CHANDIGARH: Assuring that the Punjab Government would purchase Summer Moong Pulse on the Minimum Support Price (MSP), Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today asked farmers to go in for moong-cultivation.
In a video message here today Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, "The state government has taken a big decision on Moong Dal. In fifty-five days Moong crop is ready for cultivation if the farmers sow it on May 10, May 15 or May 20, then between July 10 and July 20 it will be ready. We announce to procure it on Minimum Support Price (MSP). The farmers who opt for moong cultivation now can go in for cultivation of late growing of paddy variety PR 126 or basmati thus they get an extra crop between paddy and wheat."
The Moong cultivation provides farmers with an opportunity to have a third crop in a year. Moreover, moong being a leguminous crop is beneficial for the soil as it helps in nitrogen fixation and contributes to improving soil fertility.
This year till April 2 in around 3,000 hectors Summer Moong Pulse has been sown and last year in 5,000 hectors (12,000 acres) only in summer and kharif seasons as it is grown across the state. While last year the union government announced an MSP of Rs 7,275 per quintal of moong but was sold above for Rs 7,500 per quintal. While the input cost would be around Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 per acre including seed, labour, and other expenditure. In this season the government is persuading the farmers to grow moong dal in at least 50,000 acres. As the yield of this crop is four to five quintals per acre. With the promise of buying the crop at the MSP, the government will be giving a major push to its cultivation.
Sources said that as of now the state grows 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of pulses per year against the requirement of six lakh tonnes, which is around 10 per cent of the total consumption in the state. The rest 90 per cent are imported from other states.
Also, the farmers this time are opting for the PR 126 variety of seed for paddy as 2,600 quintals of this variety were developed by Punjab Agriculture University at Ludhiana and are being sold at Rs 140 per kg against the price of Rs 65 per kg. Due to the late sowing of late varieties of paddy, around 15 to 20 per cent less watering will be required.
This is the second big announcement by the state government on the agricultural front. Last week, CM Mann had announced to give Rs 1,500 per acre as a subsidy to those going in for direct seeding of rice.