Punjab seeks nod to BG-3 cotton seeds to curb whitefly attacks
Expressing concern over pest attacks, especially pink bollworm and whitefly attack on cotton crop, Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Thursday sought Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s intervention to speed up the research and grant of approval to the next generation BG-3 cotton seeds.
Expressing concern over pest attacks, especially pink bollworm and whitefly attack on cotton crop, Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Thursday sought Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s intervention to speed up the research and grant of approval to the next generation BG-3 cotton seeds.
Khudian, who called on Chouhan at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, apprised that the current generation BG-2 cotton needed to be changed by an advanced seed to make the crop resistant to pest attacks.
Khudian thanked Chouhan for granting approval to the State Agricultural Statistics Authority (SASA) as this would be a “boon to strengthen the planning, monitoring, evaluating, research and development in the field of agriculture in the state”.
The state minister also apprised Chouhan about the agrarian concerns of the state, including implementation of crop residue management (CRM) scheme, release of funds under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), incentives to manage paddy straw and consistent & continuous supply of fertilisers and subsidy on wheat seed replacement scheme.
Raising another concern, Khudian highlighted that the Central government had changed the funding pattern of crop residue management scheme to 60:40 (Centre:state) ratio in the 2023-24 financial year, which was earlier 100% centrally sponsored. He urged the Union agriculture minister to reinstate the 100% central funding keeping in view the contribution of Punjab to national food security.
He also sought incentive on per acre basis as compensation to farmers in lieu of the additional cost to be incurred on management of paddy straw. Khudian also appealed to Chouhan to direct the authorities concerned to ensure the continuous supply of phosphatic fertilisers in rabi season.
Khudian said that about ₹20 crore were being invested annually under the National Food Security Mission and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana scheme as per the ICAR policy to replace 33% seed every year. “The Central government has stopped this assistance on wheat seed whereas it needs to be continued,” he added.