learning lessons from the past, Punjab Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to bail out the State farmers from “cotton crisis” this year.
After coughing up more than whopping Rs640 crore as compensation to the cotton cultivators suffering loss due to whitefly attack in 2015, the State Government has decided to carry out proper monitoring of the cotton crop cultivation process, recruiting additional force for the purpose.
Besides, it is also generating awareness among the farmers by holding seminars, workshops, training camps involving experts in the field. The State agri varsity — Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), ludhiana — has also chipped in by issuing detailed advisory on “how and when” to cultivate the crop.
Already, the Centre has issued extensive directives to the States, including Punjab and Haryana, to check the adverse effect of the whitefly on cotton in view of the likely menace to the crop in these States. The two States had suffered massive damage of cotton crop inflicted by the whitefly in 2015.
In Punjab, the sowing process of cotton crop starts from April with the State agriculture department projecting 4.98 lakh hectares, an increase of one lakh hectares from the previous season.
In a precautionary mode, the PAU has advised the State farmers to start sowing of all recommended varieties, including BT cotton, from April. The advisory stated that sowing process should be carried out within scheduled timeframe, and that too by utilising only recommended seeds.
The varsity has advised to keep a close watch on the movement of pests and timely sprinkling to check its spread, coupled with sowing seeds in polythene bags to fill the gaps in the cotton crop.
PAU advised the cotton cultivators to till deep in the fields where paddy is being cultivated on regular basis before sowing cotton crop otherwise its roots will not go deep and the crop will wither even after watering them.
To save the crop from whitefly, the PAU has advised not to sow bhindi (ladyfinger), moong, and arhar in-and-around the field of cotton crop, besides other directions.
In addition, the State agriculture department has also decided to recruit additional force monitoring and supervision of the sowing process. It would engage nearly 500 scouts who will keep a watch on the crop and report to the department in case of a pest attack. Besides, more recruitment would be done as supervisors who would oversee their working.
The cotton crop in the state suffered huge loss during the previous season as the state government failed utterly in controlling and checking the whitefly attack, resulting in 50 to 90 percent crop damage, leading large scale protests, and farmer suicides.
“This year, our main emphasis is on the monitoring. From sowing to the quality of seeds and pesticides used, we are monitoring everything. One of the important reasons for crop failure last season was the lack of monitoring,” a senior agriculture officer told The Pioneer.
The main emphasis is being laid on quality control of cotton seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.
“We are engaging the experts in the field to aware the cotton cultivators by holding various seminars, camps, training sessions, and workshops at the district levels,” said the official, besides the senior officials are regularly reviewing the process.
Punjab Government is already running a campaign to destroy weeds, so that the whitefly can be controlled in time. For the same, the State Agriculture Department and PAU have collaborated to destroy weeds supporting whitefly before the sowing of cotton seeds.
“In the first phase, a mass level weed removal campaign was held so that the weeds supporting whitefly are removed. Under the second phase of weed removal, all the weeds would be destroyed by May 15,” said the official.
The State Government has also made it clear that strict action will be initiated against the dealers, as per the act, in case of any discrepancy is found in their working. The dealers have been directed to sell recommended varieties only and give permanent bills to the farmers.
Officers have been directed to maintain a liaison with pesticides sellers and ensure that they sell only PAU recommended variety of products, give farmers permanent bills with lot number, batch number etc mentioned on it.
Farmers have also been asked to inform the agriculture officers in case they came across fake seeds or pesticides sellers, so that proper action can be taken.