CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER IV

AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

v Animal Husbandry, Poultry and Fisheries

(a) Land Reclamation and Utilisation

(i) Land Utilitsation :- The utilization of land in a region or a particlar area depends largely on its physical, cultural and economic environments. In other words, it is governed by such factors as configuration of land, amount and other distribution of rainfall, fertility of soil, density of population and dietary habits of the people, number and types of draught and domestic animals, agricultural practices followed, stage of industrial development transport facilities and the demand for its produce. Since most of these factors are changeable, there is a corresponding change in land utilization.

Ludhiana is a thickly populated district covering an area of 375 thousand hectares. Since 1961-62, Ludhiana district has been included in the intensive Agricultural District programme or popularly called, Package Programme’ under which new scientific parttern of crop production has been introduced. The major corps grown in the district are wheat, gram, maize, cotton, grondunt and sugarcane. As a result of the changing conditions of soil and climate, cropping pattern of the district is also undergoing a steady transition.

The following table gives classification of area by land use in the district during the years 1950-52, 1955-56 and 1965-66:-

Classification of Area Land Use in Ludhiana District

(thousand hectares)

	Particulars	1950-51	1955-56	1960-61	1961-62	1962-63	1963-64	1964-65	1965-66
1.	Total area according to village papers	344	344	342	343	343	375	375	375
2.	Forests	(a)	1	1	1	1	1	4	4
3.	Land not available for culticvation	32	32	38	36	39	38	38	38
4.	Other uncultivated land exeluding current fallows-	31	26	25	21	20	19	20	20

	(i) Culturable waste.	31	25	24	20	19	18	20	20
	(ii) Permanent pastures and grazing	0.40	0.90	0.82	1	1	1	-	-
5.	(iii) Land under miscellanous tree crops and groves not included in the net area sown	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Fallow lands- (i) Current fallows	36	28	11	10	11	8	12	9
6.	(ii) Other allow lands	36	28	11	10	11	8	12	9
7.	Net area sown	245	256	267	274	272	308	301	304
8.	Area sow more than once	59	78	66	71	75	95	119	115
	Total croppes area (6+7)	304	334	333	345	346	403	420	419

(Statisitical Abstract of Punjab, 196, pp. 42-49)

*Increase is due transfer of sub-tahsil Payal form Patiala Districtto Ludhiana District.

(a) Means below 500 hacrares.

Note.- Mino differences are due to rounding figures.

The area unde culturable waste has contsideable decreased duering the last decade and a half. It is being progressively reclaimed and brought under the Plough. The area under fallows has been reduced in 1956-66 to 1/4^th of what it was in 1950-51. consequently, the net area actually sown has increased from 245 thousand hecares in 1950-51 to 304 hectaes in 1965-66. the available land in the district is mainly used for agricultural purpose. There is little scope for further extension in cultivable area. In order to increase the production, efforts have, therefore to be made towards raising the per acre yoelds of crops and increasing the cropping intensity. There is scope for more scientific cultivation with better land management, proper drainage, improved seeds, improved agricultural practices and use of right tpes of manures and fertilizers. The programme of intensive agricultural production, therefore, essentially depends on soil conservation meansures, expansion in irrigation facilities and the introduction of high-yieldinf varieties of seeds.

(ii) Culturable Waste.- Some area has been taken for a project by the land reclamation section of the Agriculture Department. The farmers in the district are very eger to bring every inch of land under the plough. Besides, the east Pujab Utilization of Lands Act, 1949 authorises the Govenement to assume such cultivable land Act, 1949, authorises the Governement to assume such cultivable land is not fully utilised by the farmer. Whatever small area exists,it is only due to increse in the area affected by Kallar or water logging, etc.

The cultivable waste in the village common lands has been brought under cultivation by the village panchayats, but still some area has to remain uncultivated as it is to be utilised as common grazing land. Loans are advanced to village panchayats for purchase of tractors, implements, seeds and fertilizers and for sinking wells, tubewells, etc.

