Explained: Despite incentives, why is DSR technique not gaining ground in Punjab? | Explained News,The Indian Express
The Punjab government has announced a Rs 1,500 per acre incentive to farmers for adopting the DSR method. But they are returning to the traditional method of puddled transplanting of rice in majority of the paddy area. Why is this?
Punjab is not only a long way away from its target of Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) for this year (as it could only achieve 6.7% of the total target) but also the state has seen 85.7% decline in DSR area from the last season. This has happened (ahead of paddy sowing) despite the state government announcing a Rs 1,500 per acre incentive to the farmers for adopting the DSR method and earmarking Rs 450 crore for the purpose.
Why did farmers ignore this incentive and returned to the traditional method of puddled transplanting of rice (PTR) in majority of the paddy area? The Indian Express explains.
What was the target for DSR and how much area could be brought under it in the state?
In Punjab, rice (paddy and basmati) is grown in over 30 lakh hectares of farmland every year. The state government has set a target of bringing 12 lakh hectares (29.64 lakh acres) under DSR, which does not require puddled fields for transplanting paddy nursery and flood irrigation. The ideal time for DSR for paddy (non-basmati) crop is from June 1 to June 15 and for basmati (aromatic rice) from mid-June to June-end. For paddy DSR began in the state from May 20, and till July 10 only 80,000 hectares (1.98 lakh acres) could be sown with the DSR method. With this much area, Punjab’s DSR area is 93.3% down from the target and if one compares it with last year’s area then also it is 85.7% down. Last year, 5.62 lakh hectares (13.88 lakh acres) was under DSR in the state and that was also the highest ever area under DSR in the history of the state.
The main purpose of promoting DSR by announcing incentives was to save groundwater. Experts say that around 15% to 20% of groundwater can be saved by adopting DSR.
Rating: 5