Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet seek support for basmati growers of Punjab
Growers of premium grain selling produce in distress due to fall in prices
Kapurthala October 10, 2024:
Member of Punjab legislative assembly from Kapurthala Rana Gurjeet Singh today demanded support from the Government of India and Punjab government for basmati growers of the state, as the prices of the produce being sold in the state in the current season according to him have fallen by 40% as compared to the prices the crop fetched the last year.
According to Rana Gurjeet Singh the Punjab government pushes the farmers to diversify crop cultivation and shift from growing water guzzler parmal variety paddy and when they have grown the price offered do not commensurate with their hard work and the input cost.
“The Punjab government has promised farmers to create a corpus fund to support the crops other than paddy and wheat which are covered under minimum support price (MSP), so when farmers are taking risk the government should come in their support,” said Gurjeet Singh. He suggested that Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) an entity of the government of India should make arrangements to facilitate basmati growers.
It is in benefit of the government as basmati exports brings foreign exchange worth Rs. 48,000 crore annually and also helps in environment conservation by controlling excessive use of ground water which is falling at a very drastic speed.
According to the MLA with the efforts of the farmers the area under premium basmati cultivation, has increased by 84,000 hectares to 6.80 lakh hectares. “Due to the ongoing war between Iran and Israel the logistic cost has also gone up and the orders from middle-eastern countries have been very low,” said the MLA.
Iran alone used to import 4 lakh tons and this year so far they have placed order for one lakh tons of the premium grain which has pushed prices down. “What is farmers’ fault, in the given circumstances they are forced to sell their produce in distress, so it is the government’s duty to support them,” said Rana Gurjeet Singh who adds that the basmati is sold at Rs. 3300 per quintal which is Rs. 2000 per quintal less than the last year’s price.
He apprehended that in case the basmati growers are not helped the next year the farmers will shift to water guzzler parmal variety paddy as it has happened in case of cotton in South-west Punjab, due to which the area under paddy this year reached 32 lakh hectares.
Concerned over problems farmers facing in selling some varieties of parmal paddy the legislator said that it is duty of the plant scientists to make sure that the varieties are only released after it meets the procurement norms. What is fault of the farmer or the millers even, if the paddy is giving 62% rice, against the norms of 66-67%, he asked.