Sow basmati to help conserve water: Expert

Amritsar, May 3

The District Agriculture Department has asked the farmers to increase the area under basmati varieties as it would help in conserving groundwater. Agriculture experts say as basmati varieties are sown late it helps in saving groundwater.

“Most of the basmati varieties are sown towards the end of July or in August. By that time, the monsoon has already arrived and as such need for drawing groundwater for irrigation purposes decreases,” said Chief Agriculture Officer Jatinder Singh Gill. The department has also advised farmers to use the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique as less water is required during the initial days of the rice sown with this method.

He said a total of 1.80 lakh hectares of area was expected to come under paddy varieties. Last year, the basmati varieties were sown on over 1.08 lakh hectares. “This season we have a target to increase the area under basmati varieties to 1.30 lakh hectares ,” said Gill.