(iii) Reclamation of Water-logged Area, Swamps, etc.- Soil erosion through water and wind and water-logging are not serious problems in the district, but it cannot ne denied that, in one form or the other, soil erosion is taking place and, alongside the Budha Nala, there is a rpoblem of wate-logging in Machhiwara, Mangat and Sidhwan Bet Blocks. Similarly,, along the main canals, the water-logging conditions are appearing. Besides the above, upward flow of salts and their deposit on the surface is creating saline conditions and thus, making the land unfit for cultivation. The construction of bunds around fields, planting of sarkanda, digging of drains, construction of embankments alongside the eiver and spurs, leveling of fields of field and plugging of gullies are some of the measures being adopted by cultivators to flight siol erosion, water-;ogging and deposition of undesirable encrustation at the top. Besides, more use of sub-soil water by tubewells, pumping-sets and percolation wells and less of canal water will greatly help In reducing water-logging and alkaline conditions in the area.

There is considerable area under swamps in the district.

The extent of the problem of saline thur and alkaline sem in the district during the rabi season of 1966, as compared with that of the corresponding harvest season in the preceding year, i.e. rabi 1965, is shown below:

Description of area	Thur (acres)		Sem (acrea)		Number of estates affected
	Rabi 1965	Rabi 1966	Rabi 1965	Rabi 1966	Rabi 1965	Rabi 1966
Cultivated	1,288	1,499	1,204	765
Fallow (broken)	177	135	1,039	831
Un-Cultivated (never broken)	1,471	1,425	1,559	1,783	115	117
Total	2,939	3,059	3,802	3,379

(Source : Revenue Department, Punjab).

(b) Irriagation

Variations in timing of rainfall affect the sowing as well as the harvesting of crops, particulary those of the Kharif. A fair amoun t of rainfall towards the end of June or in the beginning of July leads to an all-round sowing activity, while a failure of rain in the second half of July and also in August, followed by September, laeds to the crops being scorched by the sum. The table below shows the relation between the variations in railfall and the failure of crops in the district :

Rainfall in Ludhiana District

Actual for 10 years 1956-57 to 1965-66

Year	July	August	September	October	Area under crops failed (Acres)
1956-57	-	-	-	5.81	15,879
1957-58	6.74	6.02	4.64	0.92	25,117
1958-59	3.93	1.37	7.01	3.74	1,16,584
1959-60	5.41	11.60	4.85	1.34	29,147
1960-61	10.10	10.70	0.15	0.03	22,200
1961-62	9.48	6.14	2.05	0.65	7,808
1962-63	11.11	8.24	19.15	-	1,25,145
1963-64	6.00	10.95	3.16	0.16	21,488
1964-65	19.04	3.01	4.08	-	97,702
1965-66	7.27	3.87	1.53	0.28	37,106

(Source : Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana)

The peculiar climate condition necessitates irrigation by artificial means for woeing, growing and proper maturing of crops or increasing their yields.

Irrigation Facilities. – For increased artificial supply of water for irrigation, recourse must be had to river water through canals- known as major irrigation, and sub-soil water through wells (percolation), pumping sets and tubewells-known as minor irrigation.

The following table shows the area irrigated through different sources during the years 1950-51, 1955-56 and 1960-61 to 1965-66 :-

Net Area under Irrigation in Ludhiana District

(ThousandAcres) (Thousand Hectares)

Source	1950-51	1955-56	1960-61	1961-62	1962-63	1963-64	1964-65	1965-66
Government canals	70	86	60	62	61	62	26	26.9
Tanks	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wells	319	393	288	263	271	260	127	123.1
Other sources	-	-	-	-	-	107	5	9.9
Total	389	479	348	325	332	429	158	159.9

(Statistical Abstracts of Punjab, 1963 to 1966 ; and Statisicial Abstract of District Ludhiana, 1963, P. 56)

In 1965-66, the are irrigated by wells and canals worked out to be 40.49 and 8.35 per cent, respectively, of the net area sown. The major source of irrigation, therefore, comprised wells, tubewells, and pumping-sets. Of the gross irrigated area, some 40.49 per cent was thus irrigated from sub soil water.

