Need for diversification of agriculture in Punjab

For The Tribune | March 16, 1986

Economic change is a continuous and universal process, and its speed and intensity depend on the obtainable situation from country to country and region to region. In order to provide gainful direction to the development of economic activities, the Government of India and the State Government immediately after Independence made planned efforts to develop the country agriculturally and industrially.

The State of Punjab now produces 52 lakh tonnes of rice and 101 lakh tonnes of wheat. The storage and movement of this huge quantity of grain is posing a challenging problem to all concerned. Delay in the off-take of grains dampens the enthusiasm of the growers besides leading to many other difficult situations.

Under the circumstances, the State Government is thinking of reducing the area and output of rice and wheat to give place to the cultivation of sugarcane, pulses and oilseeds and the development of horticulture. The State Government is anxious to launch and execute a comprehensive scheme for the development of agriculture and agro-industries.

The State Government has also approached the Government of India/Planning Commission to increase the outlay of Centrally Sponsored Schemes relating to reclamation of the saline/alkaline areas, provide more funds to Punjab Agricultural University to carry-out its research and development programme and to provide greater Central investment in Punjab in projects like expansion of the road network, railway track doubling, electrification, etc, for ensuring speedy transport of goods produced in Punjab and the neighbouring States.

Till the beginning of the year 1985-86, there were eight sugar mills in Punjab – four in the Cooperative Sector, two in the public sector and two in the private sector. Two new mills in the cooperative sector, namely, the Patiala Cooperative Sugar Milla, Rakhra (Patiala), the Fazilka Cooperative Sugar Mills, Bodiwala Pitha (Ferozepore) have been commissioned recently.

Work on the construction of the Doraha Cooperative Sugar Mills, Budhewal (Ludhiana) and Majha Coop Sugar Mills, Sheron (Amritsar), is in full swing and these will start manufacturing sugar in the next season. The foundation stone of the NINTH sugar mill in the Cooperative Sector and the thirteenth in the State will be laid by the Chief Minister of Punjab on March 16, 1986.

As a part of State strategy for diversifying agriculture during the Seventh Plan, the State proposes to put in adequate efforts to intensify the cultivation of sugarcane. The area under sugarcane declined sharply from 1.04 lakh hectares in 1982-83 to 0.84 lakh hectares and 0.80 lakh hectares in 1983-84 and 1984-85, respectively, resulting in a fall of production level. The target set for the Sixth Plan (80 lakh tonnes) could not be achieved and actual production reported for 1984-85 (the last year of the Plan) was only 49.60 lakh tonnes. With the introduction of high sugar content varieties and installation of more sugar mills, the production prospects have improved, and it is expected that 65 lakh tonnes of sugarcane will be produced during the year 1986-87. Diversification of agriculture is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Heavy and constant drain on soil and water resources;

2. Appearance of micro-nutrient deficiencies;

3. Enormous infestations of weeds:

4. Proper returns to the farmers:

5. To reduce marketing problems due to surfeit of wheat and rice.

Sugarcane is a good plantation crop which provides about Rs 1,000 more per hectare to the grower than wheat and paddy. At present hardly about 2 per cent of the net sown area in the State (42 lakh hectares) is under the sugarcane crop and the State Government proposes to increase the area under sugarcane to 5 per cent. For the increased area under cultivation and the increased recovery of sugar from the sugarcane, it is but imperative that more sugar manufacturing plants should be established in the State soon.

Besides the Thirteen mills that will start operating with the coming of the Satluj Cooperative Sugar Mills, the State Government proposes to set up about fifteen more sugar mills, all in the cooperative sector, during the Seventh Five Year Plan. Although there is scope for still more mills yet keeping in view the chances of obtaining Letters of Intent from the Government of India for the setting up of new sugar plants, availability of finances, machinery, about fifteen mills are proposed to be set up during the Seventh Five Year Plan. Out of these, six are proposed to be set up immediately and the matter is being pursued with the Government of India for obtaining Letters of Intent for these new mills immediately.

In their efforts to diversify agriculture and increase production and productivity, the State Government is pursuing various programmes in the spheres of farming, horticulture, distribution of improved seeds, chemical fertilizers, plant protection, development of high yielding varieties, dryland and rain-fed farming, development of selected micro water sheds, soil conservation, animal husbandry, dairy development, fisheries. The development of sugarcane farming and the sugar industry is just one plank of the comprehensive programme launched to develop the State industrially and agriculturally.

By Manohar Singh Gill, I.A.S.,

Financial Commissioner, Development, Punjab.