The Punjab Government has made a stride towards fulfilling its commitment to the farming community by drafting the much-awaited State Agriculture Policy. The draft, shared with the farmer unions and agriculture experts, invited suggestions from all stakeholders, particularly the farmers, to ensure a more inclusive and robust policy for the future of agriculture in Punjab.

The draft encompassed several progressive reforms aimed at addressing the multifaceted issues faced by the agricultural sector. One of the key highlights of the policy is the proposed legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, providing much-needed security to farmers. The move sought to stabilize farm incomes and mitigate the uncertainties in the pricing of agricultural products. It also aimed at empowering farmers by ensuring that they receive a fair price for their produce, thus preventing exploitation by middlemen.

Another major feature of the policy is the introduction of pension benefits for small and marginal farmers, especially those with less than five acres of land, as well as farm labourers. Farmers above the age of 60 will be eligible for pensions, thereby offering financial support during their senior years. This provision is seen as a step towards improving the welfare of Punjab’s farming community, which has long struggled with financial insecurities due to fluctuating incomes and high input costs.

Additionally, the draft policy recommended the launch of the “Pani Bachao Paise Kamao” scheme, which incentivizes the farmers to save electricity and water. Given the critical depletion of groundwater in the State, this initiative promotes the use of efficient irrigation practices, while simultaneously offering farmers financial rewards for saving water and electricity.

The policy also pushed for more sustainable agricultural practices by encouraging organic farming and crop diversification. It emphasized the importance of moving away from water-intensive crops like paddy and promoting crops such as cotton, maize, sugarcane, and horticultural crops such as fruits and vegetables, which consume less water.

The policy draft also suggested prohibiting the cultivation of long-duration paddy varieties in 15 critical groundwater-depleted blocks, where water withdrawal exceeds 300 percent of the replenishment rate. The goal is to reduce water consumption in these areas and prevent the further depletion of groundwater resources.

The policy advocated for transitioning these regions to alternative crops like cotton, maize, sugarcane, vegetables, and orchards to safeguard the land from becoming barren in the future. To make this transition attractive, the policy proposed compensating farmers in these blocks to ensure they earn more from growing alternative crops than they would from paddy cultivation.

Despite these innovative suggestions, the draft is notably silent on one of the most politically sensitive issues — subsidized electricity for farmers. However, it does proposed a roadmap to gradually reduce power subsidies by up to 35 percent. This would be achieved by implementing micro-irrigation systems, solarization of farm pump sets, and encouraging the use of canal water for irrigation instead of groundwater. The policy suggested that over time, traditional water-guzzling techniques should be phased out, and renewable energy options should take precedence.

With a strong focus on water conservation, the draft policy envisioned reducing the state’s total water demand by at least 30 percent, saving approximately 20 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water annually. This ambitious goal is deemed crucial to avert a looming water emergency in Punjab, which heavily relies on agriculture for its economy.

A member of the committee drafting the policy, requesting anonymity, told The Pioneer that there is dire need for immediate action to avert a “water crisis”. “Punjab is staring at a water emergency, and the government must set a policy goal to save at least 30 percent of the state’s total water demand. If steps are not taken now, we risk rendering large swathes of Punjab barren,” he said.

The policy also called for reforms in the Public Distribution System (PDS) to ensure better delivery and access to food grains, particularly for the underprivileged. It recommended that the Punjab Government take these concerns to the Central Government to seek further improvements to the PDS system. For small farmers, the policy suggested measures like loan waivers to ease the financial burden. While Punjab has long grappled with farmer indebtedness, the policy aimed to mitigate this issue by providing debt relief to farmers who own less than five acres of land.

Additionally, the draft policy promoted women’s empowerment by exploring ways to grant land ownership rights to women and prioritizing female farmers when leasing out village common lands.

To further encourage the shift toward crop diversification, the policy proposed establishing 13 centers of excellence (CoEs) for various crops across the State, which would focus on horticulture and promote the cultivation of crops such as potatoes, pulses, sugarcane, lemons, pears, peas, and chilies. By growing crops in their natural agro-climatic zones and organizing progressive farmer groups, the policy envisioned better management of resources and higher yields. In case of price volatility after harvest, the policy recommended creating a price stabilization fund to protect farmers from losses.

Addressing wheat cultivation, the draft suggested cultivating variety-specific and nutrient-rich wheat varieties, such as PBW 1 Chapati, PBW RS1, and WHD 943. These high-quality varieties would be processed and marketed under various consumer-specific brands, providing farmers with better access to niche markets and increasing their profits, stated the policy.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who recently held extensive consultations with the protesting farmers, had promised that the draft agriculture policy would be released before September 30. The policy reflected months of engagement with farmer groups and experts, aiming to tackle long-standing issues in Punjab’s agrarian economy. In light of the widespread protests led by organizations like the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Ekta-Ugrahan, Mann assured the farmers that their input would be crucial in shaping the final policy. 

 The draft policy is now open for suggestions, and the government is keen to receive feedback from farmers and agricultural experts to fine-tune it before implementation.

Recommendations in Draft Agri Policy

·         Legal Guarantee for MSPfor all crops

·         Pension benefits for small and marginal farmers with less than 5 acres of land and farm labourers

·         ‘Pani Bachao Paise Kamao’ scheme to incentivize farmers to save electricity and water through a rewards scheme

·         Promote organic farming practices and crop diversification

·         Ban cultivation of long-duration paddy varieties in 15 groundwater-depleted blocks

·         Replace paddy cultivation in critical blocks with crops like cotton, maize, sugarcane, and vegetables

·         Gradually reducing electricity subsidies by up to 35% through micro-irrigation systems, solarization of farm pump sets

·         Aim to reduce state’s total water demand by at least 30%

·         Improve delivery and access to food grains via PDS

·         Debt relief and loan waivers for farmers owning less than 5 acres of land

·         Explore ways to grant land ownership rights to women

·         Prioritize female farmers for leasing village common lands.

·         Establish 13 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) for horticulture and crop diversification

·         Create Price Stabilization Fund to protect farmers from price volatility