Canal irrigation is not very popular among the cultivators in the district due to the fact that the canal water supply is generally inadequate and irregular. As such it does not help them in increasing the cropping intensity of their land. Of the four branches of the Sirhind Canal, which serves the district, the Sidhwan Branch is a seasonal one. Moreover, due to rise as a result of canal irrigation.

Water at will is considered to be the most important pre-requisite for increasing agricultural production. During 1961-62 to 1966-67, about a crore of rupees were advanced as minor irrigation loans to the farmers in the district.

Wells. - The wells are the principal source of irrigation in the district, ands no less than 82.5 per cent of the total irrigated area is served by them.initially dhinklis and charsas were used to lift subsoil water. They were substituted by wooden Persian-wheels with earthen buckets ; but now the entrire outfit is of iron.¹ Tubewells and pumping of percolation wells, tubewells and pumping-sets installed during the first three Five-Year Plans are given in the following table :-

Wells, Tubewells and Pumping-sets installed in Ludhiana District during three Five-year Plans (1951-52 to 1965-66)

	First Five year Plan (1951-56)	Second Five year Plan (1956-61)	Third five year Plan (1961-66)
			1961- 62	1962-63	1963-64	1964-65	1965-66	Total 1961-66
Wells (percolation)	1,395	1,129	411	295	338	287	110	1,438
Tubewells	174	555	97	94	70	379	26	666
Pumping-sets	807	1,079	500	556	413	565	691	2,725
Loans advanced for the above minor irrigation works (Rs.)			23,15,000	21,20,000	14,00,000	23,93,000	20,00,000	1,02,28,000
(Source : District Agricultural Officer, Ludhiana ; Ludhiana District Census Handbook, 1961, p.17)

^1.For a description of dhinkli, charsa and wells reference may be made to :Ludhiana District Gazetteer, 1904, pp. 142-45.

Wells (percolation). – Well irrigation has been an important source of artificial irrigation. It is mainly done by private enterprise. The State only encourages their construction by agricultural loans and by liberal rules in the matter of land revenue assessment.

The Government grants taccavi loans up to the extent of Rs 2,000 for sinki8ng a new well and Rs 500 for repairing old man abandoned ones. The supply of cement at controlled rates and bricks through approved kiln contactors is also arranged.

The number of wells sunk/repaired during 1957-66 is given below :

Year ending rabi	New wells sunk		Old wells repaired
	From taccavi advanced	At private experse	From taccavi advanced	At private experse
1957	172	223	-	22
1958	177	140	-	19
1959	206	101	-	9
1960	266	115	4	16
1961	237	74	3	7
1962	305	92	1	16
1963	164	161	5	6
1964	134	126	3	8
1965	98	104	5	9
1966	37	82	-	-

(Source: Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana)

Tubewells and pumping-sets².- Inda\ia is land of villages and its economy is agriculture-orinted. Rains are oftenseanty and other means of irrigation not always and everywhere available. The only way to solve the problem of irrigation is to sink tube wells or install pumping-sets and to bring out water from below the surface of the earth with the power of electcicity or diesel oil. This gives the farmer full control over water he can utilise as and wwn needed.

2 In case of pumping-sets, water is lifted from the open wells, tanks, reservoirs, canals etc., with the help of centrifugal pumps wooked with diesel engine or electric pump. In the case of tubewells, the sub-soil water is drawn with the help of electric motor of oil engine through an iron tube bored direct into the soil.

The subsoil water all over the district si sufficient and suitable for irrigation purposes. Tubewells and pumping-sets³ have become quite popular. The number of tubewells and pumping-sets, thus, increased from 614 and 1,651, respectively, in 1960-61, to 2,076 and 5,145, respectively, in 1965-66 , as detailed below:

Year	Tubewells		Pumping-sets
Year	Sunk during the year	Upto date total	Installed during the year	Upto during total
1960-61	95	614	118	1,651
1961-62	284	898	399	2,050
1962-63	89	987	332	2,282
1963-64	284	1,271	531	2,813
1964-65	405	1,676	1,111	3,924
1965-66	400	2,076	1,221	5,142

(Source: District Agricultural Officer, Ludhinan)

3. In Ludhiana district, the exicting open percolation wells are beig fited with pumping-sets and the water supply in the wells is supplemented by further boring the well. In aeas, where percolation wells donot exist, tubewells are ebing installed.

