Farmers Movement Archive

Area under maize in district up 50%

Jalandhar, August 2The area under maize cultivation has increased from 8,000 hectares last year to 12,000 hectares this year, witnessing a rise of around 50 per cent, claimed officials of the state Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.Facing a shortage of labourers for paddy sowing because of the pandemic, farmers shifted to maize cultivation on a part of their land, thus leading to the increase in area under the crop. A special mobile van started by the department went from village to village in the district during the lockdown and encouraged the farmers to grow maize, giving them seeds at a subsidised amount of Rs 135 per kg. The van covered villages in Jalandhar East, Jalandhar West and Shahkot blocks. An agriculture official said because of the lockdown, farmers could not go visit markets to buy seeds, so the department decided to provide them the seeds at their villages.Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer from Shahkot, said he had sown maize on two acres and was planning to increase the area under the crop next year.To promote crop diversification and save the depleting groundwater, the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department had decided to increase the area under maize by encouraging farmers to shun the cultivation of the water-guzzling paddy crop. The department had set a target to increase the area from 8,800 hectares to 16,500 hectares. But, according to sources, as the subsidised seeds were given only in three blocks, the target could not be achieved.Chief Agriculture Officer Surinder Singh said the department was offering maize seeds of several hybrid varieties which were certified by Punjab Agricultural University.“Since the groundwater is plummeting in the district, it will be beneficial if the farmers shift to maize cultivation,” he said, adding that the area under Basmati cultivation in district has also increased this year.

The Tribune

2020-08-03