Haryana: Agriculture Dept sets target of 3.02 lakh acre under DSR

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, June 21

The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has set a target of 3.02 lakh acre under the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique in 12 paddy-growing districts of the state for the kharif season-2024.

Technique getting popular

The DSR technique is getting popular gradually as a number of farmers have been approaching the department about the scheme and incentive. Efforts are being made to shift the farmers from traditional methods to DSR technique. They are also provided with guidance to manage the weeds through weed management. Jitender Mehta, SDO, Agriculture department, Kurukshetra

The department has increased the target this year, as in 2023, the department had set the target of 2.25 lakh acre, post water conclave, under the scheme.

Like previous year, the department will give an incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre to farmers opting for the DSR technique for which the department has allocated a budget of Rs 120.80 crore.

The interested farmers have to register themselves on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora Portal of the department and the last date of registration is July 10.

As per the information, the Sirsa district has been given the maximum target of 85,000 acre, followed by Karnal (30,000 acre), Fatehabad and Hisar (25,000 acre each) and Kurukshetra (22,000 acre).

Similarly, Jind and Sonepat have been given targets of 20,000 acre each, Kaithal 18,000 acre, while Panipat, Rohtak and Yamunanagar 15,000 acre each. The Ambala district has been given a target of 12,000 acre under the scheme.

Through this scheme, the Agriculture Department has been aiming to shift paddy farmers to DSR technique from the traditional transplantation methods. In view of the depleting water table, the DSR method is considered to be a better technique. However, the targets have been delayed this year, as generally the targets are given in the month of April.

Now, the farmers have already started paddy transplantation from June 15. Excessive weeds and lower yield in the DSR method have been some concerns for the farmers and the Agriculture Department due to which the farmers show reluctance in adopting the DSR technique. The Sub-divisional Officer, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department Kurukshetra, Jitender Mehta, said, “The DSR technique is getting popular gradually as a number of farmers have been approaching the department about the scheme and incentive. Efforts are being made to shift the farmers from traditional methods to DSR technique and they are also provided with guidance to manage the weeds through weed management.”

Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA) Ambala Dr Jasvinder Saini, said, “The targets for the kharif season has been received. The regular farmers, who have adopted this technique over the years, have already started sowing through DSR. In Ambala, we have a target of 12,000 acre, and we have obtained reports from four blocks (Ambala-I, Ambala-II, Saha and Barara) where over 6,000 acre have already been covered by the farmers. Soon, the department will start holding camps to motivate farmers to adopt the DSR technique and also organise visits of the fields where the sowing through DSR method has been done. All efforts are being made to achieve the target.”