The Punjab government on Saturday announced financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre to each of the farmers sowing paddy through the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique. In his announcement, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also said the farmers can start sowing paddy through the DSR technique from May 20.
"The Punjab government's big decision is that a farmer who sows paddy through direct seeding will get Rs 1,500 per acre as financial assistance," said Mann in a video message here.
Under the DSR technique, paddy seeds are drilled into the field with the help of a machine that does seeding of rice and spray of herbicide simultaneously. According to the traditional method, first young paddy plants are raised by farmers in nurseries and then these plants are uprooted and transplanted in a muddy field.
Expressing concern over the decreasing ground water table by day, the CM underlined the need to save groundwater. The traditional methods of paddy sowing leads to excessive consumption of water, which resulted in depletion of water table, said the CM adding that some districts had fallen in red zone category. Mann said, ‘’This season not only you yourself come forward for direct sowing of rice but also motivate your relatives and friends for this in interest of Punjab. Joint efforts can save the decreasing water table and all of us should join hands for this noble cause.’’
Referring to new innovations of agri-scientists, the CM said that the direct sowing was beneficial for the environment as well as economically viable for farmers and will also help in getting increased production of wheat in the fields, where direct sowing of paddy was adopted.
Mann held a meeting with 24 farmers’ organisations on April 17, where he urged them not only to adopt the direct sowing method but also to make others aware of this so that the water table could be maintained. He had also directed the officials to motivate farmers to save precious water and electricity with the DSR technique in paddy season by visiting villages.