Farmers urge govt to advance date of paddy transplanting

Nirmal Singh Manuke,district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) who raised the demand,explained: “This notification was apt for PAU-201 variety of paddy,which needed less time to ripen. However,the state government has stopped the farmers from growing this variety as millers are not ready to procure it due to discolouration and breakage of grain.”

Gulzar Singh,general secretary,BKU (Lakhowal),said: “The farmers have now replaced this paddy with PUSA varieties,which need more time to ripen. We need to advance the date of both nursery planting and then transplanting so that the crop is ready for harvest on time.”

The farmers argued that it takes at least 35 days to develop PUSA paddy seedlings,which delays the transplantation period by one week. As a result,the PUSA-44 variety takes at least 15 to 20 days to mature as compared to other normal varieties like PR-118,PR-116 and others. The farmers claimed that with the delay in transplantation of PUSA- 44,the grain quality is affected due to humid conditions at the time of harvesting.

Senior Akali leader Tota Singh,who attended the camp,assured the gathering: “The core committee of SAD has discussed this issue and the government is working on the matter. The dates will be changed to help the farmers.”