In Haryana, farmers make a slight shift towards pulses, oilseeds from paddy, millet

Pradeep Sharma 
Tribune News Service 
Chandigarh, September 29 

In a big boost to the crop diversification scheme, farmers have started moving to pulses and oilseeds from Haryana’s traditional paddy and millet crops.

As compared to the year 2020, the area under pulses (moong, arhar, and urad) has increased by a whopping 74 per cent during the 2021 Kharif season registering an increase of 67 per cent in production. The area under moong cultivation alone has increased from 1,13,521 acres to 1,98,438 acres, registering an impressive increase of 84,917 acres, sources said.

Similarly, the area under oilseeds has jumped by 42 per cent from 2020 to 2021 registering an increase of 48 per cent in production. While the area under groundnut has increased from 22,847 acres to 27,230 acres (4,383 acres), the area under til (sesame) has registered an increase of 7,469 acres(from 4,298 acres to 11,767 acres).

The sources said the farmers over an area of about 98,000 acres had opted for alternative crops across the state, especially in southern Haryana, considered to be Bajwa belt.

Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said that state government consistent efforts coupled with cash incentives to the farmers for shifting from paddy and bajra to alternative crops  had started paying rich dividends.

Under “Mera Pani, Meri Virasat” crop diversification scheme of the Haryana government, the farmers opting for alterative crops  in place of paddy are given an incentive of Rs 7,000 per acres. Similarly, the farmers are given an incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre in case they shifted from bajra to pulses or oilseeds.

Officials said the crop diversification would  go a long way in conserving water besides increasing the fertility of land and increasing the availability oilseeds to the common man.

 “State government’s consistent efforts coupled with cash incentives to the farmers for shifting from paddy and bajra to alternative crops  has started paying rich dividends,” Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary(Agriculture), said.

The increase

—Since 2021, area under pulses (moong, arhar, and urad) increases by  74 per cent ; production by 67% .

—Area under oilseeds  increases by 42%  while  48%  rise in production.

—Farmers opt for crop diversification over an area of about 98,000 acres across Haryana.