AGRICULTURE SUMMIT 2014
Mohali, February 18: Facing a crisis due to over-exploitation of water resources, the Punjab Government will soon arm itself with a new policy for direct sowing of paddy.
The government will not only be spreading awareness on this technique but will also be encouraging with incentives the farmers who go in for direct sowing.
A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting held between Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and renowned rice breeder Gurdev Singh Khush. The duo met on the sidelines of the Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit being held at Chappar Chiri near here. Sources said Khush stressed upon the Chief Minister to encourage direct sowing in a major way, which could help check the depleting water table.
Badal has reportedly decided that the area under direct sowing of paddy would be increased substantially during the next paddy season. Of the 28.50 lakh hectares of area under paddy cultivation in Punjab currently, only 50,000 hectares is under direct sowing. In the remaining 28 lakh hectares, paddy is transplanted from nurseries and the fields are kept submerged so as to avoid growth of weeds.
“This practice has led to a decline in the water table. It is thus that we are advocating the direct sowing of paddy as an alternative to transplantation,” Khush told The Tribune.
Punjab is already giving a 50 per cent subsidy on paddy seed planters but in order to encourage direct-seeding, the government is reportedly considering increasing this subsidy to 75 per cent. Several corporate giants have also been promoting direct sowing of paddy.
Why the move
- Aim is to check the over-exploitation of water resources
- The government will encourage farmers with incentives
- It is already giving 50% subsidy on seed planters
- The state plans to raise the subsidy to 75%
On the sidelines
Lighting hearths
Dalbir Singh, a Dubai-based scrap dealer, set up a biogas plant at Bahadurpur village in Ropar district in 2012, supplying six hours power to the 75-odd houses everyday. When villagers expressed helplessness in supplying cow dung for the plant, he purchased 120 cows. His nephew Gagandeep Singh says the average consumption of cooking gas in village homes has come down by 50 per cent.