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Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 6
By offering 50 per cent subsidy on paddy transplanters, the state government is set to give boost to mechanisation in paddy transplantation in the upcoming season (June and July).
The paddy transplantation is the only major agricultural operation which is done manually in the state.
According to statistics compiled by the Agriculture Department, about 12 lakh labourers from outside the state come every year in June and July to transplant paddy. However, over the last few years there is steep reduction in the number of labourers coming to the state. Therefore, farmers get stressed to transplant paddy in small window of 40 days.
To overcome this problem, the government has decided to introduce mechanised transplantation on a large scale this year. “Farmers are to be given 40-50 per cent subsidy for procuring the machines, which are mainly being manufactures by Japanese and Korean companies,” said KS Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture.
He said a walk-behind six row transplantation machine cost around Rs 3.50 lakh. This machine plants 5-6 acres of paddy daily. Similarly, fully mechanised riding type 6-8 row machine costs about Rs 10-15 lakh and can transplant paddy on about 10-12 acres daily.
He said paddy transplanted by machines maintained adequate number of seedlings per unit area which resulted in better yield.
Pannu said about 350 paddy transplanters were tested in Punjab in last two years and the machine had been found successful in efficient planting of the crop.
Apply by January 20
The government has sought applications from farmers who are interested in getting subsidy on paddy planters. They have been asked to send their applications to the Director, Agriculture, before January 20.
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