The locally manufactured materials, such made of iron sheets, strainersmade of munj ban have considerably reduced the cos of tubewells. To avoid wastage of water in sandy unever lands, the boring is done at different places and these are worked with one mobile oil engine. Thus a cultivator having one engine may control more than one pump in his scattered fields.

Canals.- Next in importance to wells come the canals, as a source of irrigation in the district, which is served by two canals; the sirhind canal, which offtakes from the river Satluj at ropar Headworks, and the Bhakra Main Line, known as the nangal Hydel Channel for the first 64 kilometres, which offtakes from the Satluj at Nangal Headworks.

The Sirhind Canal System serves the district through its four branches, the Abohar Branch, Bhatnda Branch, Patiala Branch (generally known as Patiala Feeder) and Sidhwan Branch. The Sirhind Canal tail off at 63 kilometres at the Buwani Regulator (about 2 ½ Kilometres downstream of the Dorah Bridge in sub-tahsil Payal), from where it is trifurcated. From the left side offtakes the Patiala Branch (to the south-east), form the right side offtakes the Sidhwan Branch (towards the west) and on the front side (to the west) goes the Combined Branch.

The Combined Brabch, after running for about 3 ½ kilometres, bifurcated into two branches, viz., the Abohar Branch and Bhatinda Branch, at Manpur Regulator, situated in sub-tahsil Payal.

The Patiala Branch is under the cxharge of Patiala Circle, Irrigarion Branch, Patiala. The Sidhwan Branch is under the jurisdiction of the Ferozepore Canal Circle, Ferozepore. The Abohar Branch and the Bhatinda Branch are under the change of Sirhind Canal Circle, Ludhiana.

The Bhatinda Branch caters to a small portion of the south of Ludhiana tahsil and the Patiala Branch to small portion of sub-tahsil Payal. The rest of the Ludhiana tahsil and the Jagraon tahsil are irrigated by the Sidhwan Branch and Abohar Branch.

Sirhind Canal.- Canal irigaion in the district started with the opening of the Sirhind Canal on November 24, 1882. It takes off from the river Satluj at Ropar Headworks. The canal Main Line enters the district at 27 kilometres near bahlolpur in Samrala tahsil and runs in a westerly directions until it reaches Buwani Regulator in Payal sub-tahsil of Ludhiana tahsil at 62 1/2 5 kilometres.

Originally, the Main Line had a bed width of 60 metres and could carry a maximum supply of 8,000 cubic feet per second, with a depth of 3.45 metres. The canal has been remodeled to carry a discharge of 12,625 cubic fet per second during kharif season and 10,237 cubic feet per second during rabi season. Now its bed width in 69 metres and depth 4 metres. The bed width at Manpur Regulator is 66 metres. The remodeling wa completed in 1953-54.

The Canal Main Line ends and trifurcates into three branches at Buwani, viz., Combined Branch to the west, patiala Branch of Patiala Feefer to the south-east and the Sidhwan Branch (above the Combined Branch) towards the west.

The Combinded Branch has a bed width of 40.8 metres and depth of 3.15 metres, and can carry a full supply of 5,461 cubic feet per second. After a course of two miles, it bifurcates at Maupur Regulaotr into two branches; the Abohar Branch and Bhatinda Branch.

(1) Abohar Branch.- The northern or Abohar Branch, originally constructed in 1883, has also been remodeled. It starts with a bed width of 48 metres, depth of2.6 metres and full supply of 4,824 cubis feet per second. This Branch has been reduced to carry a discharge of 2,803 cubic feet per second on account of the construction of the Sirhind Feeder Canal, which now irrigates the areas lying on its right side, previously irrigated from the Abohar Branch. The Abohar Branch runs for a distamce of 62 ½ kilometres in Ludhiana and the remainder in Ferozepore and Bhatinda districts.

