(vi) Agricultural Co-operatives
Various development activities in agriculture, small industry marketing and processing, distribution and supplies are now carried on through co-operatives. the co-operatives in the State have made an all-round progress and their role in, and contribution to agricultural progress has particularly been significant. The schemes regarding the construction of godowns and the conversion of villages into model villages have assumed great importance in the wake of the Greeen Revolution.
The
Co-operative Movement was introduced into India by the Government as the only
method by which the farmers could overcome their burden of debt and keep them
away from the clutches of the money-lenders. The Co-operative Credit Societies
Act, 1904 was passed by the Government
of India and rural credit societies were formed . Through the
appointment of registrars and through vigorous propaganda, the Government
attempted to popularize the Movement in the rural areas. Within a short period,
the Government realized some of the shortcomings of the 1904 Act and,
therefore, passed a more comprehensive Act, known as the Co-operative Societies Act of 1912. This Act
recognized non-credit societies also. But the rural credit societies have
continued to be predominant till now.
(1)The Primary Agricultural Credit/Service Societies --- The agricultural
co-operative credit structure in the Punjab State is broadly divided into two
sectors, one dealing with the short-terms and
medium-terms finance and the other with the long-term credit. In the State,
the short-term and medium-term credit structure is based on a three-tier system, i.e., the Apex Co-operative Bank
at the State level, the Central Co-Coperative Bank at the district/tehsil level
and the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies at the village level. The major
objectives of the primary agricultural credit service societies are to supply
agricultural credit to meet the requirements of funds for agricultural
production, the distribution of essential consumer commodities, the provision
of storage and marketing
facilities and for light agricultural
implements and machinery.
Owing
to an increasing emphasis on the development of land and agriculture, long-term co-operative credit has assumed
great importance. There is the Punjab State Land Mortgage Bank at the Apex and
the Punjab Mortgage Bank at the district/tehsil level. These Primary Land
Mortgage Banks advance loans to the farmers for long term purposes.
At the operational level, there exists a primary
co-operative to extend credit to the farmer. This unit epitomizes the vitality
and service potential of the Co-operative Movement in India. The organization
of these societies dates back to 1904, when the first Co-operative Societies
Act was passed. These societies were started with the object of providing cheap
credit to the agriculturists in order to free them from the clutches of the
rapacious money-lenders. the agricultural primary credit society is the
foundation-stone on which the whole co-operative edifice is built. Even now
these societies dominate the co-operative picture.
The first
Agricultural Credit Society in the Firozpur District was registered on 4
October 1911, at the Village of Khalchi Kadim in the Firozpur Tehsil.
Originally, the movement was confined to the credit societies only and, thus,
credit dominated till the partition (1947). After the partition, the
Co-operative Movement began to spread to other field, viz labour, construction
and farming.
In 1979-80, the
number of agricultural co-operative credit societies in the District was 309
with a membership of 1,21,761. the loan advanced during the same year amounting
to Rs. 2,180.35 lakh and the deposits to Rs. 26.84 lakh.
(2) Agricultural Non-Credit Societies --- While credit is and must
remain for some time the chief concern of the Co-operative Movement relatively
slow, since 1912, when the non-credit societies were brought officially under the aegis of the Movement.
the World War II (1939-45) came as a God send boon with respect to the
development of the Co-operative Movement. Prices of agricultural goods began to
rise and touched new peaks. The repayment of loans was accelerated and
deposits began to pour in. The number
of societies also rose. Another interesting development in co-operative during the War wast the extension of the
Movement to non-credit activities, viz.
consumer’s co-operative marketing societies, consolidation societies,
etc. The number of agricultural non-credit societies in the district was 38 in
1978-79.
Marketing has
occupied a far smaller place in the co-operative picture in India than in many
countries, notably Denmark and the USA, but not other non-credit line of
co-operation, with the possible exception of the consolidation of land holdings
and joint farming enterprises, seems to
hold greater possibilities of help to
the agricultural population of India. The development of co-operative marketing
in India is closely bound up with the problem of credit-the claims of the
money-lenders commonly inhibiting the cultivator’s freedom of action in
disposing of his crop.
