Punjab Farmers are Not Fools, SS Johal + Are Definitely Scoundrels

Punjab Farmers are Not Fools, SS Johal + Are Definitely Scoundrels

 

You will not find a single line where SS Johal has demanded higher MSP for Wheat and Rice produced by farmers on 75% of Gross Area procured by GOI for public distribution from Punjab at half of landed cost of wheat imported by Sharad Pawar, that too was considered unfit for human consumption in Maharashtra, as IMPORT SUBSTITUTION, but at every opportunity this BOGUS adviser to Capt Amrinder Singh SHAMED Punjab and India.

 

Punjab is a farming economy – instead of urging Punjab farmers to grow third Pulses or Vegetables or Corn crop by introducing shorter duration high yielding paddy that would substantially reduce water needs he even suggested freezing of MSP and withdrawing incentives to farmers or Bonus.

 

Third crop is a better Non INVASIVE way of diversifying crops without cutting PDS supplies but IDIOTS eventually succeeded in introducing 'Two Months No Agriculture Interval' – delaying paddy cultivation to June10 – thus creating shortage of labor, high wages, harvesting rush and producing Rice when all around India too Paddy is harvested thus requiring storage of 165 lakh tone paddy until required by states.

 

Ø      Rice harvesting in Punjab could be spread from early June to November reducing storage and handling and processing costs. China harvests three Paddy Crops every year on similar rainfall situations.

 

Even after harvesting 10 crops since March 21, 2002 he directed Punjab Farmers to Switch to non wheat and rice crops – people of India are starving and hungry and there is no investment in non wheat & rice production, there is no improvement in inefficient use of water, water going waste to Pakistan and Desert and not utilized in dams.

 

In last three years Sugarcane price has more than doubled from around Rs. 100 per quintal to Rs. 200 per qtl. But there is marginal increase in Wheat & Rice procurement prices.

 

Ø            Paddy productivity in Punjab is 3-5 times other states 10 times Pakistan than per unit Canal Water allocation.

 

Sharad Pawar didn't say Sugarcane Farmers in Maharashtra are draining away ground water in Maharashtra and therefore locate Sugar Mills in high rainfall districts in other states and that use of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Pesticides has harmed environment –

 

Ø            Mahararasthra cultivate 10 times more Sugar Cane area and Six times more Cotton area both Pesticide Guzzlers than Punjab.

 

Seed replacement of Wheat and Rice was just 11% when he was Advisor to Captain Amrinder Singh, ought to be 100% in Punjab considering land holdings are small in Punjab farmers can't develop their own quality seeds.

 

Punjab Farmers are let down by Mediocre & Scoundrels led by SS Johal.

 

Punjab's biggest cancer is Chairman of Cancer Society at Patiala.

 

Ravinder Singh

July09, 2011

 

Centre may stop paddy incentives to Punjab, Haryana

Shruti Setia Chhabra, TNN Dec 5, 2010, 03.41am IST

 

CHANDIGARH: To arrest the dangerously depleting water table, the Union government is considering stop giving incentives to Punjab and Haryana for growing paddy. This was indicated by Union agriculture minsiter Sharad Pawar at the CII Agro Tech show here on Saturday. The minister said, ''The Centre intends to procure oilseeds or pulses that consume less water than paddy from the two states. But a final decision is yet to be taken.''

 

The issue has the potential to be politically volatile unless the Centre works out a strategy to procure alternative crops at remunerative prices. ''We are trying, but the final decision has not been taken. We will continue to procure wheat, but an alternative to rice — horticulture items, oilseeds or pulses — is being found so that farmers can better prices than they get for paddy,'' he told mediapersons.

Pawar said the decision will be taken in consultation with state governments and farmers. ''Once this happens, I will come here to announce it,'' said Pawar.

 

He said continuous cultivation of wheat and paddy has adversely affected the groundwater level and there is a need to bring gradual change in cropping pattern while ensuring farmers get remunerative prices.

 

Minutes before Pawar made this statement, Punjab agriculture minister Sucha Singh Langah had also conceded that Punjab has suffered in terms of its water resources by contributing 60% to the central wheat pool and 40% to the paddy pool.

 

''But we want to be sure that this change in crop pattern does not hit the farmer. The alternative crops should bring handsome price to farmers,'' he said. With the state producing 165 lakh tonne of paddy,Punjab government and Mandi board earn approximately Rs 12,000-13,000 crore per year from paddy.

 

The Union government had given an indication that it could shift its focus to cash crops in budget-2010 by providing special grants to eastern states. Many environment activists and even agriculture experts have been advocating diversification to break the wheat and rice cycle to boost the soil in Punjab.

