AGRICULTURE POLICY FOR PUNJAB

EXECUTIVE BRIEF
The thrust of the proposed policy is to suggest future course of growth and development
for agriculture sector and ways and means to improve sustainability of agriculture
production and increase real farm incomes. The production technology available for
wheat and rice, supported by the appropriate policies and complemented with the
required investments and institutional infrastructure, resulted in a spurt in their
productivity and production in Punjab in a record time (green revolution). Consequently
Punjab which was a food defi.cit State became the food basket of the country. Because
of low production risk and assured marketing of wheat and rice, about 80% of the arable
area has come under these two crops. For a long period, this cropping system continued
yielding a high growth in agricultural production and farm incomes. The production
potential of the available technology of these crops has almost been fully exploited.
There is now near stagnation in growth, decline in real farm incomes and overexploitation of natural resources i.e. soil and water. The very sustainability of the wheatrice production system is under threat. Climate change is posing a new challenge for
future agricultural growth.
Like the earlier agricultural development, future growth will also depend upon technology
development supported by the public policies, relevant institutional changes and
facilitating increased investment from the private sector as well. For improving farm
income sustainable intensification, diversification of agriculture and value addition of
produce are essential. Maize, kharif pulses and soybean are important kharif crops
proposed to replace part area of paddy, which is possible only if their marketing and
remunerative price are assured. To achieve the objective, creation of Price Support
Operation (Corpus) Fund is suggested.
The technology developments are essential to achieve enhanced production potential
both in the crop and livestock sector, encouraging crops / varieties having low water
requirements, high value crops i.e. fruits and vegetables and dairy farming. As soybean
and pulses offer a long term potential source for diversification and sustainability, there
is need to focus on a breakthrough in their productivity. It is recommended that the users
of technology should bear a part of the cost of technology development.
The highlights of the suggested agriculture policy are (i) encouraging the optimal use of
natural resources for long term sustainability of agriculture; (ii) enhancing the
productivity of crops and live-stock through strengthening research, public and private
investments and development programmes; (iii) improving the economy of farmers; (iv)
encouraging the cultivation and addressing the problems of high value crops; (v)
addressing the constraints through restructuring of the incentives, market orientation,
credit delivery system and value addition to produce both at industrial scale and at the
village level; and (vi) restructuring of various development departments for coordinated
implementation of various activities.