The full
utilization of loans advanced depends upon the arrangements for the marketing
of surplus produce. For this purpose, there the Punjab State Marketing
Federation at the State Level, wholesale societies at the district level and
marketing societies at the market level. These societies also provide other
agricultural facilities and make arrangements for the supply of domestic items
in the rural areas.
In 1979-80,
there were 10 agricultural co-operative marketing societies in the District,
with a total membership of 5,982 (5,056 individuals and 926 societies). During
the same year, their paid-up capital was Rs. 19.70 lakh and the working capital
Rs. 558.52 lakh, and they marketed goods worth Rs. 992.08 lakh.
At the State
level, the Punjab State co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation (MARKFED)
is playing an important role in building up an integrated structure for
remunerative marketing and storing of agricultural produce. it has played an
important role in hastening the Green Revolution in the State by arranging
ready supplies of essential farm inputs needed by the cultivators.
Co-operative Farming Societies.
The Royal
Commission on Agriculture in 1928 observed that it co-operation failed, there
would fail the hope of the Indian agriculturist. Co-operative farming is a
compromise between collective farming and the peasant proprietorship and gives
all merits of large-scale farming without abolishing private property. It
implies an organization of the farmers on the basis of common efforts for
common interests. Under this system, all landowners in a village form a
co-operative society for tilling the
land. The land is pooled, but each farmer retains the right of property. The
produce is distributed by each. They
are allowed to withdraw from the co-operative
farm whenever they de3sire. In India, the exceedingly small size of holdings is
perhaps the most serious defect in our agriculture. If agriculture has to be
improved, the size of the holdings must be enlarged.
The
co-operative farming societies, thus, enable the cultivators to enjoy the
economies of large-scale farming through the pooling of land management
resources. In 1978-79, their number in the District in 1978-79 was as under :
|
SN |
Type of societies |
Number in 1978-79 |
|
1.
|
Co-operative Weaver’s society |
19 |
|
2.
|
Co-operative Consumer’s Societies |
11 |
|
3.
|
Co-operative Housing Societies |
55 |
|
4.
|
Co-operative Women’s Societies |
60 |
|
5.
|
Co-operative Milk-Societies |
114 |
(Statistical Abstract of Punjab, 1980,p, 298)
(vii) Progress of Scientific Agriculture
Scientific agriculture means the
application of new discoveries in the fie3ld of agricultural science and
technology in a given agro-climatic region. It involves the replacement of
animal and human power by machinery in al farming operations, ranging from
ploughing to the marketing of the produce and the use of the produce and the
use of fertilizers and improved seeds and agricultural practices.
Agricultural
Implements. Newly evolved improved
agricultural implements not only directly increase the crop yield but also
reduce the cost of production by saving time and labour. Agriculture is being
mechanized through the adoption of improved implements because of their greater utility and wider scope for use. the
wooden plough has been mostly replaced
by the iron plough. the cart with pneumatic tyres has teken the place of the
cart with the wooden wheel. The increasing demand for the power wheat-thresher
of differe3nt types has almost revolutionized the traditional system off
threshing wheat under the feet of bullocks. The tractor-owning farmers are also
adopting precision machines, such as
seed-drills, seed-cum-fertilizer-drills and corn-planters. the tractors are
also replacing the bullocks. The number of tractors registered in the Firozpur
District, as on 30 June 1980, was 20,438.
Through the operation
of the schemes of demonstration and popularization of agricultural implements,
the quality marking of agricultural implements, and the concessions and loans
allowed on implements and big machines, there has been a significant increase
in the adoption of improved implements. Improved implements, such as the
furrowturing ploughs, the Kisan hoe, the single-row cotton drill and the
barharrow, have become very popular among the farmers.
The old types of
agricultural implements still in common use are the desi plough, sohaga (wooden
plan), khurpa, drati (sickle), kassi (spade) and panjali (yoke).
Firozpur is
basically an agricultural district and a large number of agricultural
implements are produced here. The District forms an Punjab but in northern India
as a whole. Agricultural implements are supplied even to far-off States, such
as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The main implements
produced are the wheat-thresher, maize-thresher, rice-sheller, ploughs of
various kinds and disc harrow and a few tractor accessories. Many types of
agricultural implements are produced at all the important trading centres, such
as Firozpur, Fazilka and Abohar.
