Wheat brings smile back on farmers' faces in MP

Madhya Pradesh is likely to procure 80 mn tonnes of wheat govt intervention in providing power and water supply can improve production even better, claim farmers

Cultivating the Lok-1 variety of wheat in three acres of field, Surendra, a marginal farmer in his early 30s, took home a sum of about Rs 2 lakh by selling his harvest (150 quintal) at the Taronda wheat procurement centre. This, he says, would compensate the losses for last year’s soya crops, which were destroyed by heavy rains.

Estimates for this year’s wheat production is likely to cross 1.5 million (mn) tonnes, which means Hoshangabad will retain its position as the highest wheat producing district in India.Villages like Taraunda, Jamani, Gujarwara, Tawa, Bagra and other areas have recorded a yield of nearly 50 quintals per acre.

“Our estimation is that Hoshangabad will cross 1.5 mn tonnes of production this year. Although farmers do not pick high-yield Sharbati or Sujata variety, Lok-1 and 322 are also high in demand in domestic market. These varieties also fetch Rs 1,400-1,500 a quintal,” says an official in the district office of agriculture department.

The Madhya Pradesh government is expecting to procure more than 8 million tonnes as almost all fifty districts hmave posted record wheat production this year.

This year’s bumper production has also made the availability of jute bags scarce which was, indirectly related to the death of a farmer in police firing few days ago.

The state government has been repeatedly alleging that the Bareli firing incident was an outcome of short supply of jute bags from Directorate General of Supplies & Disposals.

Farmers in the district are looking forward to cross 100 quintals per acre provided the government makes effort to ensure round-the-clock power supply and evenly distributed irrigation system.

Farmers sow early varities of wheat as they utilize the land during summer season too.

“Government has been making efforts since last few years, but, the irrigation problem is far from over. I cultivate 60-day variety of Moong during summers which yields 5-8 quintal per acre. Like me, most of the farmers sow this particular variety but in small patch as we have to make our own arrangements for water, Our productivity can improve a lot if power and water supply improves,” says Virendra Pal, a farmer from Jamani village.

On the other hand, a senior official in Tawa irrigation project said, “Farmers do not come forward to lift water, which we stored for them for summer variety of moong last year.We have 2 lakh hectare irrigation facility.” “ we can make for even 1000-2000 hectares provided demand comes from them.”