Morinda, 04 October 2025 – Deputy Commissioner Mr. Varjit Walia today visited the fields affected by false smut of paddy (turmeric disease) at village Riyarali of Morinda sub-division. During this, he interacted with the farmers and got information about the damage caused by this disease. The farmers said that many fields have been affected due to this disease.
The Deputy Commissioner directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mr. Sukhpal Singh to form a team along with the experts of the Agriculture Department and prepare a report after visiting the affected villages in detail, so that information about this can be sent to the government. He assured the farmers that the administration is standing with them in this difficult time.
On this occasion, agriculture expert Dr. Iqbalpreet Singh, Agricultural Development Officer Morinda advised the farmers to harvest their crops in the sun so that the diseased pods dry up in powder form and disappear. He also said that the affected piles in the crop brought to the market should be kept separate and cleaned by installing a strong fan.
The Deputy Commissioner appealed to the farmers that the target has been set to make Rupnagar district a zero stubble burning district and he is confident that the farmers will protect the environment by refraining from burning stubble this year. He appreciated that due to the awareness of the farmers, no incident of fire has taken place in any field so far.
He said that various machines have been made available by the Agriculture Department for proper management of stubble. By using these machines, farmers can not only increase the fertility of their land, but also reduce farming expenses. Farmers can contact the Agriculture Department for the availability of machines.
He also said that during the harvest, every farmer should ensure that his combine is equipped with a Super SMS machine, which chops the straw and mixes it in the field itself. Also, he appealed that in order to get the right price for the paddy produce, the combine should be run only from 10 am to 6 pm, so that the moisture content of the paddy remains less than 17 percent.
On this occasion, Mr. Sukhpal Singh, Sub Divisional Magistrate Morinda, Dr. Iqbalpreet Singh, Agricultural Development Officer Morinda, Mr. Pavitar Singh, Agriculture Sub Inspector, important people of the village and many farmers were present.