Seeds --- The basic requirement for increasing agricultural
production is the supply of improved seeds. Inadequate supply of good seeds,
coupled with the lack of technical know-how in seed production, has been one of
the impediments in getting increased agricultural production. To bridge the gap
between the demand and the supply of improved seeds, the Punjab Government set
up seed farms during the Second Five-Year Plan (1956-61)/ These farms have been
mostly concentrating on the multiplication of cash crops and vegetable
crops. In 1979-80, there were 3 seed
farms in the District, one each at Malwal (Firozpur Tehsil); Abohar and
Gobindgarh (Fazilka Tehsil).
Crop rotation.—Rotation is defined as a more or less
regularly recurrent succession of different crops on the same place of land.
Soil fertility can also be regained by practicing the rotation of crops. The
benefits to be derived from the growing of leguminous alternately with cereals
were distinctly recognized by early Indians as well as by the ancient Romans
and Greeks, and the benefits of inter-cropped turnips or root crops in rotation
with barley, clover and wheat were discovered about 1730 in England.
Experiments conducted at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,
have shown that the growing of a legume, such as barseem, develops a stable
type and high degree of soil fertility for the succeeding cereal crops and that
higher yields of wheat can be obtained for 3 or 4 years than when wheat is
grown successively.
The
effects of crop rotation on the yields of crops are manifold. First, the
rotation helps to control weeds and certain crop pests and disease. Second, it
may render chemical fertilizers and manure
more effective by increasing the quantity of organic matter in the
soil. Third, it reduces soil erosion
and increases fertility by different crops growing in the same patch of land so
as to enable the intake of plant food from
different layers of the soil.
The
crop rotations generally followed in the District re :
maize-wheat-fodder;
maize-gram-cotton; cotton (American) wheat or cotton-fallow-cotton;
maize-wheat-bajra or guara; groundnut-wheat or barley paddy-wheat; bajra-gram;
guara-wheat; senji-sugarcane and fallow-sugarcane.
Fallow Cultivation ---- By fallow land is meant the land from
which one crop has been harvested and the land is left to rest until the sowing
of the next crop. These fallows are of two kinds, viz. the ‘old fallows and the
‘current fallows’. Fields which, after
abandonment, remain uncultivated over along period are called ‘old fallows’
whereas those kept uncultivated during the current year are called ‘current
fallows’. Therefore, the fallow
cultivation means the cultivation of land
which has rested in this way. In
the absence of organic manures and fertilizers, the fallow cultivation is very
important for replenishing soil fertility reduced by the previous crop.
With the
extension of irrigational facilities and owing to the pressure on land, not
much area is left fallow. The extent of current fallows, however, depends on
rains. If rains are timely, the maximum area is sown and very little is left
fallow.
Fertilizers and Manures --- The basic prerequisite
for good outturns of crops is the fertility of the soil which can be maintained
and improved through the adoption of
such agricultural practices as not only tend the minimize the loss of nutrients
but also add them to the soil. Next to irrigation, fertilizers and manures are,
therefor, most important for increasing crop yields.
The
consumption of fertilizers during the first two Plan periods was rather low. In
view of the various educational promotional and organizational measures, such
as the introduction of intensive agricultural areas and package
programmes, Publicity, large-scale
demonstrations, training camps, increase in distribution centres, provision of
adequate credit and effective
co-ordination among different departments (Agriculture, Co-operative and
Development), the consumption of fertilizers progressively increased. The
following table show the use of chemical fertilizers in the District during
1972-73 to 1979-80:
(Tonnes of nutrients)
Fertilizer consumption
Year ----------------------------------------------------------- Total
N P K
1972-73 19,459 3,965 1,380 24,794
1973-74 19,660 4,304 1,740 26,704
1974-75 17,070 2,737 897 20,704
1975-76 25,141 4,671 480 29,292
1976-77 27,772 8,863 1,552 38,187
1977-78 36,205 9,247 1,716 47,168
1978-79 48,298 14,910 1,708 64,906
1979-80 55,611 20,035 2,685 78,331
(Source :Chief
Agricultural Officer, Firozpur)
Rural Compost and the Cattle-Dung Manure—Good quality farmyared
manure is perhaps the most valuable organic matter applied to soil. It has been
the oldest manure used by man ever since he took to agriculture and is still
the most popular of all manures. It is not only supplies the soil with the
much-needed nutrients, it also improves the physical conditions of very light
soils or very heavy or deteriorated soils. It consists mainly of vegetable
matter mixed with animal dung and urine. The East Punjab Conservation of Manures
Act, 1949 (Amended in 1950) provides for the setting up of manure-conservation
committees and empowers the State Government to notify particular areas for
the purpose of conserving manure makes
it incumbent on the cultivators to take such measures as may be necessary for
the purpose. the rural-compost scheme was made permanent in the State in
October 1966.
