E-Paper
Punjab farmers to get MSP on sarson next year: Agri director
MSP for mustard (sarson) will be started next year as a step to fortify diversification as well as biodiversity
A two-day “Research and extension specialists’ workshop for rabi crops” kicked off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Thursday conducted by the Directorate of Extension Education.
Officials from state department of agriculture, scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras and farm advisory service centres, district extension specialists, and deans, directors and faculty of PAU attended the inaugural session.
Inaugurating the workshop, the PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal, who was the chief guest, called for fixing minimum support price (MSP) and devising productive marketing strategies for boosting crop diversification in Punjab. In the wake of declining groundwater table, a lot of emphasis was being laid on advocating the adoption of water and labour saving direct seeded rice technology, he informed, while adding that Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka were the top two districts in DSR-use.
With paddy harvesting season approaching, Gosal urged for fixing the target of zero burning of paddy residue in Punjab. Furthermore, Gosal advised for timely management of sheath blight and bacterial blight in paddy as well as yellow rust in wheat, making use of recommended pesticides in basmati and promoting crop diversification through pulses and oilseeds like GSC 7 of mustard (gobhi sarson). Citing the example of NRI farmers who visited PAU in May, he made a call for changing the mindset of farmers by making a shift from agriculture to agri-business.
Stressing upon “convergence” to combat the agrarian challenges and address farmers’ woes, Gurwinder Singh, director of agriculture, Punjab, lauded PAU, its KVK scientists and state department of agriculture for rendering a great service to the flood-affected farmers of Punjab. “Punjab farmers have been given MSP for moong,” he said, while disclosing that they were set to get MSP for mustard (sarson) next year as a step to fortify diversification as well as biodiversity. Besides, he suggested decreasing area under wheat in addition to paddy by promoting cultivation of sarson, toria, moong, arhar and other alternative crops.
AS Dhatt, director of research, while highlighting the newly developed crop varieties, mentioned that PBW RS 1 and PBW Zn 2 of wheat, IPFD 12-12 of ready-to-cook peas, PBG 10 of chickpea, J 1008 of maize and Ajmer Fennel 2 of fennel will be recommended to farmers after consent from state varietal approval committee. Apart from throwing light on production and protection technologies for paddy, wheat, maize, berseem, organic and fish farming, he advised making farmers aware of surface seeding-cum-mulching for residue management. The university has developed three new farm machines comprising PAU surface seeder, paddy shredder-cum-mulcher for operation with tractor and drone for spray on crops, he added.
GS Buttar, director of extension education, in his remarks, called for discouraging the farmers from using unauthorised and unrecommended seed as well as motivating them to use recommended and reliable seed, and manage crop residue in time.
