Help popularise ASR technique: HS Phoolka to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh

Amritsar, May 13

After meeting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh here on Saturday, HS Phoolka, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, requested him to utilise his influence among Sikh farmers to popularise the anaerobic sowing of rice (ASR) technique of paddy growing which consumes less water than conventional method and give more yield.

Leading a delegation comprising farmers and agriculture scientists Dr Avtar Singh and Dr Chaman Lal Vashisht, Phoolka handed over a representation to the Jathedar to popularise the ASR technique.

The latter assured him that farmers would be made aware of the technique to reduce their input cost and increase the yield.

Phoolka said the technique required to sow seed on a raised bed which would reduce requirement of seeds from nearly 50 kg to 1.5 kg on an acre. Similarly, consumption of pesticide and fertiliser would come down to 10 per cent of what is it being used today. He said water consumption would also come down drastically.

A participant of the delegation, Rajinder Singh Pannu of Mehta village, said he grew 1509 basmati on an acre of land with the ASR technique which gave a yield of 20 quintal. “Its fine quality fetched him a price of Rs 3,460 and the rest of basmati grown through traditional method did not give superior quality basmati. It was sold at Rs 2,900 per quintal,”he said.