The rural compost prepared in the District from
1972-73 to 1979-80 is given below :
Year Rural
compost
prepared
(in tonnes)
1972-73 14,00,000
1973-74 15,50,000
1974-75 15,70,000
1975-76 16,00,000
1976-77 15,45,000
1977-78 15,00,000
1978-79 15,50,000
1979-80 16,00,000
(Source :Field Manure Officer, Punjab)
Green Manures ---Besides the rural compost and the cattle-dung
manure, the use of green manure is another source of building up soil
fertility. It provides the soils with organic matter and nitrogen, besides
improving the physical properties of the soil and conserving moisture. The
popular green-manure crops are guara or cluster bean dhiancha and sunn hemp.
The scheme for
the extension of green-manuring in the State was initiated in April 1961. The
are under green-manuring in the District during 1972-73 to 1979-80 is given
below :
Year Area under green-manuring
(In hectares)
1972-73 19,000
1973-74 19,500
1974-75 21,000
1975-76 24,765
1976-77 23,650
1977-78 20,000
1978-79 19,8000
1979-80 20,000
(Source : Field Manure
Officer, Punjab)
Town Compost --- The refuse available in the town is another potential source
of good-quality compost which can be utilized to increase crop production. To
harness this source for increasing agricultural production, all-out efforts are
being made to have these wastes properly conserved for manurial purposes. The
quantity of town compost prepared in the District during 1972-73 to 1979-80 is
given below :
Year
Town Compost Prepared
(tonnes)
1972-73 1,07,000
1973-74 1,10,000
1974-75 1,00,000
1975-76 1,12,000
1976-77 1,06,000
1977-78 1,05,000
1978-79 1,08,000
1979-80 1,20,000
(Source: Field Manure
Officer, Punjab)
Sullage Utilization—Crops grown on sewage or sullage
effluents also considerably higher yields than those with ordinary irrigation
water. Sewage or sullage is a mixture of numerous kinds of wastes.
(viii) Agricultural Insect Pest and Diseases and
Obnoxious Weeds Insect Pests and Diseases --- A luxuriant crop is an open invitation
to pests and diseases. The protection of crops from such pests diseases assumes
a special significance in the wake of the increases consumption of fertilizers and improved seeds. The high-yielding
varieties of cereals and other crops
are more susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore special emphasis needs to
be laid on plant-protection measures. To cover a wider area under these
measures, the aerial spraying of crops (particularly cotton) by using
helicopters has been introduced since 1965-66. The growers are required to pay
only the cost of the pesticides, and other charges are borne by the State.
The insect pests and disease commonly met
with area given below :
Crop pests and diseases : .. …………Sugarcane stem-borer, surgcane
topborer, sugarcane pyrilla,
cotton, jassid, cotton, leaf-foller, rice-bug, the pansukh disease of rice,
sarson aphis, toka loose smut of wheat, the Karnal bunt of wheat. etc.
Fruit pests and disease : .. citrus psylla, lemon caterpillar, mango-
hopper, mango mealy bug, citrus canker, etc.
Vegetable pests red pumpkin beetle,brinjal hadda, potato and
bhindi jassid, brinjal and bhindi fruit-borer, etc.
Store-graini pest: khapra, susri, dhora, etc.
Miscellaneous pests field
rats, etc.
Obnoxious Weeds
-- The State Government enacted the East Punjab Agricultural Pests and diseases
and Obnoxious Weeds Act, 1949, under which the offenders can be punished on conviction
by a Magistrate with fine which may extend up to Rs. 50 or in default a simple
imprisonment for a period no exceeding ten days. Notices are issued by
agricultural inspectors to those cultivators who do not eradicate the pohli
weed through persuasion before it matures its seeds and the defaulters are
reported for legal action wherever necessary.
