‘We followed govt’s schedule, but paying the price now’: Punjab paddy farmers say early sowing led to loss of Rs 16,000-19,000 per acre

He said he harvested only 22–23 quintals per acre, compared to 31-32 quintals per acre last season. “I was expecting at least the same yield as last year, but the weather completely ruined the crop, which was at the flowering stage when the incessant rains started in the state.”

He added that his loss per acre is around Rs 20,000-21,000, calculated at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,389 per quintal for paddy.

“Last year, I sold around 32 quintals per acre and earned Rs 74,000 per acre at the rate of Rs 2,320 MSP then. This year, with just 23 quintals, will make only around Rs 55,000,” said Talwinder.

“When you subtract the input cost, which is at least Rs 20,000 per acre, the profit margins are only Rs 35,000, out of which around RS 30,000 is rent for one acre per crop, and the profit margins are even less than Rs 5,000. For several of us, this is a net loss of Rs 16,000 to Rs 19,000 per acre,” said Talwinder, who has taken around 60 acres on rent.

Punjab minister Lal Chand Kataruchak during a visit to a grain market in Hoshiarpur. (Express Photo)

“We followed the government’s schedule, but now we are paying the price. If there is no support, many of us will fall into a debt cycle again,” said Talwinder.

Devinder Singh, a farmer from Tarn Taran district, said he got a yield of just 22 quintals per acre from his fields, down from 30 quintals last year, resulting in a loss of around Rs 19,000 per acre.

“The crop looked good initially, but after August, everything started going wrong,” said Devinder, who sowed the crop between June 5 and 20, resulting in a lower yield from both advance and timely sowing.

“Heavy rains during flowering and later high temperatures in September, and early October, and then against rain in October caused irreversible damage.”

Why the Punjab government advanced the sowing window

This season, the Punjab government advanced the paddy sowing window from mid-June to July 1 to better manage power demand, groundwater usage, and moisture levels, which increase when the late-sown crop is generally harvested after the second week of October.

However, early transplanting meant that a significant portion of the crop hit the flowering and pollination stages between late August and early September, precisely when incessant rains lashed the state.

Between the third week of August and the first week of September, Punjab experienced heavy rains that disrupted pollination, caused fungal outbreaks like ‘haldi rog’ (grain smut), and led to poor grain filling in several panicles. Farmers across central and southern Punjab reported discoloured grains and underdeveloped panicles.

“Those who transplanted paddy between June 1 and June 10 are the worst affected,” said an agriculture officer in the Kapurthala district. “The timing, which was advanced for better yield, unfortunately exposed the crop to the worst of the weather cycle.”

The government agencies have begun procurement of non-Basmati paddy at the MSP of Rs 2,389 per quintal.

Many farmers who had taken loans for fertilisers, diesel, and labour say they will now struggle to repay them.

Devinder said, “This season has broken our backs. The costs have gone up, but our fields have given us the lowest yield in years.”

Advanced sowing exposes crops to high humidity during flowering or sudden heat at grain maturity, and there is a need to rethink our sowing timings, said an expert from the Punjab Agriculture Department.

Commission Agent Amarjit Singh from Jalandhar said all farmers attached to him have reported between 20 and 23 quintals per hectare of paddy yield this season so far, compared to 30-32 quintals in previous years.

Jaswant Singh, Director of the Punjab Agriculture Department, said they are conducting crop cutting experiments, but farmers from several places have reported less yield this year.