Direct paddy seeding, saving water need of the hour: Expert

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Jalandhar, April 6

A district-level farmer training camp and farm exhibition was held by the Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department, Kapurthala, along with ATMA, at Sultanpur Lodhi today.

The camp which was inaugurated by AAP Halka in charge Sajjan Singh Cheema, was held to provide technical know-how to farmers regarding Kharif Crops and the judicious use of natural resources in farming.

Addressing farmers on the occasion, Sajjan Singh Cheema said to ensure the responsible use water as a natural resource, direct padddy seeding was the need of the hour. He said the level of groundwater was falling by 3 feet every year and it needed to be saved.

Direct paddy seeding to could help save water and it also increased income. He also talked about increasing the area under sugarcane and corn cultivation.

Randeep Singh, SDM Sultanpur Lodhi appealed to farmers to sow paddy only as per the time schedule stated by Punjab Agricultural University. They were also appealed not to sow paddy before the stipulated time because it causes wastage of water and increase in agricultural expenses. Farmers were exhorted to practically put to use the knowledge they had gained from experts today.

Harinder Singh, Joint Director, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department, Punjab, detailed the schemes of the agricultural department and arragements for Kharif crops and also encouraged farmers to take to supportive vocations so that farming could be turned into a more lucrative occupation. He asked farmers to bring much land under direct paddy seeding to save water and to ensure that the crop remainig after harvesting is not brunt but merged with the soil.

Surinder Kumar Virdi, Agricultural Officer, Kapurthala, said in the past year1.8 lakh hectare land in the district was under paddy cultivation which is expected to stay the same this year. He exhorted farmers to increase land under Basmati cultivation to save more water. He also asked farmers to use manure, fertilsers and agri chemicals as per the recommendations of experts.

District Training Officer Kapurthala Tej Pal Singh thanked all teams, experts and farmers and asked them to participate in all camps being held for them so that the PAU techniques might be propagated among them as much as possible.

Dr Gulzar Singh Saghera, Director, Regional Research Centre (PAU), Kapurthala; Dr Satbir SIngh, Deputy Director, Krishi Vihyam Kendra, Kapurthala; Dr Pradeep Kumar, in charge, Farmers’ Advisory Centre Kapurthala; Dr GS Bedi, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry; Lal Bahadur, Deputy Director, Horticulture; Manpreet Singh, Divisional Alnd Security Officer; Daljit Singh Fisheries Officer, KVK Kapurthala; among others spoke to farmers and explained to them, the nuances of farming.

During the Kisan Mela, an exhibition was also put up in which farmers displayed immense interest. Farmers doing effecyive work on direct paddy sowing and Parali (stubble) management were also honoured on the occasion.