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?.

Badal says in the letter that since the sowing of rabi crops was currently in full swing and wheat which was the major rabi crop in the state was likely to be sown in about 3.5 million hectare. The MSP for rabi crops for 2008-09 marketing season had not been announced so far. The state had time and again requested for fixing of a remunerative MSP so that the livelihoods of two-third of state population were not affected and farming was not pushed to a crisis.

Badal?s letter says ?now at the time of harvest markets are in a glut, the MSP may normally become the maximum selling price for the farmers. Considering this Centre should fix the MSP at Rs1500 per quintal for wheat for the next marketing season as per the recommendations of the state government?.

The CM told that Punjab should be treated as a special state as the state with only 1.5% of geographical area of the country produces about 22% of wheat and 11% of rice and has been the main stay of national food security because of its contribution of about 40-45% food grains in the central pool. Against the backdrop of fast increasing international food grain prices, the Punjabi farmer rose to the nation?s clarion call and record procurement of wheat took place earlier this year, 30 lakh million tonne higher than last year. Similarly, this year Punjab had procured around 135 lakh million tonne paddy and was hopeful to cross 140 lakh million tonne despite floods and late monsoon rains.

The letter to Prime Minister says ?the MSP for grade-A quality of paddy had been fixed at Rs 880 per quintal for the current procurement season on which a bonus of Rs 50 per quintal has been provided.?

Grain gain

•Wheat acreage had crossed the normal area last year and the same trend is likely to be witnessed this year too

•Punjab saw a jump of 13,000 hectare under wheat cultivation this season while Haryana saw a rise of 39,000 hectare