New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- More than Rs.2.9 crore in soil-carbon payments is being disbursed to 2,550 farmers in Punjab and Haryana under a farmer carbon programme. The first payments were released through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) at a programme held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.

Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), initiated the DBT to the farmers.

The payments are part of 'Aadi', a Grow Indigo farmer carbon programme launched in 2019 with technical guidance from ICAR. Between 2019 and 2022, participating farmers adopted Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), reduced tillage and crop-residue management practices....