Paddy sowing to start from June 9 in Ludhiana district

The government has divided the state into three zones for sowing paddy, this season. Ludhiana district has been put in the third zone, where paddy sowing would begin from June 9.

The Agriculture Department has urged farmers to stop the cultivation of water-gulping paddy variety Pusa 44; and instead grow water-efficient ‘PR’ varieties to save the state from turning into a desert.

Since Pusa 44 has exacerbated the problem of water scarcity in the state due to excessive groundwater extraction, farmers have been advised to avoid cultivating water-guzzling varieties.

Chief Agriculture Officer Gurdeep SINGH said farmers would be provided eight hours of power supply and should sow the seeds recommended by the Punjab Agricultual University (PAU).

The Punjab Government has also banned the sale and sowing of Pusa-44 variety, besides banning various hybrid varieties for the upcoming kharif marketing season, he said, adding that this variety created more stubble.

About 4,000 litres of water is required to produce 1 kg of rice and Pusa 44 takes 153 days to mature and requires 64 lakh litres for cultivation on 1 acre, thus, adding up to 10 per cent of more paddy straw and leading to power charges of 7,500

per acre.

Early maturing, high-yielding and water-saving paddy varieties that have been developed by the PAU include PR 114, PR 121, PR 122, PR 126, PR 127, PR 128, PR 129, PR 130 and PR 131

and PR 132.

Gurdeep said if anyone was found violating these norams they would face strict punishment

under the law.