It will prove fatal for diversification in Punjab.” Shivcharan Singh Brar, a young, progressive farmer from Phullanwala village in Muktsar district, minces no words as he vents his angst at the proposed hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 1,050. The hike would seem like a welcome move, only Brar grows corn. Not only is the MSP of corn Rs 200 less than that of paddy, but more importantly, it will adversely affect the crop diversification plan in the state.

The Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) recently recommended a hike of Rs 250 and Rs 275 in the MSP of common and A-grade paddy, respectively, which will jack up their prices to Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,050 per quintal. The move is seen as a victory for the strong paddy lobby in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls—Punjab and Haryana are the two main wheat-growing states in the country.

Corn, or maize, has been at the forefront of the diversification plan in Punjab and many in the state fear the attractive pricing will drive back farmers to paddy. Besides, paddy is largely responsible for the falling water table in Punjab. Dr P.S. Rangi, consultant, Punjab State Farmers’ Commission (PSFC), is particularly worried about the impact it will have on the state government’s programme to promote low-on-water maize in place of water-intensive paddy.

Corn, which was a major kharif crop in the state before the introduction of high-yielding dwarf varieties of rice in the mid-Sixties, formed a cornerstone of the diversification policy unfolded by the Capt Amarinder Singh regime in 2002. Though, initially it faced a lot of resistance from the farmers because the yield of maize was half that of paddy, the introduction of hybrid, high-yielding varieties of maize in the last five years has had many farmers taking a shine to it.

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