E-Paper
Kharif crops: Haryana offers subsidy on farm machines
The maximum purchase of direct-seeded rice (DSR) machines was done by farmers of Sirsa, Karnal, Jind and Kaithal districts
In a first, the Haryana government invited online applications from farmers to ensure timely availability of agricultural machines used in sowing of kharif crops.
Stating this in a release in Chandigarh on Monday, state agriculture and farmers welfare department additional chief secretary Sumita Misra said that there is a provision to provide 40% subsidy to general category farmers and 50% to reserved category farmers under the sub-mission on agricultural mechanisation (SMAM) scheme.
In the stipulated period, 2330 farmers bought agricultural machinery, including 239 BT cotton seed drill machines, 323 were tractor-operated spray pumps, 284 direct seeded rice (DSR) machines for paddy sowing, 1,156 tractor-mounted rotary weeders, five power tillers, 104 pneumatic planters, 13 maize threshers, 71 maize planters and 136 automatic reaper binder machines. A sum of ₹16 crore will be distributed to the farmers as incentive on these machines.
Department director general Hardeep Singh said that farmers of Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Narnaul and Hisar districts of south Haryana took advantage of the subsidy on BT cotton seed drill and tractor operated spray pumps, while the farmers of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kurukshetra districts of north Haryana showed interest in the tractor operated rotary weeder machine and pneumatic planter.
The maximum purchase of DSR machines was done by farmers of Sirsa, Karnal, Jind and Kaithal.
Crop diversification plan
Paddy is grown on 31.25 lakh acres in Haryana due to which there is excessive exploitation of groundwater and soil fertility is also decreasing. To preserve natural resources, the state government has started a crop diversification programme under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna this kharif season.
Misra said that the scheme is being implemented in the more water-exhaustive districts, such as Ambala, Fatehabad, Jind, Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonepat, Sirsa and Yamunanagar where paddy is grown on more than 1.25 lakh acres. A target of 62,500 acres for maize and 32,500 acres for pulses such as moong, urad and arhar has been kept to diversify the paddy crop with these crops.
In order to encourage the farmers, the state government will provide an incentive of ₹2,400 per acre for maize and ₹3,600 per acre for pulses like moong, urad and arhar. The incentive will be disbursed in the farmers’ bank accounts through DBT after physical verification. The farmer registration is mandatory on www.agriharyana.gov.in to get the benefit of the scheme. District-level fairs will be organised to make farmers aware about the scheme. The government would spend ₹38.5 crore on implementing the crop diversification programme.
