97 pc paddy sowing complete in Punjab,Haryana lags behind

Late and erratic rains may also affect the contribution of the two states to the central pool,owing to surge in area under basmati varieties,which are not procured for the central pool. In Punjab,basmati acreage will go up by five per cent to cover one-fourth of paddy area.

“Last year,nearly 20 per cent of paddy area totalling to 5.7 lakh hectare was under basmati. This year it will jump to 7-lakh hectare,as basmati can be sown late and requires less water,” said Punjab Agriculture Joint-Director Gurdial Singh.

Though the situation was drought-like,the main concern,said the department,was not the yield,but the high-input cost and indiscriminate use of fast-depleting groundwater. “Historically,the paddy yield is always good whenever there is a drought-like situation. The main concern is the high cost of cultivation as farmers burn diesel to save their crop. Even eight-hour regular power supply is insufficient when temperatures are hovering around 45 degree celsius and there is no rain,as the evaporation and transpiration rates are very high,” he added.

At a meeting with the Union Agriculture ministry held on Saturday in New Delhi,Punjab pegged the extra cost on account of burning diesel between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 per hectare adding up to Rs 800 crore for the state’s paddy farmers. Haryana has estimated its extra cost for paddy at Rs 400 crore.

Though farmers have been able to salvage the crop by pumping out underground water through tubewells,rain during the remaining days of July and August will be imperative. Though the rains on Sunday were sporadic,the met department has forecast widespread rains in the next two three days.

It is not paddy but animal fodder which is likely to suffer the brunt of deficient rains in Punjab,and bajra in Haryana. As far as diversification from water-guzzling paddy is concerned,Punjab will see an increase in area under maize to 1.40 from 1.26 lakh hectare last year,besides the high-value guar crop.