Area under paddy dips 18% in Haryana

KARNAL: Haryana has reported around 18% decline in the area under paddy cultivation this year.

As per figures collected from the state agriculture department till date, paddy has been sown on around 12.25 lakh hectare and may go up to around 12.50 lakh hectare as the transplant in some areas is still on.

This is around 18% less than last year’s 15.27 lakh hectare and nearly 20% below the 15.59 lakh hectare of 2019, when the state had the highest percentage of area under paddy cultivation, showed the government figures.

Area under bajra, another major Kharif crop, and procured on MSP has come down to 3.40 lakh hectare against 5.69 lakh hectare of the last Kharif season.

The figures show that the area under Kharif pulses registered a straight increase of over 81% and reached to 87,000 hectare against 48,000 hectare of the last year despite the government having set a target of bringing 50,000 hectares under Kharif pulses.

Farmers have not shown much interest in maize cultivation despite government’s efforts to encourage production of the crop and a cash incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre for shifting from paddy to maize. There is a small increase in the area under maize crop s compared to last year’s 6,600 hectare.

Maize sowing season is almost over and the farmer have grown the crop on just 9,470 hectare against the target of 50,000 hectare set by the government.

Officials said the government’s cash incentive scheme for diversification has yielded good results, encouraging farmers to shift from water-guzzler paddy to other crops.

“The government had introduced cash incentive schemes for farmers. This is a key factor behind the fall in area under paddy and bajra crop,” said Jagraj Dandi, joint director (statistics), Haryana state agriculture department.

On the other hand, farmers are of the view that no or less rainfall during paddy transplant period (June 15 to July 10) is the main reason behind fall in paddy acreage.

“I could not transplant paddy on my two acre as there was no rain. I decided to keep my fields empty for vegetables,” said farmer Madan Lal, of Ratangarh village in Yamunanagar.