Punjab targets to deliver a million hectare underneath DSR on this paddy season

The Punjab authorities, anticipating a scarcity of migrant labour within the upcoming paddy transplantation season, has determined to deliver a million hectares underneath the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) method for the crop this 12 months.
Punjab farmers had planted paddy utilizing the DSR method, as an alternative of conventional transplanting, within the kharif season final 12 months too in round 5 lakh hectares of land.
Direct seeding is a technique underneath which pre-germinated seeds are instantly drilled into the sector by a tractor-powered machine.
There is not any nursery preparation or transplantation concerned on this methodology. Farmers must solely degree their land and provides one pre-sowing irrigation.
The authorities has additionally requested the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to make the preparations in energy provide schedule for customers utilizing agricultural pump units in the course of the forthcoming paddy season.
In a letter dated May 13 and addressed to chairman-cum-managing director of PSPCL, the Additional Chief Secretary (Development) of Punjab, Anirudh Tewari, requested CMD PSPCL, A Venu Prasad, to make essential preparations to make sure eight hours of energy provide from May 25 to June 2, four-hour energy provide from June 3 to June 9 and once more eight hour energy provide from June 10 onwards for all agricultural customers.
The letter additional says that the division is selling DSR throughout kharif season this 12 months to preserve 10 to fifteen per cent irrigation water as in comparison with the puddle transplanted rice. The division, the letter added, targets to deliver an space of 1 million hectares (10 Lakh hectares ) underneath DSR in the course of the forthcoming season.
The letter additionally says that Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, has additionally beneficial the DSR method within the state, with impact from June 1 in ‘tar wattar’ situations — that’s in fields which have excessive moisture content material with none extra expenditure, which really leads to saving groundwater and due to this fact lowered energy consumption.
Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu, Agriculture Commissioner of Punjab, stated that committing a million hectares was a significant coverage resolution and the promotion of DSR will result in conservation of groundwater and save farmers from labour scarcity. He additional stated that 1017 camps have been organised in a cluster of 5 villages every throughout the paddy transplanting districts of the state to coach and educate the farmers within the DSR method.
He stated that the official date of paddy transplanting is June 10 and it will likely be adopted strictly.

Farmers of the Punjab however, nevertheless, have demanded that the federal government not repair any date for paddy transplanting this 12 months due to the continued Covid pandemic and lack of labour. They say that round 2.7 to 2.8 million hectares is already devoted to rice cultivation and this requires numerous labourers.
Jagmohan Singh, General Secretary Bharti Kisan Union (BKU), Daukunda, stated that this time they’d be principally depending on the native khet mazdoors for paddy transplanting and if the ability provide to tube-wells is given earlier than June 1, then farmers may even begin transplantation at their very own degree
He stated {that a} mounted date to begin the cultivation of paddy will result in large gatherings within the fields which could result in the unfold of Covid among the many farmers.

Singh additionally stated that the DSR methodology will not be appropriate on sure varieties of soil and in such fields solely transplanting strategies work.
He stated that if the federal government doesn’t conform to their calls for, then the farmers might be compelled to begin an agitation.