Paddy transplantation begins in Punjab's Malwa belt

04-Jun-2025 07:08 PM

Bhatinda. Farmers have started transplanting Kharif paddy in five districts of Punjab's Malwa division – Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Fazilka and Muktsar.

These areas fall in the state that contributes the most rice and wheat to the central pool. The state government issued a notification last week permitting early transplantation, following which farmers began cultivation from June 1 itself.

This year, the total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab is expected to exceed 31 lakh hectares (76 lakh acres). Over the past three years, the paddy cultivation area in the state has expanded by approximately 2 lakh hectares.

Farmers in the Malwa region welcomed the early start, although the Agriculture Department has not yet released official data on the area covered.

Interestingly, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana had recommended to the state government in March that paddy transplantation in Malwa districts – Muktsar, Faridkot, Mansa, Bathinda, Ferozepur, and Fazilka – should begin only from June 20.

It had also suggested June 23 as the ideal start date for Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib, and June 26 for Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, SBS Nagar, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Patiala, Moga, Sangrur, and Barnala.

However, in a bid to appease farmers, the state government advanced the schedule, allowing paddy transplantation to start from June 1 in the Malwa belt, June 5 in the Amritsar division, and June 9 in the Ludhiana division.