May 29, 2012

India's Punjab shows no rise in corn yield

India was not able to raise corn cultivation area in the past three years despite Punjab being asked by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to reduce at least 10 lakh hectares of water-dependent paddy rice for the corn's usage.

This year's target area under corn cultivation is 1.50 lakh hectares - the same as set by the state agriculture department for the year 2011, reports the Indian Express.

Agriculture department officials revealed that farmers were interested in cultivating corn, but were discouraged due to lack of assured procurement of the crop.

In 2011, out of 1.50-lakh hectares targeted area, only 1.40 hectares could be brought under the crop. In 2009-10, 1.39-lakh hectares area was cultivated under corn with an average yield of 34.14 quintal per hectares.

Corn is mostly cultivated in Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Nawan Shahar, Kapurthala, Ropar, Patiala, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana.

Agriculture department joint Director Tarsem Singh, who has been looking after corn cultivation in the state, confirmed that for the past three years the department had maintained the same area under corn cultivation in the state.

"Though farmers get a good price for corn produce, there is no assured procurement of the crop which discourages more farmers to adopt corn cultivation," Singh said.

Singh said the government had been trying to provide around 30,000 quintal seeds to farmers in the coming season, and provide technical guidance to farmers.