Chandigarh, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab State Farmers’ and Farm Workers’ Commission (PSFC) on Wednesday raised key concerns affecting farmers in Punjab during an interaction with a senior delegate from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), with discussions focusing on India-US agricultural trade, crop diversification, farm mechanisation and sustainable agriculture.
Dr Santosh Kumar Singh, Senior Agricultural Specialist, Foreign Agriculture Service, USDA, New Delhi, visited the PSFC for discussions on the changing agricultural landscape in India and globally, as well as prospects for bilateral agricultural cooperation.
PSFC Chairman Prof. Dr Sukhpal Singh welcomed Dr Singh and highlighted the challenges confronting Punjab’s farming sector. Dr Ranjodh Singh Bains made a presentation titled “Punjab Agriculture 2026: Production Prospects, Diversification & Punjab-US Agricultural Cooperation”.
The presentation stressed the need to move beyond Punjab’s traditional rice-wheat cycle by promoting maize, cotton, basmati, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, besides livestock, food processing and value addition. It noted that diversification would require assured markets, procurement mechanisms, processing facilities and better price realisation for farmers.
Potential areas of India-US cooperation discussed included farm mechanisation, precision and AI-based agriculture, climate-resilient technologies, post-harvest management, food safety, groundwater conservation and joint research. The meeting also highlighted Punjab’s potential to expand exports of basmati rice, honey, turmeric, fruits, vegetables and other non-GMO products.
Dr Santosh Kumar Singh raised issues relating to differences in farm sizes and agricultural structures in India and the US, better farm insurance coverage in the US, the decline of backyard livestock in India and the need to move beyond tractorisation towards comprehensive mechanisation. The possible benefits and challenges of India-US bilateral agricultural trade agreements were also discussed.
Prof Sukhpal Singh pointed out that while the average landholding in India is around two acres, Punjab’s average holding is about nine acres. However, he said high land rents, input costs and other production expenses were placing increasing financial pressure on farmers.
The participants emphasised the need to balance opportunities arising from India-US trade with the protection of farmers’ interests, particularly in crops central to Punjab’s diversification strategy. The livestock sector was also discussed as a potential area where farmers in both countries could benefit from mutually advantageous cooperation.
Dr Ranjodh Singh Bains thanked Dr Santosh Kumar Singh for his participation and expressed hope for regular communication and greater collaboration between the PSFC and USDA on agriculture, technology, trade, diversification and sustainable resource management.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to Prof Sukhpal Singh, Dr S K Singh, Dr Anil Sood and other PSFC researchers.
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