New Delhi: Agriculture and farmers in Punjab are struggling with multiple challenges emerging out of stubble burning, worsening quality of soil and water. Experts feel that a wholesome engagement with farmers as a long term strategy is the only solution to make farming more sustainable in India’s crucial food basket state.

“Behavioural change is a slow process. Understanding the issues of farmers is important,” said Dr Guru Koppa, Project Director – PRANA (Promoting Regenerative and No-burn Agriculture), The Nature Conservancy India, while sharing his thoughts in a webinar on ‘Preserving Soil and Water Health in Punjab for Sustainable Agriculture.’

The webinar was recently organized by Bureaucrats India, an independent initiative designed to bring out into the public domain stories of good governance by bureaucrats across India. Proceedings of the webinar were conducted by Navneet Anand, Editor-In-Chief, Bureaucrats India.

Dr Koppa said: “PRANA is engaging with farmers for a long-term. We are advising the farmers that if you change, it would be better for you.” “PRANA is an ambitious project by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). It aims to arrive at a tipping point that eliminates crop residue burning in Northwest India by 2025. It is being implemented in 18 out of 23 districts of Punjab,” he informed.

“Change in Punjab should be brought slowly. We should adopt short duration paddy; switch to DSR technology and bring other technological intervention in paddy cultivation,” Dr Makhan Singh Bhullar, HoD, Agronomy, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana. “Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), a sustainable practice, must be integrated with skill development of farmers. This technology requires less water, ensures early crop maturity with low production cost and better soil conditions,” added Dr Bhullar.

Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said that just asking farmers not to burn stubble won’t help. Farmers’ ultimately seek their profit. “So, we need to convince them on sustainable agriculture practices like following no-burn and regenerative agriculture, which can benefit them,” added Jorwal.

Dr BB Pattanaik, former CMD, Central Warehousing Corporation, said that Punjab has played a key role in the Green Revolution and its contribution can’t be forgotten in ensuring food security for the country. “We need to mull over these facts. While canal irrigation has decreased over the years in Punjab, tube-well irrigation has increased. The use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides has also sharply increased in the state,” he said. /BI/