Haryana to give 70 per cent subsidy on gypsum

Chandigarh, Nov 3 (UNI) The Haryana government has decided to give 70 per cent subsidy to farmers on purchase of gypsum powder.

A spokesman for the Haryana Land Reclamation and Development Corporation said now a bag containing 50 kg of gypsum costing Rs 90 would be sold to the farmers at Rs 28.30 through the authorised sale counters of the Nigam.

He said the farmers could improve the fertility of their soil by using gypsum, which was a natural fertiliser and easily available.

The sandy soil was deficient in sulphur and calcium. The deficiency of these elements could be made up by using gypsum, he added.

He pointed out that the gypsum improved not only productivity per hectare but also quality of the produce. The stem of plants got stronger by the calcium and other nutrients found in gypsum.

It also increased the retaining power of the soil, which prevented loss of essential elements by seepage during rains. As many as 4 to 10 bags of gypsum could be used per acre, he added.

The spokesman said that as much as 56 per cent soil of Haryana was alkaline and 40 per cent of soil was deficient in micro nutrients like sulphur and calcium. In such soil, salt got deposited near the roots of the plants, which prevented the plants from taking essential nutrients from the soil resulting in decreasing the productivity of the soil.

This problem could effectively be dealt with the use of gypsum, he added.

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