Learning paddy cultivation techniques straight from their fields

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 2

First online class for farmers was broadcast from the farm of Balraj Singh Sran, a farmer at Pandori Araiyan village of Hoshiarpur.

More than 25 farmers who attended the class were either in their fields indulged in farming or at homes doing other works, but still, they didn’t miss it.

Ashok Kumar, Punjab coordinator of Dr Surender Jeet Saksharta Mission, an NGO, said the class went well except some voice related issues faced by a few farmers.

In the online class, farmers were told how to cultivate paddy without spraying pesticides with the knowledge of insects and integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.

“Farmers were asked to buy book ‘IPM package of practices’ published by the PAU in Punjabi with complete details. None of the farmers who attended the class were aware of the book,” Kumar said.

Apart from farmers, Dr Baljit Bhyan, former horticultural officer, Hisar, Haryana and Dr Jaspreet Singh Khera, project director, ATMA project, under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ludhiana, participated in the class.

Dr Khera asked farmers to follow standard package of practices written by PAU and taught by officers. He said in case any information was required, they could consult local officers of the department. He also advised farmers to take special care of guidelines for safety from coronavirus while working in farms and market as well as at home. As per the information, the second online class on paddy will be held in the first week of August.

Ashok Kumar said regular online classes on cotton from field will commence from next week. Notably, ‘Dr Surinder Dalal Keet Saksharta Mission’, an NGO, which has been working dedicatedly for farmers for the past five years, does not teach farmers through any classes or in any closed room, but in fields to practically tell them why they do not need pesticide in farms.

Dr Dalal had told farmers about the integrated pest management (IPM). As per him, they should not spray pesticides in fields. He said it was important to know about the insect before killing it.