Subsidies for transplanters to break stagnation

CHANDIGARH, Dec 13: Worried about stagnation in productivity of the major cereal crops, the Haryana government has asked the Union govern...

CHANDIGARH, Dec 13: Worried about stagnation in productivity of the major cereal crops, the Haryana government has asked the Union government to grant subsidies for mechanical transplanters for paddy and zero tillage machines for sowing of wheat. The increased utilisation of the two machines can help in break the stagnation barrier.

In a letter to Union Agriculture Ministry, the state government has sought subsidy of 75 per cent to the farmers for the purchase of mechanical paddy transplanters and 50 per cent subsidy for zero tillage machine. For scheduled castes/scheduled tribes farmers, it has proposed a subsidy of 90 per cent for paddy transplanters and 75 per cent for zero tillage machine.The demand for subsidy made under the ICDP-Wheat scheme, is under consideration of the Agriculture Ministry.

The paddy transplanter, which costs about Rs 95,000 per unit, will improve yield by increasing plant population to the recommended level of 35 plants/m2 raise to power 2, according to experts. The average plant population through manual transplantation has been 22/m2 raise to power 2 in the last few years, failing to improve any further. 8220;It will not be possible to increase plant population as long as we do not shift from manual to mechanical transplantation,8221; according to experts.

Haryana Agriculture Director Shakuntla Jakhu said the demonstrations conducted by the department on paddy transplantation by mechanical transplanters had shown encouraging results but its cost was very high. It would be difficult for the average farmers to incur such a heavy investment without aid from the government, she pointed out. The department has also proposed steps to popularise the equipment through custom hiring because an average farmer with small land holdings can not afford to purchase the equipment. According to officials, the zero tillage machine can help improve the productivity of wheat and control weed by saving the time on field preparations, thereby ensuring timely sowing of wheat.

Nearly 30 per cent of the area under basmati is sown for wheat in late December every year as precious time is wasted for field preparations after harvesting 8211; this adversely affects the yields. In addition, the department has sought 50 per cent subsidy for herbicides identified by the State Agriculture University at Hisar to control 8220;phalaris minor8221; 8211; a serious weed, which has virtually endangered wheat cultivation in the state. The weed has acquired resistance against the recommended weedicide, Isoproturon. The alternate herbicides have shown positive results but have failed to get adequate response from farmers due to the cost factor 8211; the cost of herbicides per acre comes Rs 600 against Rs 200 per acre for Isoproturon. 8220;Subsidy will help popularise these herbicides,8221; say officials.