Corn in a Soup

Corn, or maize, has been at the forefront of the diversification plan in Punjab and many in the state fear the attractive pricing will drive back farmers to paddy. Besides, paddy is largely responsible for the falling water table in Punjab. Dr P.S. Rangi, consultant, Punjab State Farmers8217; Commission PSFC, is particularly worried about the impact it will have on the state government8217;s programme to promote low-on-water maize in place of water-intensive paddy.

Corn, which was a major kharif crop in the state before the introduction of high-yielding dwarf varieties of rice in the mid-Sixties, formed a cornerstone of the diversification policy unfolded by the Capt Amarinder Singh regime in 2002. Though, initially it faced a lot of resistance from the farmers because the yield of maize was half that of paddy, the introduction of hybrid, high-yielding varieties of maize in the last five years has had many farmers taking a shine to it.

8220;Last year, we were successful in distributing 34,000 quintal of maize seeds to farmers by joining hands with the Agriculture Department. It was grown in around 1.75 lakh hectares, and this year, we have jacked up our target to 45,000 quintals of maize seeds,8221; says Rangi.

The aim is to reduce the area under paddy from 24 lakh hectares at present to 14 lakh hectares by shifting it to maize in the next five years. 8220;But the new MSP will make it difficult to dissuade farmers from sticking to maize, whose MSP is Rs 200 less than that of paddy,8221; rues Rangi. The CACP has recommended an MSP of Rs 840 per 100 kg of maize.

The news is already making waves in the Doaba region, where the Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers has been successful in evangelising maize among its 100-plus members. 8220;We have succeeded in increasing the area under corn from a few hundred acres to 10,000 acres in the past few years,8221; says Pawanjyot Singh, its young secretary, whose ready reckoner on maize in Punjabi is a huge hit with the locals.

Pawanjyot, who started growing maize on 150 acres three years ago, specially travelled to Pakistan in 2004 to learn their method of sowing maize from east to west in order to maximise production. Pawanjyot claims his yield doubled from 15 to 30 quintals per acre with this new technique.

He too fears that the new MSP may take farmers back to paddy unless the government launches an awareness programme to educate people about the benefits of maize. This crop not only needs half the water required by paddy but is also very good for soil health. 8220;While farmers set fire to paddy fields to get rid of the husk, the maize plant residue is allowed to mulch in the soil, thereby increasing its fertility,8221; explains Pawanjyot.

What is adding to the general alarm is the fear that even cotton farmers of Malwa may shift to paddy. Brar says the failure of cotton crop due to the poor Bt seeds and the mealy bug attack this year will propel many to sow paddy in the coming summers. 8220;Most of the small farmers are too poor and ill-educated to care about the impact it will have on the water table,8221; he gripes.

According to Hydrogeology Department, the water table of the state is falling by 70 centimetres every year in the central districts of Punjab. Any more area under paddy will only spell doom.

G.S. Dhillon, a farmer from Padhri Kalan in Tarn Taran district of Majha, grouses that the Central Government is taking this step only with an eye on the polls. 8220;What we need is a holistic, long-term diversification policy. In the last 15 years, I have tried everything from agro-forestry to horticulture, but failed for want of government support.8221;

Experts feel maize could still prove viable if the state government uses it to manufacture ethanol as is being done in the US, but that is in the future. The present, meanwhile, continues to be tense as far as the golden cob is concerned.