[ad_1]
Eight years after it was launched in 2016, the broadly cultivated short-duration paddy selection PR-126 finds itself on the centre of controversy in Punjab.
Citing decrease out-turn ratio (OTR, which refers back to the publish milling yield), rice shellers are reportedly refusing to just accept the PR-126 and hybrid varieties.
The opposition within the state has picked up the problem, with Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa slamming Bhagwant Mann’s AAP authorities for its “ill-advised” promotion of the paddy selection. “Paddy procurement has slowed to a crawl, leaving farmers stranded in mandis for days,” Bajwa claimed.
Punjab Chief Minister Mann on Thursday clapped again, accusing Bajwa of spreading “half-baked information”, and saying that paddy procurement is happening easily.
Story of PR-126
Paddy is a particularly water-intensive crop. Regardless of Punjab going through a extreme groundwater disaster, the state has seen a record-high space underneath paddy cultivation (roughly 32 lakh hectares) within the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
On this context, shifting to paddy varieties which may be grown in a shorter length doubtless gives the very best answer for the water disaster. That is the place PR-126 is available in. Launched by the Punjab Agricultural College (PAU) in 2016, the variability grew to become in style amongst farmers for its shorter development interval, excessive yield, minimal pesticide necessities, and wonderful OTR. It gives a mean yield of over 30 quintals per acre.
In 2023, PR-126 was cultivated on an space of roughly 8.59 lakh hectares, accounting for nearly 33% of the realm cultivated with non-Basmati paddy in Punjab. This quantity is anticipated to extend to 44% this yr.
PAU Vice Chancellor Dr Satvir Singh Gosal, in a dialog with The Indian Categorical, described PR-126 as a blessing for Punjab within the gentle of intensive paddy cultivation within the state. He mentioned that the variability’s shorter length doesn’t simply save a month’s price of water wanted for irrigation, but in addition permits farmers larger time to handle stubble, lowering the necessity for burning.
Issues concerning hybrids
For the final eight years, rice shellers have seldom raised a problem with PR-126. Because of this Dr Gosal just isn’t satisfied about criticisms this yr concerning the variability’s allegedly low OTR.
“Once we launch any new selection, we check it for 3 years from each doable angle, together with yield and resistance to pests,” Dr Gosal mentioned, including {that a} committee comprising scientists from PAU, state authorities officers in addition to members of rice millers’ affiliation was answerable for approving all new varieties.
Dr Gosal mentioned that PR-126’s milling out-turn has persistently been wonderful, and millers have by no means raised points with the crop earlier than. “Even throughout a gathering held in Might, earlier than the paddy sowing season, millers confirmed that they had no downside with PR-126,” he mentioned.
Issues had been raised, nevertheless, concerning hybrid varieties which appear to have flooded the market this yr. That is what lies on the coronary heart of the PR-126’s current troubles.
Tarsem Saini, President of the Punjab Rice Millers’ Affiliation, clarified that millers do not need an issue with PR-126 per say. Slightly, they’re involved about hybrid varieties offered underneath the title of PR-126. He mentioned that the OTR for hybrid varieties was solely 60%-62%, as towards PR-126’s 67%.
“We’re refusing to take varities offered as PR-126, and asking PAU to take samples of those varieties to conduct DNA checks to disclose the reality,” Saini mentioned. “We won’t mill paddy till trials are carried out, and a brand new coverage is ready concerning hybrid varieties’ out-turn. We suffered big losses final yr,” Saini instructed The Indian Categorical.
Sufferer of personal recognition
A number of farmers, who sowed hybrid varieties, instructed The Indian Categorical that they bought the seed from both their arhtiyas (fee brokers) or seed and pesticide sellers.
“This yr, the demand for PR-126 was big, and when sufficient seed wasn’t accessible, seed and pesticide firms took benefit of the scenario by promoting hybrid varieties underneath the PR-126 title,” Saini mentioned.
Dr Gosal defined that PAU doesn’t advocate hybrid paddy varieties as a result of they’ve to this point not been profitable by way of yield, not like hybrids of different crops. Furthermore, he mentioned that also they are rather more costly — generally 50 to 60 occasions dearer than PAU-certified seeds — as a result of hybrid seeds should be produced annually. He mentioned that the state authorities should make sure that solely PAU-recommended seeds are offered in Punjab, to guard farmers from exploitation and keep away from such controversies sooner or later.
The Punjab authorities has issued a directive for PR-126 and hybrid varieties to be stocked individually within the rice mills, in order that milling trials may be carried out to find out precise OTR of assorted varieties.
[ad_2]
