Main Crops Grown in Punjab During Summer and Winter Season

Main-Crops-Grown-in-Punjab

Punjab is the land of hard-working farmers. Agriculture is the main occupation of Punjabi people. Punjab is known as the Food Basket of India. This state has an important role in the green revolution in India, which began in 1968 under the leadership of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. By 1970, Punjab was producing 70% of India’s food grains, and farmers’ incomes were rising by more than 70%. Punjab’s success during the Green Revolution became a model for other states. Punjab has been a leader in agricultural development and food production in India since gaining independence.

Punjab’s fertile soil and subtropical location are ideal for agriculture. According to a report at Statista, the state is responsible for producing 15% to 17% of India’s wheat. It is a winter crop which is grown in Punjab.

Punjab is also a major contributor to rice production in India, producing around 12% of the country’s rice. In 2021-2022, Punjab contributed 20% of the total rice procured by the Food Corporation of India. In 2023, Punjab produced more than 13 million metric tons of rice. However, paddy cultivation in Punjab has also raised concerns about groundwater levels. Groundwater levels began to drop in central Punjab and parts of Haryana due to paddy cultivation, which worries Punjabis. Now government and farmers are finding alternatives for paddy.

The main Crops Grown in Punjab during Kharif and Rabi Season

In the Punjabi language, the Kharif and Rabi season is also known as Harri and Sauni which are the summer and winter harvest seasons. In India, the agricultural crop cycle runs from June to May and is divided into two main seasons based on the monsoon.

Many crops are grown in Punjab during the summer and winter seasons, which are mentioned below:

Crops that Grown during Kharif or Summer Season in Punjab

The Kharif monsoon season runs from July to October. The main crops are;

Paddy: 

Paddy crop cultivation starts at just the start of the rainy season. Paddy plantation starts at the end of May and becomes ready to be planted in the field after the 15th of June. The rice crop is ready to be harvested in the first week of the October month.

Maize (Corn)

Maize can be grown in both seasons: Kharif (monsoon), post-monsoon, Rabi (winter), and spring. During Kharif, it is desirable to sow two weeks before monsoon onset.

Bajra (Millet)

The millet crop is sown 15 days before the onset of monsoon, around mid-June.

Cotton

The time of sowing of cotton varies in Punjab. Mostly it is sown in April and the crop gets ready by August.

Pulses

In Punjab, mainly green gram (moong), black gram (mash), pigeon pea (arhar), gram (chickpea and chhole), soybean, and lentil (massar) pulses are cultivated.

Ragi

Ragi is also grown in Punjab during the Kharif season. 

Crops that Grown during Rabi or Winter Season in Punjab

The winter season runs from October to April.

Wheat

Wheat is the main crop in winter or Rabi season. It is sown from November to December month and harvested in April.

Barley

Barley is also an important cereal crop. It is primarily grown in the Indian state of Punjab. It is cultivated during the rabi season (winter).

Mustard (rapeseed)

Rapeseed or Mustard is an important oilseed crop grown in Punjab during October and November month. It is harvested at the start of March month.

Sunflower

Sunflower is also grown in many areas of Punjab after harvesting potatoes. It is sown in March and gets ready for harvesting in June-mid.

Sugarcane

In Punjab, sugarcane is planted during two main seasons: from September to October and from February to March. The crop takes approximately one year to mature.

Linseed

In Punjab, linseed is a rabi crop (winter crop). It is typically sown from mid-October to mid-November.

These are the main crops that Punjabi farmers grow in the summer and winter seasons. Punjab has different agricultural land and soil so the farmers choose crops according to the weather and zone.

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