Agri dept looks to popularise SARP methodology among farmers

Kolkata: The Agriculture department is taking all necessary steps to make farmers aware of the System of Assured Rice Production (SARP) methodology to ensure better income of paddy cultivators in the state.

The SARP methodology in kharif season has been developed by the agriculture scientists of the laboratories under the state Agriculture department.

Recently, a seminar was organised at Haripal in Hooghly, where concerned officials from eight districts were present. The districts include Hooghly, Burdwan, Birbhum and North 24-Parganas. The officials will take up the task of creating awareness among farmers in their respective districts. They will be disseminating information about SARP in kharif season among paddy cultivators to encourage farmers in using the methodology. Asish Banerjee, the state Agriculture minister and Pradip Mazumder, advisor to the Chief Minister on agriculture, were present in the seminar.

According to a senior scientist of the Agriculture department, the methodology ensures lesser production cost. At the same time, it also guarantees high yield, overcoming the adverse conditions that sometime come up for paddy cultivation.

"It often happens that paddy cultivators get worried due to delay in rainfall. But with the use of the methodology, they will no longer have to worry as the chances of crops getting damaged due to the delay in rainfall will become less," he said, adding that already, paddy cultivation by using the methodology has begun in around 3,000 bighas of agricultural land in many districts. It is expected that more farmers will take up the same in due course of time, as it ensures cultivation in both irrigable and non-irrigable land.

Moreover, there will be no requirement of any high-end machinery for using the methodology. At the same time, less number of labourers will be required for the same.

Banerjee said: "Bengal is the first among all states by cultivating the highest quantity of paddy. Still we are continuing our research work for further development in paddy cultivation in our state and the methodology will help farmers get a high yield despite less production cost."

It may be mentioned that the Mamata Banerjee government has taken several steps for the benefit of farmers in the past seven years and the income of farmers has gone up manifold.

Now, with the steps taken to popularise the methodology, there will be further development in the agriculture sector of Bengal and the state government will help farmers use the same.