Farmers dump water-guzzling paddy for cotton

MORE THAN 82,000 FARMERS HAVE COME FORWARD TO GROW ALTERNATIVE CROPS ON 84,649 HECTARES

CHANDIGARH: Cotton cultivation tops the preference of Haryana farmers who have opted for the financial incentive-linked crop diversification driveof themanoharlalkhattar-led BJP-JJPCOAlition government.

The key objective behind encouraging farmers to choose alternativecropsistoreducearea under paddy, cultivation of whichisbeingblamedforasharp dipingroundwatertableofharyana. Thestateproducesnearly68 lakh metric tonne (LMT) paddy, including morethan25lmtbasmati, sownonabout32lakhacres of land.

For the first time, the farmers switching over to an alternative cropinplaceofpaddywillbepaid

Rs 7,000 per acre incentive.

Since the ‘Mera Pani, Meri Virasat’ policy was launched in May, nudging farmers to shift to less water-consuming crops, as many as 82,693 farmers of 22 districts have opted for this scheme (till June 22) and committed to diversifying 84,649 hectare land, states the official data. According to ACS, agriculture, Sanjeev Kaushal, at the heart of making this ambitiousschemeattractive are a range of swift and bold policy decisions made by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Of the 82,693 farmers, who have registered themselves on the‘merapani, Merivirasat’portal, over 39,000 have decided to grow cotton in 44,822 hectares instead of paddy. The alternatives these farmers have opted include maize (9,695 hectares), bajra (17,662 hectares), cotton (44,822 hectares), pulses (1,188 hectares) andhorticulture activity on 11,280 hectares.

At least 9,032 farmers of eight paddy-rich blocks – Ratia (Fatehabad), Siwan and Guhla (Kaithal), Pipli, Shahbad, Babain and Ismailabad (Kurukshetra) and Sirsa – have also opted for this scheme. The policy ‘advises’ the farmers of these eight blocks to diversify morethan50% landthat wasunderpaddycultivationlast year to become eligible for Rs 7,000 per acre incentive.

Jai Prakashdalal, agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister, said farmers were being encouraged to avoid planting paddy in areas where the groundwater level has gone below 40 metre. In order to attract farmers towards ‘Mera Pani, Meri Virasat’ scheme, hesaid, thestate governmenthasdecidedtogivesubsidy on agricultural equipment for sowing of kharif crops as well. “Farmers will have to apply online to avail the grant by June 30,” he added.

Whether the farmers have actually stopped paddy cultivation in line with the commitment they have made is a subject matter of physical verification that is now underway.

Till June 22, the committees constituted for physical verification hadverified 2,137 hectares in 16 districts as the paddy transplantation beganonjune15. The real picture of the success or otherwiseofthediversificationdrive will get clear by the end of July whenthephysicalverification of the land wouldend.“thecmhas personally been monitoring the progress of this scheme,” Kaushalsaid, praising farmersfortaking the initiative andtheagriculturedepartmentstaffforworking ‘veryhard’despitethechallenges Covid-19 outbreak posed.

While the maximum number of farmers (8,543) opting for this scheme is from Jind district, the district with least takers is Mahendergarhwhere85farmers havecomeforwardtodiversify92 hectares. The state government haspromisedthefarmersopting for diversification of procuring maize and cotton under MSP.