New wheat variety storms Punjab

The state,which had received only 300 quintals of HD 2967 seed approved by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) for replacing other popular varieties such as PBW-342 in November 2011,has supplied over one lakh quintals this year.

We expect around 70 per cent farmers in Punjab will end up sowing HD 2967 as there is a huge demand and we are committed to meeting this demand, says joint director,Food Security Mission ( Punjab),Dr Gurdial Singh,adding around 1 lakh quintals was supplied by Punseed,Punjab governments seed selling agency,while Krishi Vigyan Kendras and other government agencies such as Punjab Agro are arranging seeds for farmers.

There are many Punjab government-certified private players who supply this seed to farmers. After this variety was introduced in 2011,nearly 15 per cent of the wheat production area came under it in 2012. This year there has been a fourfold increase,says Dr Gurdial.

The high demad comes despite the fact that it commands the highest rate Rs 2,485 per quintal,Rs 300 to Rs 500 higher than for other varieties and the Punjab government has been granting farmers a subsidy of Rs 500 per quintal,says S S Kandhari,joint director (administration),Punjab agriculture department,with additional charge of general manager,Punseed.

Punseed is selling seeds worth over Rs 20 crore,sources say. Kandhari says 50,000 quintals of HD 2967 was produced by Punseed from its certified farmers,over 41,000 quintals was procured from private certified agencies,while 7,000 quintals was provided by Punjab Agricultural University.

He says the seed will be distributed through sale centres of the agriculture department,Punjab Agricultural University,Punseed,Punjab Agro,KRIBCO and IFFCO. Also,PAU got the seed prepared from its Krishi Vigyan Kendras and sold directly to farmers in Kisan melas, says Dr H S Randhawa,director (seed),PAU.

Fluctuations in temperature during flowering season have become regular now and the HD 2967 variety is suitable in such fluctuations, says agriculture director Dr M S Sandhu. Unusually high temperatures and rain during March and April led to large-scale adoption of this temperature-tolerant variety by farmers, he adds.

According to the chief agriculture officer,Jalandhar,Dr Swatantar Aery,the demand for HD 2967 has been so high that over 60 per cent of the total area in the district was sown under this variety.

We have provided around 22,000 quintals seed of all varieties to farmers,mostly HD 2967,and even then farmers have procured more from authorised private sellers. We are keeping a close watch on demand so that the district will not fall short of seeds at the end of the sowing season, he adds.

HD 2967 boasts a good grain quality that is ideal for chapatis,and ripens in 157 days,Aery says.

Dr Naresh Gulati,deputy director,Agriculture Technology Management Agency,says,At camps we organised,every farmer was demanding HD 2967 since to them yield matters than anything else. By next year,we hope it would cover 80-90 per cent of Punjabs area under wheat.

Alternatives

Two other varieties are considered very good by experts: PWD 550 ( a late variety sown in December) and PBW 621,both introduced by the university. Punseed provides 25,000 qunitals of PBW 550 seed and 20,000 qunitals of PWD 621. Dr Sandhu says these varieties too are very good and have been a hit among farmers.