Punjab launches portal for DSR paddy sowing technique

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday launched a portal to facilitate farmers who opt for the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique for paddy sowing.

Mann said the portal ‘agrimachinerypb.com’ will be instrumental in compiling data about each and every farmer who opted for the DSR technique. On this occasion, the additional chief secretary (agriculture) said after proper verification, the incentive amount of Rs 1,500 per acre will be directly transferred into the bank accounts of farmers. The state government has decided to give Rs 1,500 per acre incentive to each of the farmers who sow paddy through the DSR technique.

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Under the DSR technique, paddy seeds are drilled into the field with the help of a machine that does seeding of rice and spray of herbicide simultaneously. Under the traditional method, first young paddy plants are raised by farmers in nurseries and then these plants are uprooted and transplanted in a puddled field. The agriculture department has set a target to bring 12 lakh hectares of paddy area under the DSR technique, which will be almost double of the area brought last year. The DSR technique helps in saving nearly about 15-20 per cent water as compared to the conventional puddling method.