After a poor yield of mustard, farmers had high hopes from sunflower, but they are staring at a yield loss in sunflower too as the issue of multi-flowering in the crop has left farmers in Ambala and Kurukshetra worried.

Farmers said due to the lower availability of seeds, private players had sold the seeds at exorbitant rates, and the quality was also poor.

Over 10,000 acres and 16,000 acres are under sunflower in Ambala and Kurukshetra, respectively, this year.

Vinod Rana, a farmer from Khuda Kalan village, said, “Instead of a single flower on the plant, there are multi-flowers. The flowers are not growing and the yield will remain on the lower side. I have sown sunflower on 7 acres. While last year, a 2-kg pack of sunflower seed was available for Rs 1,500, this year I bought the 2-kg pack for Rs 3,500. We have made a complaint to the Agriculture Department. Earlier, we suffered losses in wheat and mustard, and now the same thing is happening with the sunflower crop.”

Pradeep Chauhan of Sambhalkha village, said, “Against 2 acres last year, I have sown sunflower in 7 acres this year as the crop was fetching good prices last year. But after seeing the condition of the field, we are now expecting a huge loss in sunflower.”

Sukhminder Singh of Sapera village, said “After crop loss in wheat, I had sown sunflower first, but the yield is likely to remain on the lower side due to multi-flowering. A large number of farmers don’t have bills against the purchase of seeds and they can’t even make complaints against the dealers.”

Rakesh Bains, spokesman of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), said, “Dealers have sold poor quality seeds to farmers. Usually, the yield remains around 10-11 quintal per acre, but after seeing the condition of the field, we are expecting a significant fall in the yield this year. We have told the farmers to make complaints against the dealers and also approach consumer court against the companies.”

Deputy Director Agriculture Kurukshetra Pardeep Meel said, “Six complaints have been received. The issue of multi-flowering is due to seed impurity. Even last year, there was the same issue, but when the crop matured, the situation had improved. Farmers are worried, but the exact situation will be clear by May-end.”

Source - https://www.tribuneindia.com