Thursday June 12, 03:18 PM
Govt curbs slash early sown paddy acreage in Punjab |
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CHANDIGARH, India (Reuters) - Curbs imposed by the state government of Punjab has deterred farmers from early cultivation of paddy, which was depleting water levels, government officials said.
The practice of early sowing of paddy for the past few years had severely depleted the ground water in Punjab. To halt this practice, the state government this year introduced a fine of 10,000 rupees to farmers and plough their fields.
Farmers last year had transplanted paddy on 80,000 hectares by May-end, while acreage this year has been negligible because of the new rule, said Gurdial Singh, Joint Director, Punjab Agriculture Department.
Overall acreage under the paddy in the state may rise 1.5 percent to 2.65 million hectares as the Indian government raised the minimum support price it pays local rice farmers to 850 rupees per 100 kg from 745 rupees, he added.
After wheat, paddy is the biggest crop of Punjab. Paddy covered 2.62 million hectares of area in 2006/07, according to the state's department of agriculture.
Paddy cultivation has started in Punjab.
(Reporting by Ikhhlaq Singh Aujla)
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