BATHINDA, June 12 -- A record dip in the prices of toori (chopped wheat straw), which is used as animal fodder, due to lesser demand in the dairy sector this year has left the wheat growers in a fix. Traders say this year, rates in several parts of the state remained stagnant at Rs.130-Rs.180 per quintal, whereas in 2024, its rates touched Rs.500 per quintal. Experts warned that if the trend continues, it may push the farmers to burn the wheat residue as they will be left with no option for the disposal of the straw. Stakeholders attribute a sharp decline in demand to the use of silage, a processed and nutritious cattle feed prepared from maize and other ingredients, by the dairy sector, as well as the using rice straw as feed. Faridkot-based Lakhwinder Singh, who has been supplying toori to the dairy owners and industry for over a decade, said earlier a farmer could get Rs.800-900 for a quintal. "But now the demand for the toori has shrunk drastically. Four paper mills in Punjab are demanding straw to be used in paper manufacturing and they offer low prices, sensing that wheat growers are hard pressed to sell the wheat byproduct, especially in light of low demand from the dairy owners," he said. A wheat grower from Bajak village in Bathinda, Baldev Singh, said his stock of about 1,000 quintals of chopped wheat straw is lying unsold. "I cultivated wheat on 50 acres, and each acre generates nearly 20 quintals of toori. It costs around Rs.200-250 per quintal to collect it and store, whereas the traders are offering Rs.160 per quintal. I cannot sell at a loss. I will wait till January next year," he added. Another progressive farmer Tarsem Singh of Salina village in Moga, said the sale of toori brought additional income to the farmers and curbed farm fires. "A farmer used to get an additional income of around Rs.4,000 per acre. But it is the second season when rates have dipped, and there is hardly any demand," he said. Former chairperson of the Punjab state farmers commission (PSFC) Ajayvir Jakhar attributed the low demand for toori to the dairy sector shifting to paddy residue to feed livestock. "Since paddy stubble is managed in a better way, a shift is seen in the baled residue," he opined. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) principal agronomist and wheat expert Hari Ram said that the trend is worrisome. "We fear that farmers may resort to farm fires after harvesting wheat," said the expert. Ravinder Singh Grewal, director of extension education and director of the livestock farm at the Ludhiana-based Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, said: "Rates of toori in Ludhiana, the hub of the commercial dairy activities, have improved to Rs.400 per quintal, but ways need to be found for the usage of wheat straw in different industries."...