Name: Gorakh Singh
Country: India

Year: 2025
Volume: Volume-16, Issue-2, (July-December)
Page Number: 172-181
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21902837

ABSTRACT
Punjab has been the backbone of India’s food security, but the state’s agri-ecosystem has become increasingly dependent on the rice–wheat cropping system. While this has created a surplus of food grains, it has led to groundwater depletion, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, and other ecological problems, as well as crop residue management issues. Crop diversification is, therefore, an important environmental and economic concern. This paper aims to assess the current state of Punjab’s agriculture, with a specific focus on crop diversification. The paper uses government data, academic research, and policy documents to analyze the challenges and opportunities associated with crop diversification in the region. The discussion finds that paddy continues to dominate Punjab’s cropping pattern in the country. The area under paddy was 32.43 lakh hectares in 2024–25, with a projected increase to 32.49 lakh hectares in 2025–26. As of 2025, the groundwater outlook in Punjab is not