Record wheat production in Punjab; per hectare yield down
In 2019-20, state had avg per hectare yield of 5,004 kg that dipped by 3% to 4,861 kg this year
BATHINDA: Punjab may have emerged as the biggest wheat producing state again a year after losing the tag to Madhya Pradesh, but the average per hectare yield of the rabi crop in the state has gone down by nearly 3% or 143 kg/hectare.
According to the crop cutting experiment (CCE) undertaken by the state agriculture department, Punjab has surpassed the past records by producing 171 lakh tonnes of wheat in the 2020-21 season and a record 132 lakh tonnes of the grain was procured by the state and central agencies.
According to the CCE, which was conducted at 2,338 sites across 22 districts, 15 districts of Malwa and Majha regions saw a dip of up to 10% yield in the 2020-21 rabi season.
Wheat was sown over 35.1 lakh hectares in the state this year as compared to 35.21 lakh hectares in the previous rabi season. In 2019-20, Punjab had an average per hectare yield of 5,004 kg that dipped to 4,861 kg this year. According to the CCE data compiled on May 21, Faridkot saw a dip of 10% in the yield (from 5,570 to 5,070 kg/hectare as compared to last year), the maximum in the state. Yield in Barnala and Sangrur yield also dropped from 5,257 to 4,805kg/ hectare and 5,767 to 5,257 kg/ hectare, respectively.
However, seven districts, including Fatehgarh Sahib, Pathankot and Gurdaspur, witnessed an increase in per hectare yield, the CCE study shows.
‘Unfriendly climatic conditions to blame’
Farm experts differ on the reasons behind the dip in the yield. Punjab’s joint agriculture director (field extension) Gurvinder Singh said besides unfriendly climatic conditions, weeds resistant to chemicals were responsible for a slump in yield. “The overall season was good and Punjab registered a production of 171 lakh tonnes of wheat. Of the total produce, nearly 80% foodgrain was sold by farmers in the mandis. Nearly 40 lakh tonnes of the wheat was kept by farmers for sowing and personal consumption,” he said.
GP Singh, director of the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, denied the claim of lesser resistant weedicides for adverse impact in the yield.
“Crop varieties recommended in Punjab led to impressive rabi results and the state recorded a bumper yield. There is no input to substantiate that weedicides were ineffective. Moreover, this year, the average moisture content of wheat grains was 7-8% whereas in the previous season the same was about 13%. Lesser moisture in grains gets reflected in the weight,” said the head of IIWBR, the nodal agency for wheat research activities.