Haryana starts paddy transplantation

Paddy transplantation operations commenced in Haryana from today as farmers in the state gear to cover 1.2 million hectare area under paddy this year. The paddy transplantation season in Haryana this year commenced with a spell of rain, a positive sign for the farming community.

P S Rangi, Consultant, Punjab farmer commission maintained that 20-25 per cent water is required for irrigation at the time of paddy transplantation and the timely rains definitely would help in meeting the irrigation requirements to some extent. Punjab and Haryana are deficient in power with the state industry also lamenting the power shortage. According to Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN), there is 10 per cent annual load growth, particularly in the paddy growing areas during the transplantation period.

 

Haryana with more than 80 per cent irrigated area doesn’t seem to be benefitting much by the rains as farmers have options to resort to irrigation measures to meet the crop requirements. However, dependence on irrigation suggests more electricity being drawn by farmers and less power available to other sectors like industries.

Rangi said, normal monsoon ensures that farmers would not have to resort to irrigation facilities thereby helping in saving power for the state. Electricity saved on agriculture is an opportunity for industries to utilise the same.

The transplantation for common and fine varieties of rice would continue till second week of July after which transplantation of superfine variety (Basmati) will be done. MSP (Minimum Support Price) of common paddy has been fixed at Rs 1,080 per quintal while that for and fine Paddy (Grade A) is fixed at Rs 1,110 per quintal.

The cost of production for paddy in Haryana this year has been earmarked at Rs 1,277 per quintal compared to Rs 1,204 quintal per hectare last year.

In Haryana, Basmati is mainly grown in districts including Ambala, Yamunangar, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal , Jind, Panipat, Sonipat, Fatehabad and Sirsa.