(d) Animal Husbandry, Poultry and Fisheries
In the field of
agriculture, the Green Revolution has already been brought about by improved
seeds fertilizers and better farm practices. But for the full utilization of soil fertility, full employment for
the agriculturists and increase in the
rural income, the development of animal
husbandry is envisaged as an essential part of a sound system of diversified agriculture. In the context of
the background, ambitious programmes have been initiated in the State to
improve the cattle wealth by adopting the scientific method of breeding,
improved practices for feeding and measures to control diseases.
The livestock
broadly includes bovine and ovine species. The bovine species includes cattle
and the ovine species includes sheep
and goats. Cattle and buffaloes constitute the major and most important part of
the livestock in our country, as they are not only the main source of the draught power used in agriculture but
are also the source of milk-supply. The District has a large number of Sahiwal
cows and Nili buffaloes. Both these breeds are well known for heavy milk yield
and a long lactation period.
A
number of schemes for the improvement of livestock were under-taken during the
Third Five-Year Plan. These schemes aimed at developing the milk-yielding
capacity of well-defined milk breeds through selective breeding and by
upgrading non-descript cattle, and at improving draught breeds with respect to the milk-yielding
capacity without impairing the quality of bullocks.
Livestock
continues to be a valuable possession of the farmers in spite of the fact that
the agricultural economy is heading towards mechanization . The sale of milk
and other animal products adds to the income of the farmers. The manure
obtained from the livestock increases the fertility of land, with the result
that agricultural production is increased. The following table, based on the
Livestock Census, 1972, shows that the District possesses a good number of
livestock.
1972
Particular 1966
------------------------------------------------------------------ Total
Tehsil
Tehsil Tehsil
for
the Firozur Zira Fazlika
District
1. Livestock 6,59,833 7,66,436 2,51,892
2,03,209 3,11,335
Cattle 2,81,294 3,16,272 1,06,235 82,993 1,27,044
buffalows 2,59,694 3,12,549 1,10,552 97,558 1,04,439
Horses & 2,238
2,568 572
744 1,252 Ponies
Donkeys 5,026
3,526 1,226
835 1,465
Mules 49 188 20
21 147
Sheep 60,645 48,592
11,962 3,922 32,708 Goats 40,573 72,027 19,475
15,650 36,902 Camels 9,730
10,263 1,701 1,338 7,224
Pigs
581 451 149 148 154 II. Poultry 1,10,300 1,33,318
32,459 46,969
53,890
(Source Statistical Abstract of Firozpur,
1973-74,pp.130-131)
At
the District level, there is a District Animal Husbandry Officer at Firozpur.
He is under the administrative control of the Director, Animal Husbandry,
Punjab, Chandigarh. the office of the District Animal Husbandry Officer,
Firozpur, was established in 1951.
Previously, the District was in the charge of the Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, Jullundur Division, with headquarter at Firozpur.
(i) Animal Health Wing and
Animal Breeding Wing
At the district
level , the Animal Husbandry Department comprises two wings, viz. the Animal
Health Wing, in the charge of the District Animal Husbandry Officer, Firozpur,
and the animal Breeding Wing, in the charge of the Project Officer, Intensive
Cattle Development Project, Bathinda.
Animal Health Wing --- This wing is in the charge of the
District Animal Husbandry Officer, Firozpur, who is assisted by 53 veterinary
assistant surgeons, 50 veterinary compounders, 37 stock assistants and
miscellaneous class III and Class IV employees. the veterinary hospitals are in
the charge of veterinary assistant surgeons and the veterinary dispensaries are
in the charge of the veterinary compounders.
The activities of this wing relate to : (i0 the
control and prevention of contagious diseases among animals; (ii) the treatment
of sick animals; (iii) the castration of useless male stock for the improvement
of breeds; (iv) the supply of bulls of improved breeds; (v) the maintenance of stallions for horse-and
mule-breeding in the District : (vi) the holding of cattle shows and the
awarding of medals, prizes and certificates
to top quality animals for the encouragement of improved breedings; and
(vii) the holding of milk-yield competitions and the awarding of prizes to
encourage the breeding of milk strains, such as Sahiwal in the case of cows and
the Nili breed in the case of
buffaloes. These activities are carried out through 51 veterinary hospitals and
17 permanent outlying veterinary dispensaries. Besides, a Sheep and Wool
Development Centre at Abohar is being run in the District.