The area irrigated by the Abohar Branch I Ludhiana district is as under;

Area Irrigated by Abohar Branch of Sirhind Canal in Ludhiana District,

1961-62 to 1965-66

Year	Ludhiana tahsil (acres)	Jagraon tahsil (acres)	Samrala tahsil (acres)	Total (acres)
1961-62	32,601	61,349	-	93,950
1962-63	16,605	53,864	-	70,469
1963-64	18,654	54,834	-	73,488
1964-65	18,629	55,066	-	73,695
1965-66	19,464	55,770	-	75,234

(Source: Superintending Engineer, Sirhind Canal Cirlce, Ludhiana)

(2) Bhatinda Branch:- The Southern of Bhatinda Branch, originally constructed in 1882, has also been remodeled. It started with a bed width of 40.5 meres, depth of 1.6 metres and full supply of 2,787 cubic feet per second. It has a length of 160 kilometres of which only the first 19 kilometres are in the Ludhiana district. From 54.4 kilometres of the Main Line to 3.2 kilometres on the Abohar Branch and 9.6 on the Bhatinda Branch, the canal is in the Payal sub-tahsil of Ludhiana. Thereafter passing through Sangrur district, the Bhatinda Branch ends in Bhatinda district from where its two distributaries issue into Ferozepur district.

The area irrigated by the Abohar Branch in Ludhiana district is as Under:

Area irrigated by Bhatinda Branch of Sirhind Canal in Ludhiana District,

1961-62 to 1965-66.

Year	Ludhiana tahsil (acres)	Jagraon tahsil (acres)	Samrala tahsil (acres)	Total (acres)
1961-62	2,601	14190	-	16,296
1962-63	9,942	12,790	-	22,732
1963-64	11,444	13,386	-	24,830
1964-65	10,867	13,552	-	24,419
1965-66	11,421	14,104	-	25,525

(Source: Superintending Engineer, Sirhind Canal Circle, Ludhiana)

(3) First Feeder.- The first feeder which was originally constructed in 1870 has not been remodeled so far. Its bed width is 39 metres, F.S. depth 2.38 metres and F. S. discharge 3,130 cs. At head. This channel off takes from Sirhind canal at Manpur Headworks and runs through sub-tahsil Payal of Ludhiana district for a distance of about 27.26 kilometres, where after it enters Patiala district. The entire maintenance of this channel is being done by this Division.

The area irrigated by the First Feeder in Ludhiana district is as under:

Area irrigated by First feeder of Sirhind Canal in Ludhiana district,

1961-62 to 1965-66

Year	Tahsil Ludhiana (acres)	Tahsil l Jagraon (acres)	Tahsil Samrala (acres)	Total (acres)
1961-62	140.00	-	-	140.00
1962-63	130.11	-	-	130.11
1963-64	809.73	-	-	809.73
1964-65	938.69	-	-	938.69
1965-66	997.66	-	-	997.66

(Source: Executive Engineer, Nabha Division, Irrigation Brach, Patiala)

(4) Sidhwan Branch.- Opened in 1951-52, the Sidhwan Branch offtakes from the tail of the Sirhind Canal from Manpur Headworks, at R.D. 1,94,444 feet. It starts with a bed width of 27.6 metres, depth of 2 metres and full supply of 1,612 cubic feet per second. The total length of this Branch is 2,88,760 feet, out of which 2,20,750 feet fall in Ludhiana district and the rest in Ferozepure district. It is a seasonal canal. It irrigates the area of Ludhiana tahsil of Ludhiana district and Monga and Zira tahsil of Ferozepore district.

The area irrigated by the Sidhwar Branch in Ludhiana district is as under:

Area irrigated by Sidhwan Branch of Sirhind Canal in Ludhiana district,

1961-62 to 1965-66

Year	Tahsil Ludhiana (acres)	Tahsil l Jagraon (acres)	Tahsil Samrala (acres)	Total (acres)
1961-62	9,245	1,450	-	8,695
1962-63	6,820	1,483	-	8,303
1963-64	7,963	2,014	-	9,977
1964-65	7,261	2,652	-	9,913
1965-66	7,658	3,036	-	10,694

(Source: Executive Engineer, Sidhwar Division, Sirhind Brach, Ludhiana)

