Kapurthala, 20th April, 2025, Desh Click News
Kaputhala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh today made a vehement appeal to the Government of Indian and the Punjab government to save the cotton growers of the state and help conserve environment by not letting area under the cash crop permanently shift to water consuming paddy.
He appealed to both the governments to release BT seeds of Bollgard-III to the farmers to fight pink bollworm which has eaten the crop in past few years.
The law maker welcomed the move by state government to offer cotton growers 33% subsidy on purchase of cotton seeds. “We need more drastic steps to save crop which is called white gold and have turned the fortunes of the farmers especially in Malwa belt of Punjab”, he however said.
The subsidy is offered on hybrid variety BT seeds and according to Rana Gurjeet Singh BT hybrid seed is an obsolete variety which is not resistant to pink bollworm pest.
The area under the crop has been reduced to 98,000 hectares last year which touched 8 lakh hectares, 25% of the total area under cultivation in a season. “We have to seriously think in the direction and give clearance to bollgard-III seeds to save the crops and state’s prosperity”, suggested legislator from Kapurthala.
The clearance to the seeds is pending with Central Seeds Committee and the trials are conducted by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana for the second consecutive year.
MLA apprised that the bollgard-III seeds are in production in Australia and Brazil and the farmers of those countries are reaping rich dividends. “Why farmers in India have to wait for so long for the seeds”, said Rana Gurjeet Singh.
He added farmers in the state are hard working and in southwest Punjab cotton growers have mastered cotton production. “Let us not force the cotton growers to permanently shift to paddy”, said the MLA who further said that there is acute water scarcity in the district where cotton is grown and the cash crop is most suited for the local soil and climatic conditions. Timely release of bollgard-III seeds will support the farmers because for a loss of every single year the damage caused to environment and state’s economy is irreparable.
Published on: April 20, 2025 4:54 pm
