A decade ago, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) had suggested that Punjab should reduce paddy area to 15-16 lakh hectares. Experts had also said that the state would have to bring around 7-8 lakh hectares under Basmati (aromatic rice). But instead of decreasing the area of paddy and increasing the area of Basmati in the state, the exact opposite is happening. As a result, diversification efforts have suffered. Simply put, Punjab’s effort to diversify the area from water-scarce paddy (non-basmati) to other crops seems to be failing.
As of 10 July, Punjab had already sown rice in 27.80 lakh hectares (as per the field report collected by the Agriculture Department), which included direct sowing (DSR) technology of rice in 80,000 hectares, giving 15% to 20% Water saved. Out of 27.80 lakh hectares, paddy was sown in 25.22 lakh hectares, while Basmati was sown in 2.58 lakh hectares. The area under paddy may increase further as basmati sowing will continue till the end of July.
Area under other kharif crops – which are substitutes for paddy and should see an increase in its cultivation to reduce the area under paddy – could not register an increase, as cotton could only be sown in 2.48 lakh hectares, maize 72,000 hectares by July was. 10, Sugarcane on 93,000 hectares (which is a year-round crop) and other crops like oilseeds—sesame and groundnut—and pulses like tur, moong/mash can be sown in about 500 acres.
Till July 11 last year, the area under rice cultivation stood at 31.44 lakh hectares, which includes 29.47 lakh hectares of paddy, 2.52 lakh hectares of cotton, 1.05 lakh hectares of maize, 87,000 hectares of sugarcane and the remaining 9,000 hectares (other crops).
As of 10 July, the maximum area under basmati was covered in Amritsar district, where basmati was sown in 82,000 hectares out of the total 1.52 lakh hectares of rice (paddy + basmati) area. Fazilka and Tarn Taran came second with 48,000 hectares of Basmati in each district out of a total rice area of 68,000 hectares and 1.62 lakh hectares respectively.
While Gurdaspur and Muktsar Sahib districts cover 16,500 hectares and 15,500 hectares respectively under Basmati, paddy area in both the districts was 1.47 lakh hectares and 1.19 lakh hectares respectively.
About half a dozen districts have so far covered less than 1,000 hectares under Basmati. These include Mansa and Mohali with just 100 hectares under Basmati. Under Basmati, 300 hectares are covered in Nawanshahr, 400 hectares in Barnala, 500 hectares in Hoshiarpur and 800 hectares in Faridkot.
Sangrur has covered the maximum area under paddy (2.67 lakh hectares), including 15,000 hectares under Basmati, followed by Ludhiana and Patiala districts. In Ludhiana, paddy can be cultivated in 2.53 lakh hectares, which includes 3,600 hectares of basmati, while in Patiala 2.19 lakh hectares of paddy has been cultivated, which includes 6,900 hectares of basmati.
In Bathinda too, paddy is cultivated in 1.72 lakh hectares, including 1,500 hectares under Basmati.
A senior agriculture department official said that “Paddy is an assured crop and the area under it cannot be reduced until we find an assured market for alternative crops”.
Director, Punjab Agriculture Department, Dr Gurvinder Singh said that till date rice can be cultivated in a total of 27.80 lakh hectares, which includes 2.58 lakh hectares under Basmati. He said that the area under Basmati will increase as its sowing is still on.