New Delhi/Chandigarh, September 17: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Centre was working with the Punjab government to prepare a contingency plan for the state’s flood-hit farmland, assuring farmers that seed and fertiliser supplies would not fall short during the rabi season.
Speaking after a two-day rabi conference at the PUSA complex in New Delhi, Chouhan said, “All necessary aid will be extended to Punjab and other flood-affected states to safeguard agricultural yield.” He added that the Union government had already mobilised sufficient seed stock. “Against an estimated requirement of 229 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of seeds for the rabi season, we have 250 LMT available. There is no shortage,” he said.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, who also addressed the meeting, sought immediate support to help farmers recover from crop losses across 2,185 villages. He said five lakh acres under various crops had been damaged. “Floods have left fields buried under as much as five feet of silt and sand in several border districts, causing heavy losses to standing crops,” Khudian said.
The Punjab minister requested 2 lakh quintal of certified wheat seed, 637 quintal of mustard seed, and 375 quintal of black gram seed from the Centre, along with timely supplies of urea and DAP fertilisers to avoid delays in sowing. He also sought Rs 151 crore under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for restoration of silted farmland, and demanded the release of Rs 80 crore to provide wheat seed under the seed village programme.
“Punjabis have always come forward with open hearts during tough times in any part of the country. Now, the Centre should extend its helping hand to pull Punjab out of this critical situation,” Khudian said. He further flagged non-release of Rs 8,000 crore in rural development and other funds by the Union government, adding that Rs 25 lakh would be needed separately for wheat seed under the National Food Security Mission.
Chouhan said the Centre had fixed a foodgrain production target of 362.5 million tonnes (MT) for 2025-26, after achieving 353.96 MT in 2024-25 — a record 12 percent above the previous year’s target. While India was self-sufficient in rice and wheat, he said efforts were being made to boost oilseeds and pulses, with special focus on cotton and soybean. He also noted that flying squads had been set up to check misuse of fertilisers.
“The government hopes to surpass production targets again this year,” Chouhan said, adding that the Centre would ensure uninterrupted support to farmers in Punjab and elsewhere facing the aftermath of floods.
