Stubble burning continues in parts of Gurdaspur District. Punjab government has so far imposed a fine of 12.25 lakh rupees in over 450 paddy stubble burning cases. Majority of the stubble burning cases that have been reported so far in Punjab were from Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Patiala and Gurdaspur districts. (Photo: Shalini Tahir)Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had recently requested farmers to not burn crop residue, as it could aggravate COVID-19 conditions besides leading to pollution. Farmers, however, find it hard to unlearn the age-old stubble burning practice and see it as an easier and feasible option than opting for alternatives that impose an additional operational expenses, often from farmer’s pocket. This year, Punjab government has appointed around 8,000 nodal officers in paddy growing villages to check stubble-burning. (Photo: Shalini Tahir)A farmer harvests Kharif paddy in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This year, at least 26.6 lakh metric tonne paddy yield is expected across Punjab, while paddy production is seen at 170 lakh metric tonne. (Photo: Shalini Tahir)Harvested paddy being collected in a tractor. The Central government on Sunday said that about 37.92 lakh tonne of kharif paddy worth 7,159.39 crore rupees has been purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) from 3.22 lakh farmers in the last 15 days. For the current year, the government has fixed the MSP of paddy (common grade) at 1,868 rupees per quintal, while that of A grade variety has been fixed at 1,888 rupees per quintal. (Photo: Shalini Tahir)This year paddy procurement began in Punjab and Haryana from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states it commenced from October 1. (Photo: Shalini Tahir)Punjab, also known as the ‘Granary of India’ or ‘India’s Bread Basket’, has provided food security to the nation for three decades.
The state produces nearly 38% of India’s wheat, and nearly 26% of India’s rice (2018-19).
The largest grown crop in Punjab is wheat, while other important crops are rice, cotton, sugarcane, pearl millet, maize, barley and fruits.
(Photo: Shalini Tahir)
