Haryana will soon have a law to prevent early sowing of paddy, which will help in checking the depleting water table, Haryana agriculture minister, Harmohinder Singh Chatha said on Wednesday.
The work to formulate this law will be completed before the month of May next and to manage groundwater, a Model Bill is also under the active consideration of the government.
The agriculture minister said artificial recharge scheme was being implemented in those areas where water table was depleting speedily. Besides, farmers were also encouraged to cultivate pulses and oilseeds and other crops , which require comparatively less water.
In addition, micro irrigation, especially sprinkler or drip irrigation systems were being given impetus to economize the use of available water and arrest the depleting water table. For this purpose, total outlay of Rs 43.19 crore had been earmarked for the current financial year.
The minister informed that in order to promote sprinkler and drip irrigation system for horticulture and non-horticulture crops in the state, subsidy up to 50% was being provided for setting up of these techniques. The use of these techniques had proved immensely beneficial in for optimum utilisation of water, particularly in southern Haryana where the water table was very low.
He said that the state government had succeeded in checking the sale of spurious seeds by launching the special quality control campaigns all over the state and to ensure that farmers get quality seeds a new Seed Testing Laboratory was being set up at Sirsa. It would also strengthen the quality control mechanism, he added.
The farmers were given highest sugarcane price in the country which also reflects that that present state government was committed for the welfare of farming community, he said. A sum of Rs170 per quintal was given for early maturing varieties, Rs 165 per quintal for mid-maturing varieties and Rs160 per quintal for late-maturing varieties benefitting over three lakh sugarcane growers in the state. The rate was higher by Rs five per quintal in respect of early maturing varieties as compared to Punjab also, he added.
Chatha said that the state government not only waived off the pending electricity bills of the farmers but they were also given rebate upto 50% for using power to cultivate horticulture crops and for fisheries.
Apart from this, interest on crop loan had also been reduced substantially. The minister said 0to encourage farmers to adopt animal husbandry, horticulture and fisheries along with crop production, they were being provided training and other assistance. Agriculture Technology Management Agency Scheme had been implemented to rejuvenate agriculture and allied sectors in a holistic manner, he added.
He said that to reduce cost of cultivation, farmers were being motivated to plant wheat crop through zero till seed drill, which help in saving Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per hectare.