Agri dept encouraged farmers to adopt DSR technique with incentive to save water, cut costs
Ferozepur, May 23, 2025: In a bid to conserve groundwater and reduce input costs for farmers, the Punjab Government is promoting the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique. Under this eco-friendly farming method, eligible farmers will receive a financial incentive of Rs. 1500 per acre for DSR paddy sowing.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, including Chief Agriculture Officer Gurpreet Singh and Agriculture Development Officer Vishavjeet Singh, highlighted during a campaign in Guruharsahai subdivision that DSR not only reduces water usage by up to 30% but also lowers the labor requirement and overall cultivation cost.
The state has set a target to sow paddy using DSR on 7 lakh hectares this year, with subsidies of up to 40% (maximum Rs. 4000) on DSR equipment for farmers.
The team, including extension specialists and technical experts, informed that DSR can be done using machines capable of sowing 10-12 acres per day. Farmers using this method will benefit from reduced methane emissions and faster crop maturity by 7-10 days.
Interested farmers can register for the incentive at https://agrimachinerypb.com/#/dsr-registration by June 30, 2025.