Technological change has been the major driving force for increasing agricultural productivity and promoting agriculture development - to conserve groundwater, increase yield and reduce input cost. In this context, a seminar at Nabha was held, at the Farmers Training Camp organized by the Agriculture Department, to motivate the farmers to adopt the new ridge seeding technique or direct sowing, an initiative taken by Divisional Commissioner Patiala Chander Gaind, with presentation of the success story of Surjeet Singh a progress farmer and national awarded,
Dev Mann, MLA Nabha, Deputy Commissioner Patiala Sakshi Sahni, SDM Kanu Garg, ADC(D) Gautam, Joint Director Agriculture, Chief Agriculture Officer, progressive farmer Surjit Singh Sadhugarh was also present on this occasion.
The adoption of new techniques, developed by the progressive farmer Surjeet Singh, who is using the same over years, to save the level of groundwater, protect the environment besides increasing yield, and reduce input cost, is the need of the hour, said Chander Gaind, after inaugurating the district-level awareness camp for the farmers at Nabha, Gaind.
I have asked the deputy commissioners of all the districts in the division to show this success story in the grain markets to put wiser the farmers to follow the part of the progressive farmers, thereby contributing towards water conservation and environment protection and getting rid of stubble burning, he said while throwing light on the current water table status and appreciating the techniques developed by Surjeet Singh progressive farmer.
He said, in case the new techniques are not adopted and we continue with the misuse of water, there will be a great loss to the fertility of the land without adequate water, thus reducing the high prices of land.
No doubt, crop diversification too is the alternative but with this new technique of sowing, we can save at least consumption of 50 percent water for another 10-20 years.
Gaind also appealed to the farmers to go in for sowing PR-126 variety of paddy in the middle of July, near the rainy season, which will help in increasing the yield and saving water.
Progressive farmer Surjeet Singh also addressed the farmers with his PowerPoint Presentation and motivated them to use the technique which saves groundwater through advanced farming practices and appealed to all the farming community to come forward and adopt these methods.