Slow growth in rice versus wheat: changing crop patterns in Haryana

- Rice prices rise to one-and-a-half-year high in world market as exports falter from India; however, growth seen in Basmati exports

Recently, the equations in the rice market have been changing rapidly in the country and in the world market. Years ago, domestic production of rice was low and demand was high and during that period rice had to be imported into the country. However, after the green revolution, the picture changed and we came to the position of exporting rice instead of importing rice as the abundant production of rice started at home. Meanwhile, there have been indications recently that planting for rabi crop has started in the country. As the prices of wheat have increased for the farmers this year, the wheat sowing figures for the rabi crop have gone up while the area under rice cultivation has also seen an increase. Rabi sowing of wheat has increased nearly four times in the period so far. Against this, there have been indications that only 10 to 11 percent growth in rice cultivation has taken place in the period so far. Rabi planting of rice has increased to 6 lakh hectares in the period so far. According to the instructions received from Haryana, the state government is planting mung bean, mustard, corn instead of rice. Farmers have been urged to plant such crops! Growing the rice crop consumes a lot of water and to reduce such extensive water consumption, Haryana farmers have been called upon to switch to other crops instead of rice, causing a major surprise in the grain market.

The government of Haryana has also called that the purchase of maize, mung bean, mustard etc. will be increased by the government at support prices. The amount of water in the ground is continuously decreasing, so the farmers must change the crop and planting pattern, said Haryana government sources.

Meanwhile, farmers in Haryana are also being told to focus more on dragon fruit cultivation instead of rice cultivation. Financial assistance has also been provided by the Haryana government to farmers switching to other crops instead of rice. Meanwhile, exporters of basmati rice have recently bought paddy (paddy) for basmati at 12 to 24 per cent higher prices, amid hopes of rising overseas demand. Sources in the rice market said that there has been an increase of about 10 to 12 percent in the export of basmati rice from the country in the first six months of the current financial year. In October, although the incomes in the country's markets remained higher by around 18 to 20 per cent, the market prices have been seen to rise amid support from exporters' purchases. Among the total production of Basmati in the country, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have been particularly producing such production, these states have recently seen a significant increase in the income of Basmati-paddy (paddy). However, despite the increase in income, the prices have also increased. Earlier, the export of basmati from the country used to be in the hands of a few knotty players, but now the picture has changed and now many small and medium-sized exporters are also exporting basmati, market sources said. Earlier, there were objections against basmati exports due to payment coming from sea, but now the exporters are more cautious about this issue. During the period of April to September this year, the export of basmati has increased to nearly 22 lakh tons and the revenue of the country has increased to about two and a half to two and a half billion dollars. . Meanwhile, rice prices in the world market have gone up after the government imposed restrictions on exports of non-basmati rice from India. The government has also imposed 20 percent export duty. In such an environment, the price of rice in the world market has increased and reached a peak of one and a half years. Meanwhile, the government has allowed the export of rice that entered the container freight station before the export of broken rice was banned.