Animal Breeding Wing—The breeding work in the
Firozpur District is looked after by the Project Officer, Intensive Cattle
Development Project, Bathinda, and, as such, there is a joint strength of the
staff for the districts of Bathiinda, Faridkot and Firozpur.
The breeding
operations are carried out by obtaining fresh semen from the insemination
centres where the tested Nili buffalo-bulls are kept. Bulls for semen
collection are selected on the basis of
the milk yield of their dams and the phenotypic characters.
The
activities covered by this wing are: (i) the provision of fresh semen of exotic
and local breeds of cattle and of the Nili buffalo-bulls from Firozpur, Zira
and Fazilka Artificial insemination Centres; (ii) the establishment of key
village blocks with a number of key village units for the improvement of the
buffalo breeds through artificial insemination; (iii) the supplying of seeds to
the bonafide breeders at subsidized rates for the improvement of fodder crops
(iv) the establishment of demonstration pasture plots by giving grants for
popularizing fedder grasses and for silo pits; and (v) the provision of funds
for organizing calf rallies for giving incentives to the breeders to look after
their young calves.
Development of Gaushalas --- Keeping in view the
importance of gaushalas and pinjrapoles , the Gaushala Development scheme was
launched on all-India basis for the
development of selected gaushalas to serve as cattle-breeding-cum-milk
producing centres. Such a scheme was introduced into the Punjab in 1956-57 during the second Five-Year-Plan.
There are a gaushalas, in the District at Firozpur, Fazlika, Abohar, Jalalabad
and Zira.
A large number
of cattle fairs and shows are held at different places in the District every
year. These are of vital importance to the farmers and others who rear cattle
as these fairs provide the market for selling and purchasing cattle. The cattle
fairs also provide the breeders with an opportunity to select suitable types of
animals ad also provide them with an occasion for exchanging ideas and
experiences in the field of livestock-breeding.
With this end in
view, the Central Council of Gosamvardhana, New Delhi, started in 1955 the
celebration of Gosamvardhana Week every year on the Gopal Ashtami. For this purpose,
the State Animal Husbandry Department allots the funds. Out of this fund, 50
per cent of the expenditure is met by the Central Council of Gosamvarthana, New
Delhi.
Castration of
weak and substandard animals is essential for the effective improvement of
Livestock. During 1979-80, 1,461 bulls were castrated in the District.
Control of menace of wild and stray cattle—Wild and stray cattle do
much damage to the standing crops. In order to control this menace, the State
government launched the Wild and Stray Cattle Catching Scheme in 1962-63. Under
the scheme, cattle-catching parties have been organized to round up wild and
stray cattle.
(ii) Area under Fodder Crops :
The main fodder crops in the District
are jawar, guara, barseem,oats, turnips, etc. For the Cattle, August to
November is the best period and April to June is the worst time. In the former
period, the cattle fed on green fodder, such as grass, jawar and moth, and in
the latter period wheat and dry stalks of barley. Apart from the above,
the-cattle are fed on senji, bajra and stalks of sugarcane. The following table4
shows the area under fodder crops in the District from 1972-73 to 1979-80:
Area under fodder crops in
the Firozpur District during 1972-73 to 1979-80
Year
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fodder Crops 1972-73 1973-74
1974-75 1975-76 1976-77
1977-78 1978-79
1979-80---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kharif Crops
Jowar
(Charhi) 19,464
17,430 20,750 21,467 20,457 18,302 19,835 16,509
Guara 32,186 26,175
18,751 9,916 20,629 15,530 11,328 8,119
Other fodders 18,615 20,180 19,940 15,270 18,829 15,961 17,834 19,707
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 70,262 63,785 59,441 46,653 59,978 49,793 48,997 44,335
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabi Crops
Barseem 12,067 18,611 19,440 18,938 14,997
19,148 18,797 20,182
Oats (Javi) 1,678 1,810 2,721 1,877 2,105 800 1,887 2,217
Other
Fodders
(Turnips) 12,069 6,568
6,973 7,789 6,408 5,843
7,235 3,375
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 25,814 26,989 29,134 28,604 23,510 25,791 27,919
25,774 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant
Total 96,076 90,774 88,575
75,257 83,488 75,584 76,916 70,109
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Source :
Deputy Commissioner, Firozpur)
The Food and
Fodder Development Programme has been under-taken the Key Village Scheme. The
farmers are persuaded to grow improved varieties of fodders and grasses, the
seeds of which are supplied at subsidized rates.
