Area under wheat cultivation likely to increase in Punjab, Haryana this year

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Chandigarh, Nov 21: Punjab and Haryana, which contribute close to 90 % of the total wheat to the national buffer stock, are likely to see a quantum jump in area under wheat this year, a trend that started from last year.

Punjab saw a jump of 13,000 hectare under wheat cultivation this season while Haryana saw a rise of 39,000 hectare under wheat. The actual area under rabi crop in Punjab reached 34.8 lakh hectare this season compared with 34.67 lakh hectare during last season, up 0.37%. Similarly in Haryana, wheat was sown on 24.15 lakh hectare against 23.76 lakh hectare last year.

Wheat acreage had crossed the normal area last year and the same trend is likely to be witnessed this year too according to agriculture department sources in Punjab and Haryana. In fact agriculture was the subject that may remain unaffected by the slowdown in economies, the sources point out.

Of the total target of about 135 lakh tonne for the national pool this year, Punjab contributed more than 85 lakh tonne, while Haryana contributed about 40 lakh tonne. The Central government’s intervention through the National Food Security Mission and higher minimum support price (MSP) also led to more contribution to the buffer stock.

Noticing the response of the farmers, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has sent a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately announce Rs1, 500 per quintal as MSP of wheat for the marketing season 2008-09 and an additional bonus of Rs 250 over and above the MSP for paddy for the current procurement season.

The letter sent by the Punjab CM this week says that “early announcement of MSP for wheat crop would surely motivate the farmers to invest in improving crop productivity on one hand and in the larger interest of farming community and in order to preserve national food security on the other”.