Bhakra Main Line.- This channel takes off from the Nangal Hydel Channel near Ropar. It passes through the districts of Ropar and Patiala. No reach of the Bhakra Main Line falls in district Ludhiana, but irrigation to its area is provided through two distributaries, viz. Samrala Distributary and Khanna Distributary. The area irrigated by the Khanna Distributary system and Samrala Major distributary during the period 1961-62 to 1965-66 is as under:

Area irrigated by Bhakra Main Line in Ludhiana district,

1961-62 to 1965-66

Year	Tahsil Ludhiana (acres)	Tahsil l Jagraon (acres)	Tahsil Samrala (acres)	Total (acres)
1961-62	-	-	23,292	23,292
1962-63	-	-	21,156	21,156
1963-64	669	-	19,690	20,359
1964-65	498	-	17,094	17,592
1965-66	313	-	18,412	18,725

(Source: Superintending Engineer, Bhakra Main Line Circle, Patiala)

(c) Agriculture including Horticulture

(1) Set-up of the Agriculture Department.- The Department is represented in the district by the District Agricultural Officer, Ludhiana, who is under the administrative control of the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Agricultural Circle, Jullundhur. The District Agricultural Officer, Ludhiana, is assisted (as on November 1, 1966) by 2 plant Protection Inspectors, 3 Implement inspectors, 1 Horticulture Inspector, 10 Agricultural Sub-Inspectors and 21 Beldars besides the ministerial staff.

The work of development of agriculture in the district started in 1923 when a whole time Agricultural Assistant was posted here. To being with, the activities comprised propaganda work and educating the farmers regarding adoption of improved agricultural practices like sowing of crops by pora and Kera, use of furrow turning ploughs, sowing of improved seeds, sowing of crops in lines, use of campost and green manuring, etc. In 1927, an Agricultural Demonstration farm was set up in Ludhiana.

The Agriculture Department guides the farmers in the lay out of gardens, extension of new orchards, problems relating to the maintenance and establishment of gardens and nurseries, control of various pests and diseases affecting agricultural crops and gardens, management and procurement of fertilizers and good seeds, and lays out demonstration plots to bring home to the cultivators the superiority of strains recommended for the district. The Agricultural Inspectors educate the farmers in their block areas on matters relating to improved seeds, fertilizers, improved agricultural implements and recommend agricultural practices through laying out of demonstration plots, organising rural fairs, distribution of literature, etc.

The Government lakes keep interest in increasing agricultural production by popularizing improved agricultural practices and implements. Subsidies are given for the purchase of superphonshate fertilizer at the rate of 25 percent, insecticides at the rate of 50 percent and plant protection equipment such as dusting machines and spray pumps, at the rate 50 percent. Loans and subsidies are also advanced for the repair of old wells and construction of new ones and installation of tube wells and pumping-sets under the development of irrigation programmes. Besides, taccavi loans are advanced for the development of horticulture at the rate of Rs. 300 per acre of plantation. The loans for the reclamation of Land are also given.

The state assistance to agriculture, which comprises taccavi loans, for reclamation, subsidies, relief, etc, etc., advanced in the district during the period from 1956-57 to 1965-66, is given in the following statement:-

(ii) Intensive Agricultural District Programme.- During the past two decades, the country has suffered from chronic shortage of agricultural produce, especially food grains. The problem of producing enough to feed a rapidly growing population and also to meet the requirements of raw materials for industries based on agriculture, has caused great concern. There have been a number of agricultural development schemes like ‘Grown More Food Campaign’ ‘Rabi and Kharif Campaigns’, etc., to increase the food production on all-India basis. The programme has, however, not been successful, as there of not been any concerted approach in terms of technical know-how, supplies of inputs, credit and marketing facilities, etc., with the result that no significant headway could be made in increasing the agricultural production. In the First and second Five-Year Plans, emphasis was laid on increasing the agricultural production, but the rate of progress was such below expectation.

To study the nation’s food problem, the government of India invaded an Agricultural Production Team sponsored by the Ford Foundation of U.S.A. in January, 1959. this team was followed by another high powered team of Agricultural Experts headed by Dr. Sherman E. Johnson, during October, 1959. It visited Ludhiana district from the 18^th to 20^th October, 1959.