 

Agriculture experts have pointed out that farmers could earn more by switching over to oilseeds, pulses and horticulture. Even a committee-led by economist SS Johal had suggested giving a cash incentive to those farmers who don't grow paddy.

 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020322/ldh1.htm

Kisan Mela: a rich harvest of ideas
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 21

The two-day Kisan Mela, the 'Maha Kumbh' of Punjab farmers, opened here at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today with a significant theme, 'Precision farming for high profits'. As many as 50,000 farmers from all over the state swarmed the campus to know about the latest in the field of agriculture and were all ears to a hard-hitting speech by noted economist Dr S. S. Johl, who sought to make farmers realise the consequences of not resorting to diversification.

 

Dr Sardara Singh Johl, an economist of international repute and Agricultural Advisor to the Punjabgovernment, speaking from the podium of the Kisan Mela, suggested to the agricultural policy planners and farmers that in order to bring agriculture out of present crisis, there was an urgent need to study the international market and re-structure the cropping pattern accordingly.

 

With no politician addressing the farmers as 'chief guest' at the Kisan Mela to boast about the government's populist measures and ambitious schemes, the event became a platform for experts to make a frank statement to the farmers. While hailing the efforts of the Punjab farmer to catapult the country into the Green Revolution, experts told them that their cooperation was once again sought by the government to pass through the difficult phase the present agriculture was in.

 

Dr Johl said that there are no buyers in other parts of India for Punjab wheat and rice because 60 million tonne of foodgrains was already lying in the stores. Out of this, 20 million tonne of foodgrains are virtually rotting here. The Government may purchase the forthcoming 11 million tonne of wheat by raising bank loans but there is little possibility for disposing it into the national or international markets.

 

Dr Johl made a startling revelation that government expenditure on storing foodgrains for two-and-a -half years is much more than its free distribution among the millions of Indians who cannot afford to purchase. For systematic study of international market to assess the demand of different commodities, alongwith the required quality parameters in different countries, Dr Johl suggested the setting up of a Rice Board and wheat Board in Punjab.

 

"These boards should be primarily responsible for international market survey and providing funds for technology generation." He asked the farmers to be ready for providing funds for establishment and working of these boards. Dr Johl gave an open invitation to farmers, scientists, businessmen, policy planners and others to give suggestions for the formulation of an agricultural policy, which is beneficial both to the consumers as well as farmers. These suggestions may be sent through the Director of Research,Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. While complimenting the progressive farmers of the state for experimenting with innovative ideas Dr Johl advised them to share their experiences with other farmers also and to work as Extension Agents to spread the seeds of their success.

 

Later, talking to mediapersons, Dr Johl said that he was all for the sowing Bt-Cotton in the state. He said while the western countries had accepted the genetically modified crops, we, who required these crops more than them, were not going in for them.

 

In his presidential remarks, Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, expressed serious concern over the wide gap between the sale price of farmers and purchase price of consumers. Elaborating his point, Dr Aulakh said that the milk with 4 per cent fat is sold by the farmers at Rs 6 per litre, while consumers have to pay Rs 15 for the same. He suggested the establishment of marketing policy and infrastructure in order to watch the interests of the farmers as well as consumers. Dr Aulakh further said that all efforts to increase production and productivity have been overtaken by the increase in population which has risen from 36 crore at the time of Independence to more than 100 crore at present.

 

Improving the quality of farm produce and minimising the cost of production are the two priority areas inPunjab agriculture at present. He asked the scientists to generate technology with this objective in view and advised farmers to adopt these technologies in consultation with scientists. Dr Aulakh also added that the surplus of foodgrains in the country is also a myth because at the present level of production, the per capita annual availability of foodgrains in India is only about 200 kg, as compared to 245 kg at the world level and 450 kg in China. He said that if an immediate breakthrough in production was not brought about, our country might face a serious food crisis.

 

Earlier, Sardar Nek Singh of Khokh village of Patiala and Mr Aman Bahl of Gurdaspur were honoured with the 'Sardar Dalip Singh Dhaliwal memorial Award' for innovative farming. Mr Bahl started farming after his M.A. in Economics. During the past 16 years, he has done pioneering work in vegetable seed production. The seeds of carrot and brinjal produced by him are marketed at the international level. He has also set up his own processing plant at his farm in order to grade the seeds and improve their quality. Sardar Nek Singh has excelled himself in hybrid seed production and mixed farming.

 

While addressing the gathering, Dr Gurdev S. Khush, rice breeder of international repute and winner of many international prizes for agricultural research, congratulated Mr Bahl and Sardar Nek Singh and advised other farmers to follow suit. He complimented Punjab farmers for their contributions expressed the hope that they would be able to meet the present challenges also.