Haryana Agri Dept scouts for available paddy nurseries

Harayana Agriculture Department has said today that it is scouting for spare nurseries in adjoining districts and states to help paddy growers recover their losses after their fields were flooded due to heavy rains last week.

A State Agriculture Department spokesperson says all the deputy directors of the department have been directed through a written communication to guide farmers of the flood-affected areas on the availability of spare paddy nurseries with the farmers of adjoining districts or states.

The Department has also advised farmers to procure such sources and re-transplant paddy in their fields. Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal and Fatehabad are the worst-affected districts after thousands of acres of farm lands was submerged last week.

The department spokesperson says the affected farmers of Haryana will have to re-transplant paddy once the flood waters recede.

"If transplantation of paddy in the damaged area is not feasible at this stage due to standing flood waters, the farmers will be advised to take alternative crops like maize, fodder and Urad (pulse) in the months of July or August, and oilseeds in the beginning of September," he said.

Also, the deputy directors of Agriculture Departments of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Fatehabad, Kaithal and Sirsa districts have been requested to issue necessary advisory to farmers that entire month of July is the optimum period for paddy transplantation.