The Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department has set a target to cover 5 lakh acres in the state under the direct seeded rice (DSR) technique in 2026-27. The scheme will be implemented in 22 districts across the state and the department has released the district-specific targets.
What is direct seeded rice (DSR)?
The DSR involves the direct seeding of rice rather than the traditional transplantation method and it requires lesser water and labour. In view of the depleting water table, the government and the Agriculture Department have been making efforts to make farmers adopt DSR technique instead of the traditional method. Agriculture experts consider May 25 to June 15 as the ideal period for DSR sowing to ensure optimum yield.
Why is the government promoting the DSR technique?
In view of the depleting groundwater level, the DSR is considered to be better than the traditional method. The traditional paddy transplantation practice is labour and water-intensive, while DSR doesn’t require the labour and water of the size and scale of the traditional method and can reduce water consumption and production cost.
What is the department aiming at?
The Department has significantly expanded its direct seeded rice (DSR) programme for the kharif 2026 season, increasing the target area from 4 lakh acres last year to 5 lakh acres this year. The scheme, which was earlier limited to 12 paddy-growing districts, will now cover 22 districts across the state, under the promotion of crop diversification and water conservation for 2026-27. To encourage the farmers to adopt the technique, the state government is providing an incentive of Rs 4,500 per acre to farmers opting for DSR.
Which districts have received the highest targets?
Among the 22 districts covered under the scheme Sirsa has received the highest target of 1.62 lakh acres, followed by Fatehabad (75,000 acre), Yamunanagar (35,000), Karnal, Panipat and Kurukshetra (30,000 acre each), Ambala (25,000) and Sonepat (20,000). Jind and Kaithal have been given targets of 15,000 acre each, while Jhajjar, Palwal, and Rohtak have been given targets of 10,000 acre each. Hisar has been given a target of 6,500 acres, Bhiwani and Mewat have been given a target of 5,000 acre each, Hansi (4,500), Charkhi Dadri (3,000), Gurugram and Panchkula (2,500 each), Faridabad and Rewari (2,000 acre each). Mahendragarh is the only district excluded from the scheme.
Why were the targets and coverage being increased in the state?
According to the Agriculture Department officials, the farmers’ response to the technique has improved gradually over the past few years. Deputy Director, Agriculture, Ambala, Dr Jasvinder Singh said the government had been consistently encouraging the farmers to adopt DSR to conserve groundwater and that the technique was becoming increasingly popular among the farmers. The farmers who adopted DSR in previous years have already started sowing paddy through the method this season as well.