The village
common lands, which were used as pastures before the consolidation of holdings,
have been brought under cultivation.
(iii) Dairy-farming
According to the Livestock Census,
1972, the number of cattle (cows) and buffaloes (in milk) was 56,952 and
91,412, respectively. Buffaloes
constitute the main source of the supply of milk. There are also a good number
of sheep and goats, but their milk
yield is low and of no commercial importance.
There is no
regular dairy farm in the District, but a large number of people in the
villages and towns maintain small
dairies for supplying milk to the townfolk. With the increasing concentration
of population in the town and with the rise in the price of milk, dairying has
become a paying business. Quite a good number of people also keep cows and
buffaloes to meet their own requirements of milk and milk products.
(iii)
Sheep-breeding
A scheme for the development of sheep and the
production of wool was started in the State in 1957. It aims at developing the
sheep and wool industry by improving the Quality and yield of wool through the
scientific knowledge of sheep husbandry and wool technology.
Sheep-breeding
in the District is carried on in the sandy areas of Fazilka and Abohar, where
the traditional methods of breeding still prevail. the Veterinary Department
is, however, trying to improve these methods by supplying pedigree rams, which
serve the needs of the sheep owners.
There are eight
sheep and wool extension centres in the District at Abohar, Amarpura, Khui
Khera, Nihal Khera, Islamwala, Mudki, Jalalabad and Alamwala, where work
regarding the improvement of sheep breads and the control of diseases of sheep
is carried on. The eradication of rinderpest on a mass scale is carried on in
five blocks, viz. Firozpur, Guru Har Sahai, Jalalabad, Fazilka and Abohar.
According to the
Livestock Census, 1972, the number of sheep and goats in the District was
48,592 and 72,027 respectively.
(v) Poultry Farming
Previously,
people had no liking to rear poultry, partly on religious grounds and partly on
other grounds. But, after the partition poultry-farming has become quite popular,
and people rear poultry to meet their own demands for eggs and, meat. A large
number of commercial poultry farms have also been set up.
(vi) Piggery
To
develop the pig-rearing industry on modern lines and to give impetus to
scientific pir-raising, the Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab, set up a pig
breeding farm at Sallwal. To encourage and popularise small-scale pig-rearing
on modern lines in blocks, some incentives are given to the interested farmers. Subsidies are given for purchasing pigs, constructing model sites
and for purchasing iron feeding-throughs.
With a view to
imparting technical knowledge and
educate the farmers in the latest modern techniques of pig-raising short-term
training courses are run at intervals at the Government Pig-Breeding Farm.
According to the
Livestock Census, 1972 the number of
pigs in the District was 451.
(iv)
Fisheries
The
administration of the Fisheries Department in the Firozpur District is
controlled by the District Fisheries Officer, Firozpur. The District is divided into two fisheries
circles, viz. the Firozpur Circle and the Ghal Khurd Circle, for the
implementation of the fisheries
development schemes. Each of these
circles is under the charge of a fisheries officer who is assisted by
one or more field assistants or fishermen.
The fisheries
resources of the district are vast and varied, comprising both running and
impounded waters. The running water resources constitute the Satluj River,
streams and their tributaries, canals and drains running within the boundaries of the District. Such wasters are known as
‘public water’, and their fisheries is leased out by open auction on yearly
basis.
The District is
also rich in natural and artificial impounded waters, the former being the
hands (i.e large stretches of water formed by the shifting course of the river)
and the latter the village ponds and tanks.
The
commercially important food and game fish, found in the District, are as under
:
(i) Major corps of the subfamily Cyprinide of
the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. These include catla (thail or
thaila), Labeo rohita(rohu or damra), labeo calbasu (kaliahan or kalaunch) and
cirrhina mrigala (mori or mrigal).
(ii) Catfishes of the suborder Siluroidei of the order Cypriniformes.
These include Wallago attu (mullee), Mystus seenghat a (singhara or singhari),
Rita rita (khaga).
