SHARBATI WHEAT OF MADHYA PRADESH AND PUNJAB PRCTICES

 Recently I bought a bag of Sharbati wheat at Rs. 44 per Kg. Normal MP wheat sells at around Rs. 40 a kilo. The third in the hierarchy is the Rajasthani wheat selling at Rs 30-32 a kilo. There is great demand for these varieties and I am told the farmers use no or little chemical fertilizers but reap a rich harvest earning handsomely or twice as much as the farmers in Punjab.

Wheat grown in Punjab is sold at Rs. 22-24 and there are few takers other than FCI. The rich farmers in Punjab themselves do not eat their own produce!

I would urge our Punjabi farmers and their so-called unions/associations to follow the Madhya Pradesh model by growing better varieties using no or little chemical fertilizers. It will restore soil health and the health of people. A particular area of Punjab has witnessed an explosion of cancer cases. A switch to healthier farming practices may reverse the cancer trend.

Better quality wheat will surely be in great demand for local consumption and exports. It will be a win-win for all.

Do the Punjabis have it in them to do it?