Haryana to release Rs 65 lakh incentives to farmers for crop diversification

AMBALA: Under its ‘Jal Hi Jeevan Hai (JHJH)’ scheme, the Haryana government would soon be releasing incentives of Rs 2,000 per acre worth nearly Rs 65 lakh to farmers for shifting to maize, arhar (pigeon pea) or soybean from paddy.


The scheme was launched in 2019 to save groundwater through crop diversification in paddy-growing districts Ambala, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sonipat , and Yamunanagar.

JHJH scheme had received a lukewarm response and targets were not met. On Wednesday, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, in a meeting with farmers in Kurukshetra, said, “The government had not released incentives to farmers who had cultivated maize during the previous scheme. Now the instructions have been given to disperse the incentives to farmers.”

Haryana additional director agriculture (extension) at headquarters Suresh Gahlawat said nearly 3,300 acres of agriculture land had been verified which was eligible for Rs 2,000 per acre incentive under JHJH scheme. “Nearly Rs 65 lakh would be dispersed soon. The target completed was very low. We are now focusing on Mera Pani Meri Virasat scheme,” he said.

Earlier, CM stressed upon the new scheme to save groundwater, MPMV and motivated farmers to adopt crop diversification to save groundwater for future generations.