(viii) Animal Diseases and
Veterinary Hospitals
Animal Diseases --- The District is relatively healthy and
livestock diseases are not common, except in the bet area, where seasonal
(inundation brings galghotu (haemorrhagic septicaemia) and phar sujan quarter).
The foot and mouth disease also appears at times as an epidemic. Goitre and
liver rot are common among sheep and goats, and surra among hourses and camels.
Veterinary Hospitals --- As far back as 1885,
the first attempt to provide skilled treatment for animals was made in the
District when the District Board appointed a Veterinary Assistant. He was in
charge of the whole District with his headquarters at Firozpur, but the amount
of work he was called upon to do soon
indicated the necessity of increasing the staff. Three more veterinary
assistants were, therefore, appointed with their headquarters at Muktsar and
Zira in 1888 and another in 1890.
On the provincialization
of the Civil Veterinary Department in 1901, the staff sanctioned provided for a
man in each tehsil and one to tour in the whole District. About a decade after,
in response to popular demand an extra man was appointed for the sub-tehsil of
Abohar. In addition to these officials, the District shared the services of the
Veterinary Inspector with District
Montgomery (now in Pakistan). Each of the tehsil veterinary assistant,
including the one at Abohar, was in charge of a veterinary hospital at the tehsil headquarters. Besides
the veterinary assistant, there was a
compounder at each veterinary hospital and
the usual menial staff who were provided by the District Board. The staff was under the supervision of a
veterinary inspector, whose services were shared by another district, and the
Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, South Punjab. The staff was
largely engaged in dealing with contagious diseases, the outbreaks of which was
reported to them by the patwaris and lambardars.
When not engaged
in controlling contagious diseases, the veterinary assistants remained at the
headquarters where their time was fully occupied in treating a large number of
animals that were brought for treatment daily. Treatment at the hospitals used
to be free to all who did not pay income tax, but later on all who paid over
Rs. 50 as land revenue were charged.
The District is
served by 52 veterinary hospitals, 17 permanent outlying dispensaries and 3
artificial insimination centres, as per details given below;
Veterinary Hospitals, Permanent Outlying Dispensaries and
Artificial-Insemination Centres in
Ferozepur District in 1979-80
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veterinary Hospitals Permanent Outlying Dispensaries
-------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- Artificial
Zila Parishad Municipal Government Panchayat
Government insemination
Committee Samiti/ Centres
Municipal
Committee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tehsil Firozpur
1 Firozpur 1 Ghal Khurd 1 Bhanger 1 Firozpur
2 Guruharsahai 2 Tibbi Khurd 2 Bazidpur
3 Jhok tahal 3 Hamad 3 Karian Phahalwan
4 Mamdot 4 Jiwan Arain
5 Sodhi nagar 5 Sanda Hashan
6 Mudki 6 Chak Saidoke
7 Talwandi 7 Koer Singh Wala
8 Kamal Wala
9 Man Singh Wala
10 Arifke
11. Jhok Hari Har
12. Thath
13.Waka Basti Vakila
Tehsil Zira
8.Zira 14. Kasoana 4. Manawan 2. Zira
9.Makhu 15.Talwandi Mallian 5. Chuhar Chak
10. Dharamkot 16.Chak Tarewala 6. Kishanpura
11. Fatehgarh 17. Khosa Dal Singh 7. Khosa Kotla
Panjtoor
12.Kot Ise Khan 18. Bhinderkalan 8. Bharana
19. Bhankhandi 9.Kanwan
20.Tallarode
21.Mallanwala
Tehsil Fazilka
13.Fazilka 22.Sittoguno 10.Dhingan wali 3.Fazilka
14.Jalalabad 23.Gidranwali 11.Talwandi Nepalan
15. Dane Wala 24.Kirian wali 12 Jhotian wali
16. Abohar 25. Kalar Khera 13. Jhunian Wali
17. Dabwala 26.Kundal 14.Lahduka
Kalan
27.Ghubhya 15 Killianwali
28 Ghalu 16.Malookpur
29.Ladhuwala 17.Jhorukhera
30.Jhandwala Mira Sangla
31 Rana
32.Rukanpura
33.Jalalabad (E)
34 Khiowali Dhab
(Source : District Animal Husbandary Officer, Ferozepur)