CHANDIGARH, July 7 -- Even as Haryana government paid Rs.247 crore as incentive to around 1.22 lakh farmers in last five years to promote water-saving direct seeded rice (DSR) technique, the drive missed targets as paddy was cultivated on about 6 lakh-acre against the state's target of 10 lakh acre, according to official data.

Despite this guarded response from the cultivators to Haryana's DSR push, the state agriculture department has set the target of bringing 5-lakh acres under the DSR this year.

In 2025 against the target of 4 lakh acre, 31,605 farmers cultivated paddy with the DSR method on only 1.74 lakh acre, while in 2024 the target was 3 lakh acre and DSR was adopted on about 1.56 lakh acre by 27,378 farmers, the agriculture de...