47 lakh hectares were under cotton cultivation.
Considered an economic lifeline of the semi-arid districts of the south Malwa region, the Punjab government for the first time had also rolled out a 33% subsidy on PAU-approved seeds. The move came after the experts said that crop failures in the 2021 and 2022 seasons were largely due to the use of unapproved seeds by farmers and pest infestation.
Bathinda chief agriculture officer Dilbag Singh said the move was aimed at making the farmers buy only approved varieties.
The data shows that the sowing has not gained momentum. Officials have blamed the ongoing inclement weather conditions and a delay in wheat harvesting this year as the main reason behind the delay in the sowing of the cotton crop.
Fazilka has attained the maximum acreage with 8,000 hectares against this year’s target of 1 lakh hectares.
Chief agriculture officer (CAO) Jangir Singh hoped that the sowing would pick up next week.
“After delayed wheat harvesting, farmers were busy clearing fields for the next crop. With the region witnessing widespread rains and a forecast of showers for another 3-4 days, the cotton growers are waiting for clear weather to start sowing,” he added.
In Bathinda, farmers have sown cotton only on 4,000 hectares whereas this year’s target is 80,000 hectares. In the last kharif season, the district had about 70,000 hectares under cotton.
A resident of Mann Khera village in Mansa, Sharanjit Singh said the farmers are in quandary after two failed crops in 2021 and 2022 due to pest attacks.
“For the last several years, I was sowing cotton on 18 acres. But after heavy losses in the last two years, this time I have sown cotton only on 10 acres. I am planning to sow cereals like bajra or jowar on the rest of the land,” he said.
Muktsar CAO Gurpreet Singh said the department is hoping that the area under cotton will increase from 33,000 hectares to 50,000 hectares.
“Last season farmers suffered due to poor availability of canal water also. But this year, irrigation support is excellent and farmers will be encouraged to grow cotton again. Unseasonal rains are behind slow progress in sowing but it will pick up soon,” said an official.
Low response to seed subsidy
The department data shows that to date only 12,000 farmers have registered themselves to claim a 33% subsidy on seeds. A maximum of 5,700 farmers are from Fazilka, followed by Bathinda (2,500), Mansa (2,400) and Muktsar (1,500). For the 2023 kharif season, the Centre government has fixed the maximum retail price of Bt 2 cotton seeds at ₹853 per packet.
Mansa CAO Satpal Singh said as per the state government policy, each applicant can claim a subsidy of two packets per acre with an upper limit of 10 packets for 5 acres.
“A farmer has to register on a web portal with original bills and bank account details till May 15. Financial support will be credited to their account after physical verification of the fields,” he added.
“The farmers are waiting for clear weather and this is also the reason for slow registration to claim subsidy on seeds,” Fazilka’s chief agriculture officer (CAO) Jangir Singh said.
PAU’s principal agricultural economist GS Romana said farmers do lack confidence after two bad seasons but there is little alternative for them in this semi-arid region.
“The ongoing weather has put the cotton growers in a quandary as rainfall at the sowing stage could lead to ‘krand’ (hard formation of soil) that potentially stalls germination. After pest attacks in two consecutive seasons, farmers are indecisive as they understand another spell of pest infestation would mean a surge in cost input. But the soil and water conditions in southwest Punjab are such that they don’t leave any scope for an alternative crop than cotton,” Romana added.
