Water-saving paddy cultivation technique big hit with Haryana farmers

Pradeep Sharma 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8

Haryana farmers have taken to water-saving direct seeded rice (DSR) technique in a big way with 40,787 acres of land coming under this alternative method of paddy cultivation. This target in eight districts in the “rice belt” in the state was 20,000 acres.

In a big boost to BJP-JJP government’s repeated initiatives to conserve water, 14,028 farmers have taken up this DSR technique in the eight districts in which a pilot project was launched by the state government recently. A cash incentive of Rs 5,000 per acre is the offered o the farmers under the scheme.

A maximum of 3,201 farmers opted for the new scheme over an area of 9,628 acres in Jind followed by 2,010 farmers (7,217 acres) in Karnal and 2,291 (6,336 acres) in Kaithal.

As many as 1,525 farmers (4,250 acres) in Ambala, 2,048 farmers (5,346 acres) in Kurukshetra, 688 farmers (2,150 acres) in Panipat, 660 farmers(1,913 acres) in Sonepat and 1,604 (3,946 acres) in Yamunanagar switched over  to the new technique from the traditional paddy transplantation.

Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare), said the overwhelming response to the scheme would provide a big boost to government’s water conservation efforts and creating awareness among farmers about  the need to adopt alternative water-saving techniques.

While the state has achieved double the target in area coverage under the scheme in eight districts, 3,177 farmers in  other 14 districts have also  adopted this technique over an area of 13,400 taking state’s total to 54,187 acres.

The traditional paddy transplantation is water and labour intensive while the farmers can save 15-20 per cent water and labour under the DSR technique.

‘Big boost to water-conservation efforts’

“The overwhelming response to the scheme would provide a big boost to government’s water conservation efforts and creating awareness among farmers about  the need to adopt alternative water-saving techniques,” says Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture).

Top three districts

*Jind      9628 acres

*Karnal   7217 acres

*Kaithal  5346 acres