Chandigarh : In a major push to save groundwater and promote sustainable paddy cultivation, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian announced that the state has set a target of bringing 5 lakh acres under the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique during the 2026-27 kharif season, with a dedicated budget provision of Rs 40 crore.
Sharing details of the water-conserving DSR scheme, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian informed that 23,410 farmers adopted the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique during the 2025 kharif season, covering 2,35,899 acres through direct sowing of paddy. The Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has disbursed over Rs 35.38 crore as financial assistance- at Rs1,500 per acre- directly into the bank accounts of all eligible farmers.
“This is a farmer-led revolution in water conservation. The remarkable response in 2025-26 has laid a strong foundation. Now, with a Rs 40-crore outlay and a target of 5 lakh acres for 2026-27, we are scaling up our commitment to save precious groundwater,” S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated. Urging the state farmers to adopt the water saving DSR technique and register early to avail the incentive, the Agriculture Minister further added that the online DSR registration portal for farmers willing to adopt the technique, is already operational.
Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the DSR technique eliminates puddling and nursery transplantation, cutting irrigation water use by 15-20% and slashing labour costs significantly a critical intervention in Punjab’s broader strategy to reverse the decline of its water table, besides, ensuring that economic incentive matches ecological urgency, he added.
