Punjab farmers should grow what they eat, develop farm marketing strategy: Navjot Sidhu | India News – Times of India
CHANDIGARH: The have to return to rising extra crops than wheat-paddy – the way in which it was earlier than the Green Revolution period – with an efficient marketing coverage and help for different crops was highlighted at a panel dialogue on Wednesday.
The digital panel dialogue on ‘Future of Punjab Agriculture’ was organised by Sidhu on his YouTube channel ‘Jittega Punjab.’
“Small and marginal farmers, and not the corporate houses, who have to be the key pillar of the agriculture policy. There is a need to increase farmers’ income with diversification and organic farming. Punjab should cultivate what people of the state eat – pulses, oil seeds and other cash crops. We have to reinvent to return to the pre-Green Revolution era by dividing the state into zones,” stated Sidhu.
“The farm laws will be repealed as until then the farmers’ agitation will continue. But even when that happens and we are back to where we were in June last year, the agriculture sector should not go back to square one,” he stated.
“The problems of the agriculture sector of each state are different and each should have its own agricultural policy. But the BJP at the Centre wants to create a mandi for the corporate houses who will not care for the state’s welfare,” added Sidhu.
Sidhu added that the revenue of the labour concerned within the agriculture sector who until another person’s land too should go up. The state has 34% Dalits and solely 2 % of land,” he stated.
“Punjab knows that paddy is not conducive for this region but is still sticking to it. Shouldn’t we offer an alternative to paddy with a proper support system for the farmers. Farmers will not move away from paddy unless there is MSP on other crops as well,” stated Sidhu.
The specialists identified that earlier than the Green Resolution, cultivation of millets was very widespread in Punjab, however the complete state of affairs has modified, and it has taken a toll on the underground water. Lack of vitamin within the meals being consumed by the state was additionally highlighted by the exports.
Prof Sucha Singh Gill, Former Director-General, CRRID, Chandigarh, stated earlier than the Green Revolution, there was no mono cropping tradition that got here in with assured worth coverage. “Apart from cotton, there is no system of assured price for other crops. The price policy can be an effective instrument to bring in diversification in the state. The Centre has a destructive policy to bring the corporate houses into the picture,” he stated.
