Haryana farmers opt for hybrid paddy varieties

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: Amidst escalating input costs, labour shortage, fertilizer shortage et al, Harayana farmers are trying to increase per hectare productivity by switching to hybrid varieties of paddy this season.

The state agriculture department has fixed a target of producing about 37.27 lakh tonne of rice this year even though there is a slight reduction in the area under paddy cultivation, which stands at 10.50 lakh hectare as compared to 10.75 lakh hectare last year.

But the state is confident of producing a bumper crop by encouraging farmers to sow hybrid varieties like PRH10, Rice6444, Rice6111, Rice6124, PHB71 and RH257, which give about 20% more yield than the conventional varieties.

BS Duggal, joint agriculture director Haryana informed FE that out of the total area, about 25% would be covered under the hybrid paddy varieties. “These varieties are mainly non basmati. Besides yielding a higher produce they consume less water as well. Moreover the farmers have been growing PUSA 1121 variety in abundance which has not been declared as a basmati variety yet. But now the ministry of commerce & industries is expected to notify it as a basmati crop. In that case these new high yielding varieties will give the farmer a better price in the market,” he said.

Early monsoon prompted the farmers to start sowing paddy from June 10 in Haryana as it brought along some respite from power shortage and under ground water exploitation. But only an increase of Rs 105 in the MSP fixed at Rs 850 per quintal dampened the spirits of the farmers. Aiming to counter this with higher productivity a campaign is being undertaken by the state agriculture department.