On the recommendations of the Ford Foundation Study Teams the Government of India started a ‘Pilot Project’ in seven selected districts of the different states. One of the projects was allotted to the Punjab State which launched the programme in Ludhiana district. The project was designed to concentrate efforts in intensifying agricultural production through intensive Agricultural District Programme, popularly known as the ‘Package Programme’, I which all the factors that were likely to contribute significantly towards the repaid increase in food production were combined into this very programme. The programme, thus, aimed at an integrated intensive approach to the problems of agricultural production and sought to achieve increase in the level of agricultural production through a concentration of financial, technical, extension and administrative resources.

The project staff started assembling in September, 1960 and by January, 1961, practically all the staff members were in position. The project was however, launched in full swing from Kharif 1961, after the field staff was fully initiated and trained.

The I.A.D. Programme is under the change of a Pilot Project Officer, who is assisted by an Assistant project Officer, and 6 Subject , matter specialists representing various fields of agricultural science, such as agronomy, animal husbandry, plant protection, farm management, soil science and horticulture. A Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Package Programme, assisted by additional field staff, has also been provided for the development of co-operative credit movement in the district. In each of the ten blocks, there are 5 Agricultural Extension Officers and 15 Village Level Workers to educate the farmers in the improved techniques of farming. Special staff has been provided under a Statistical Officer for the Benchmark and Assessment Survey for periodical assessment of the achievements made under the programme. A Rural Sociologist assisted by a Senior Socio-Economic Investigator, 6 Research Investigators besides other staff, has been appointed to study the impact of the programme on social and economic condition of the people. a Seed Development Officer, with 3 Seed Development Inspectors, has also been appointed. Other features of the programme include an Information Programme under a District Agricultural Information Programme under a district Agricultural Information Officer and a Water Use and Management section under a Subject Matter Specialist (W.U.).

As a result of the implementation of the ‘Package Programme’, there has been marked improvement in the agricultural production of the district during the five years from 1961-62 to 1965-66. Ludhiana district stands at the top among all the seven districts in the country placed under the Programme. A veritable revolution in agriculture is taking place in the district where the farmers are bettering production records the raising the gross income from major crops with each successive year⁴. The district has already achieved a major break through by the adoption of improved production practices with modern techniques. High yielding varieties of Mexican wheat and hybrid maize have fired the imagination of the farmers. Large areas are being covered by these varieties and block officials are finding it difficult to cope with the increasing demands for the new seeds and chemical fertilizers. Achievements made in increasing the production of maize, groundnut, cotton, wheat, wheat plus gram (mixture), gram are shown in the statement given on the next page. Wheat claimed about 45 per cent of the total cropped area of the district in 1965-66 and the average yield increased from 16.9 maunds per acre in 1960-61, the year before the introduction of the Intensive Agricultural District Programme, to 24.2 maunds per acre in 1965-66, showing an increase of 43.2 per cent. The total production of foodgrains, viz., maize, wheat, wheat plus gram, and gram, increased from 71.6 lakh maunds in 1960-61 to 135.7 lakh maunds in 1965-66, showing an increase of 89.5 per cent over the pre-package year (1960-61). The estimated total gross income of major crops, viz., maize, cotton, groundnut, wheat and gram, increased from 136.4 million rupees in 1960-61 to 470.0 million rupees in 1965-66 showing an increase of 198.4 per cent over the pre-package year.

4. A study made in the Dhaiya area of this I.A.D.P. district for exploring the possibilities of increasing farm income through planning on mechanized holdings, has “clearly demonstrated that farm income could be increased substantially by adopting new varieties, production techniques, farming practices and adjustment in the area under different crops."

The Study conducted by Shri H.S. Bal, Assistant Extension Specialist (Farm Management, Patiala, and Dr. A. S. Kahlon, Dean of the College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, was aimed at examining the existing pattern of using resources on selected mechanized farm organisations and developing farm organisations with a view of maximizing farm income.

