Central funds awaited, subsidised wheat seed sale yet to begin in Punjab

With the Central government yet to release its share, the sale of the certified wheat seeds at subsidised rates is yet to begin in Punjab. Under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), farmers receive certified wheat seeds at 50% subsidy out of which the Union government covers 60% while the Punjab government contributes the remaining 40%. Wheat sowing is set to begin on October 25. Usually, the sale of subsidised certified seeds begins by October 20 but the process is yet to take off this time.
Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said, “I met the Union agriculture minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) on Saturday and urged him to release funds for subsidy as early as possible. He assured me that he would look into the matter. I have been trying to convince them (Union government) to continue the scheme in Punjab.”
Agriculture officials say the Union government may have been planning to discontinue the scheme to discourage farmers from cultivating traditional wheat and paddy crops.
A senior official of the Punjab agriculture department, wishing not to be named, said, “Union government officials told us they can provide subsidies for crops like millets and oilseeds. We’ve already met Union agriculture officials about this issue, but they appear to be inconsiderate.”
Officials are estimating that approximately ₹38 crore is needed to implement the scheme in Punjab, of which 60% is provided by the Union government. The wheat seed subsidy is available for farmers having up to five acres (not more than 2 quintals). Last year, approximately two lakh quintals of certified wheat seeds were sold at subsidised rates.
Amid this, small farmers say they will be the worst sufferers. Kulwinder Singh Nadampur, a progressive farmer from Sangrur district, said, “If the Union government is not releasing the funds, the Punjab government should come forward to run the scheme. Otherwise small farmers will fall prey to private seed companies offering low-quality seeds at inflated prices.”
Pargat Singh, a farmer from Patiala, said, “The small farmers with less than 5 acres of land will suffer the most if the scheme is discontinued. The Punjab government should step in and ensure that the scheme continues.”