Nabard pitches for breaking wheat-paddy rotation in Haryana

NABARD has asked Haryana government to break wheat-paddy crop rotation by promoting alternate crops like maize and pulses to conserve underground water level as it projects Rs 78,295 crore credit plan for the state for 2014-15.
In a state focus paper launched here, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) pointed out that the agriculture sector in Haryana is dominated by paddy-wheat rotation, causing degradation in soil fertility and further fall in under ground water level.
"Dominance of wheat-paddy rotation needs to be broken. Maize, soyabean and pulses in kharif season are good alternative crops that can be grown in Haryana. Bringing in more areas under maize (which requires one sixth water as against paddy) cultivation from existing paddy cultivation will help conserve precious groundwater resource," it said.

With cropping intensity in Haryana reaching 184 per cent, Nabard said the continuous development of groundwater resources and changes in cropping pattern during last three decades has resulted in considerable decline in static water levels and decrease in yield of open wells.
Out of 117 blocks in Haryana, 71 blocks fall under over- exploited category, 15 blocks under critical category and seven blocks are under semi-critical category, it said.
Besides pitching for horticulture crops, Nabard also suggested incentivising efficient water use and encouraging community based management of acquifiers.

Considering the scarcity of water and stress on under- ground water, Nabard said there was an urgent need to promulgate an Act or legislation to regulate depleting water level.

Noting that technological fatigue was a major challenge before farm sector, Nabard said yield potential of existing crop varieties had already reached plateau and genetic breakthrough was urgently required for quantum jump in output.
Observing that seed replacement rate of various crops especially of pulses and paddy was poor, it laid stress on development of terminal heat tolerant varieties of wheat, salinity resistant varieties of oilseeds and pulses.
Stating that present arrangement for supply of quality seeds to farmers was inadequate, it said that private entrepreneurs should be encouraged for hybrid seed production of maize, cotton and paddy.