AMRITSAR – With the dry spell continuing in August as well, farmers in Amritsar and the neighbouring Tarn Taran district are having a tough time to sustain their paddy crop which is costing them dear. Their input costs have gone up considerably. Besides, scanty rainfall has taken a toll on the depleting water table.
Malkit Singh of Khabbe Rajputa village in Tarn Taran, said: “There is a deficit rainfall of 75 per cent as compared to last year. Our input costs have increased between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 per acre as we are forced to run generators due to inadequate power supply. We have managed to save our crop, but it has come at a high price.”
He said the drought-like condition had hit their fodder crop which had taken a toll on dairy production as the livestock was not getting proper feed. “In view of deficient rainfall, we are giving priority to save our paddy crop as a result of which fodder produce has suffered,” he said.
Mohan Singh from Naushera Pannua said the state government had promised eight-hour power supply to the agriculture sector, but they were getting electricity for just four to five hours. “The canal water system has almost collapsed as a result of which many farmers who wanted to cultivate basmati had to give up their plan,” he said.
Gurdayal Singh from Vairowal village said the farmers were usually relaxed in July and August as they did not need to water their fields much, but this year there had been no respite due to scanty rainfall. He said vegetable crops too had been adversely affected and their output had gone down by 50 per cent.
Paramjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Agriculture Officer, Amritsar, said the farmers had mobilised their own resources to ensure that their paddy crop survived the dry spell. They had to spend Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 more per acre. He said deficient rainfall had also taken a toll on the depleting water table while adding that it had rained 60 to 65 per cent less as compared to the last year. He said paddy had been sown on 1.8 lakh hectares in Amritsar, of which 1.25 lakh hectares was under basmati cultivation.
