When a significant staple covering 2.2 lakh hectares in 1968, groundnut growing in Punjab has actually collapsed by over 99%to simply 1,600 hectares in 2023– 24, yielding around 2.8 thousand tonnes with a typical output of 7 quintals per acre.
Ludhiana: As winter season drives need for groundnuts throughout Punjab, regional markets stay depending on products from Gujarat and Rajasthan, triggering Punjab Agricultural University(PAU )professionals to promote for a significant revival of the crop to conserve water and increase farm earnings.When a significant staple covering 2.2 lakh hectares in 1968, groundnut growing in Punjab has actually collapsed by over 99% to simply 1,600 hectares in 2023– 24, yielding around 2.8 thousand tonnes with a typical output of 7 quintals per acre.PAU extension researchers argue that farmers need to capitalise on strong regional and out-of-state need presently fulfilled by other states, especially in historic centers like Mullanpur and Khanna.“There is a substantial need for groundnut in Punjab and somewhere else, however the need is mostly being fulfilled through materials from other states. If Punjab farmers broaden growing, they can accommodate a market that is currently there,” stated Dr. Gurpreet Singh, extension researcher (oilseeds), PAU.The university is promoting groundnut as a low-water option to water-intensive spring maize, keeping in mind that spring groundnut conserves 65 to 70 cm of watering water, needs substantially less urea, repairs nitrogen to enhance soil health, and commands a greater minimum assistance cost (MSP) than paddy.
To drive adoption, PAU has actually suggested high-yield ranges: J 87 (confectionery-grade, yielding 15.3 quintals/acre in spring with 49% oil and high oleic acid), TG 37A (early-maturing), and SG 99 (tolerant to bud necrosis illness).Motivated by effective trials, farmers in Hoshiarpur, Sangrur, and Kapurthala are broadening growing– with one Kapurthala farmer sowing 26 acres of J 87– while PAU has actually established a tractor-mounted digger-shaker to fix collecting labour scarcities.