Progress of Intensive Agricultural District Programme, Ludhiana

1961-62 to 1965-66

Crops Area/Production	1960-61	1961-62	1962-63	1963-64	1964-65	1965-66
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Maize
Area (acres)	96,120	96,610	1,00,016	1,10,028	1,18,053	1,33,380
Average yield per acre (mds.)	15.0	21.4	13.4	22.7	16.0	27.1
Total Production (mds)	14,42,105	20,70,861	12,37,798	24,97,636	18,88,848	36,09,263
Groundnut
Area (acres)	66,897	61,078	73,709	1,06,394	1,30,665	1,32,392
Average yield per acre (mds.)	101	13.5	11.7	14.3	16.4	16.1
Total Production (mds)	6,75,660	8,24,553	8,62,395	15,21,434	21,42,906	21,31,511
Cotton
Area (acres)	63,786	62,929	73,907	82,874	81,417	86,203
Average yield per acre (mds.)	8.05	9.3	4.9	9.5	6.8	9.0
Total Production (mds)	5,62,483	5,99,843	3,63,632	7,87,303	5,53,636	7,72,379
Wheat
Area (acres)	1,98,896	2,10,711	2,30,168	2,75,491	3,12,495	3,38,935
Average yield per acre (mds.)	16.9	21.1	19.6	23.7	25.1	24.2
Total Production (mds) from pure wheat as well as wheat plus gram (mix ture)	45,40,582	58,24,372	57,27,654	76,39,202	91,72,741	90,49,782
Wheat plus gram (mixtures)
Area (acres)	1,57,442	1,45,620	1,27,339	1,18,092	1,18,844	85,508
Average yield per acre (mds.)	12.1	15.4	15.6	15.4	18.0	16.8
Total Production (mds)
Wheat	11,79,240	1,80,478	12,11,765	11,10,064	13,32,241	8,47,555
Gram	7,32,105	8,54,789	7,74,720	7,08,552	8,04,574	5,88,979
Gram
Area (acres)	43,779	49,685	39,144	38,832	31,062	25,364
Average yield per acre (mds.)	10.2	10.7	10.8	9.6	13.6	12.7
Total Production (mds)	11,78,651	13,85,922	11,97,083	10,81,339	12,26,085	9,11,102

(Assessment and Evaluation of intensive Agricultural District Programme, Ludhiana, 1960-61 to 1965-66). (Cycle-styled copy: Ludhiana, September, 1966).

Contents Next

	Loans/Subsidies	1956-57	1957-58	1958-59	1959-60	1960-61	1961-62	1962-63	1963-64	1964-65	1965-66
	Loans
1	Sinking of percolation wells	-	80,000	40,000	1,31,000	1,86,000	10,000	25,80,000	1,56,500	2,27,200	-
2	Sinking of tube wells	-	18,000	49,000	1,08,000	54,000	8,95,000	20,00,000	5,66,750	13,23,750	9,80,000
3	Installation of Pumping-sets	-	25,000	50,000	86,000	60,000	20,00,000	87,000	4,58,583	14,74,250	10,13,500
4	Taccavi Loan for fertilizers	4,78,502	3,64,254	7,41,104	11,56,176	1,73,014	18,27,188	20,14,960	56,76,765	80,39,316	1,44,67,691
5	Taccavi Loan of purchase of tractors	-	-	8,19,000	60,000	90,000	1,15,000	2,55,000	-	-	-
6	Taccavi Loan for development of horticulture	-	7,88,000	2,76,000	35,000	19,800	30,000	18,000	-	24,000	15,000
7	Taccavi Loan for purchase of sugarcane seed	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	Taccavi Loanunder the Land improvement Loans Act XIX of 1883 (Ordinary)	-	1,000	1,50,000	-	-	40,000	3,55,000	-	-	10,000
9	Taccavi Loan under Agriculturists loans Act XII of 1884 (Ordinary)	20,000	7,000	6,65,000	75,000	1,20,000	1,00,800	3,79,600	1,13,000	3,30,000	30,000
	Subsidies
1	Subsidy dor reen manuring Rs.@2.50 per acre	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Subsidy for purchase of fruit plants	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Maize

Groundnut

Cotton

Wheat

Wheat plus gram (mixtures)

Gram