Punjab needs a comprehensive crop diversification plan at the micro level, involving a block or a cluster of blocks with similar conditions. The plan should be based on water availability, Niche crops and Marketing facilities in that geographical unit. The plan must be spread over5-10 years for its implementation, prioritising the areas to be brought under it each year on the basis of severity of water scarcity. This is expected to be a win-win situationfor conserving our https://exam.pscnotes.com/natural-Resources“>Natural Resources as well as sustainingfarmers income.
A three-pronged strategy needs to be formulated for preparing a comprehensive crop diversification plan for the state at the micro level, involving a block or a cluster of blocks with similar conditions. The plan needs to be based on (i) water availability, (ii) niche crops and (iii) related marketing facilities in that particular geographical unit.
Water availability
The Water Resources in a particular geographical unit may include groundwater or canal water or both, apart from rain/runoff water and treated wastewater. The water balance of each unit needs to be worked out so as to ascertain the water availability for Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and other sectors against the available supplies. Based on the water availability and its quality, some blocks may need to diversify from paddy/wheat, whereas others may not. Those units with highest level of negative water balance could be chosen for the crop diversification plan on priority basis. For example, estimates indicate that five blocks in Sangrur, two each in Barnala and Jalandhar and one each in Patiala, Hoshiarpur and Moga are expected to have the water table below 165 feet by 2030. These blocks need to be taken up first for crop diversification based on this strategy. Further, these assessments will also determine the extent of area in each block to be diversified from paddy/wheat and/or spring maize for sustained use of groundwater.
Niche crops
The blind recommendation of replacing paddy with maize may not be a good option for crop diversification across the state. Several geographical units have been growing alternative crops in smaller pockets over the years peas in Hoshiarpur and Tarn Taran, moong bean in Jagraon (Ludhiana), celery (Amritsar), kinnow (Fazilka and Hoshiarpur) etc. with well-established markets. The area under Cotton, another important crop in southwest Punjab, has been declining due to cultural and marketing issues. The area under these niche crops can be expanded further by providing improved cultural practices including high- yielding cultivars, value addition techniques and further strengthening of the prevailing marketing facilities. Also, some traditional crops of certain regions bajra, jowar, guar could be revisited keeping in mind their growing demand in the market. Arhar, an important pulse crop with huge demand in the country and being imported every year, could find a place in the state with improved harvesting varieties being developed by PAU.
Value addition
The area under these niche/alternate crops has to be increased at the cost of paddy. To compete with paddy, these crops have to be equally remunerative or even better. This can be possible not only by developing high-yielding cultivars but also developing the cultivars suitable for post-harvesting value addition. The government has taken initiatives to take the farmers out of the crop-based income system and encourage them for value addition. Thus, creating Infrastructure facilities for value addition is the need of the hour. For example, kinnow juice extraction facility could be created in such units to process the fruit instead of selling it at throwaway prices. The same could be true for potato and other crops.
A comprehensive crop diversification plan must be spread over 5-10 years for its implementation, prioritising the areas to be brought under the plan each year on the basis of severity of water scarcity. This is expected to be a win-win situation for conserving our natural resources as well as sustaining agricultural productivity and farmers income.