Bumper crop: 3 lakh MT basmati reaches markets in a week
No major disease reported this season
BATHINDA: With more than 3 lakh metric tonne (MT) basmati rice having already arrived in mandis, official data says acreage on which the aromatic variety of paddy is being sown has increased by over one lakh hectares this year.
Agriculture officials expect a bumper rice crop as no major disease was reported this season. Punjab agriculture department director Sutantra Kumar Airi told HT that this year the area under long-grained basmati rice was 6.2 lakh hectares whereas in 2018 farmers had sown basmati on about 5.10 lakh hectares.
Airi said paddy has started arriving in mandis and peak harvesting is expected to begin in the next 8-10 days. He said the overall area under paddy cultivation has decreased this year as farmers responded to efforts made by state authorities on crop diversification. “Last year, we got about ₹2,500 per quintal for basmati produce. Since it is a good season, this time too, we expect good returns for basmati in the open market,” said Jaswant Singh, a paddy grower in Bathinda.
According to state mandi board officials, private players are buying basmati between ₹2,000-₹2,735 per quintal depending upon the crop quality.
Till October 6, a total of 4,22,779 MT paddy (basmati and non-basmati) crop had arrived at mandis across the state of which about 3 lakh MT was basmati.
Paddy acreage dips this season
Airi said that so far the area under non-basmati had decreased by about 3 lakh hectares this year. “Encouraged by state authorities, farmers in large number opted for other crops besides paddy. Cotton, which was sown on about 2.68 lakh hectares last year, was sown on close to 4 lakh hectares this year. Similarly, the area under maize has also gone up this year to 1.6 lakh hectares from 1.08 lakh hectares last year,” said the official.