Punjab to offer balers on subsidy amid push for ex-situ management of paddy stubble
In-situ management involves incorporating the stubble into the soil using machines, while ex-situ management involves lifting the stubble from the fields and supplying it to stubble-based industries.
With the focus shifting to ex-situ management of paddy stubble, Punjab is all set to provide big size balers on subsidy to farmers during the upcoming paddy harvest season in the months of October and November.
In-situ management involves incorporating the stubble into the soil using machines, while ex-situ management involves lifting the stubble from the fields and supplying it to stubble-based industries.
Paddy residue management holds significance as stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is a major reason behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the National Capital Region in October and November. Farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue as the window between paddy harvesting and sowing of the next crop is short.
The Punjab government would be providing 30 balers, each costing ₹1 crore and having the ability to make bundles of over 100 acres a day, to farmer groups or custom hiring centres (CHCs) this year. The machines would be offered on 65% subsidy for which the industry using the stubble will contribute 25% and CHC will contribute 10%.
Apart from the large-sized bailers, the department is also offering 1,300 small size bailers for which 5,000 applications have been received.
The state’s agriculture department has received 210 applications seeking subsidised balers by August 15.
Department director Jaswant Singh said the list of beneficiaries will be revealed on Monday. “Machines with German technology are being assembled in Punjab which will help remove stubble by making bales of three to five quintals,” he added.
In Punjab, paddy crop is grown over 3 million hectares (7.5 million acres), which generates around 19-20 million tonnes of the foodgrain and 22 million tonnes of stubble.
About 60% (12 million tonnes) of the stubble is managed through in-situ techniques -- mixed in the soil or used as fuel in the industry, while the rest about 10 million tonnes is set ablaze leading to severe health and environment hazards. It leads to formation of a smog jacket over the entire north India, particularly the national capital – New Delhi.
Since 2018, the Centre has been funding crop residue management programme in Punjab. Between 2018 and 2022, around ₹1,370 crores were sanctioned for the state as 100% grant. But despite the huge amount, the impact has not been as desired as stubble fires continue to rage from the fields in the state. Last year, 49,000 cases of stubble fires were recorded in Punjab. Though the number fell from the previous year’s count of 71,000, it adversely impacted the environmental, health and weather conditions.
For the current season, ₹350 crore has been sanctioned, with the changed condition that Punjab will contribute 40% ( ₹140 crore) while the rest ( ₹210 crore) will be the Centre’s share.
All these years, 1.17 lakh machines of different kinds and usage have been supplied to farmers on subsidy and in the upcoming season, 20,270 more machines will be given. These include super straw management system to be attached with harvest combines, Happy seeders or smart seeders, paddy straw choppers and shredders, mulchers, hydraulic reversible ploughs, super seeders, zero till drills, balers, rakes, shrubmaster, crop reapers (tractor mounted or self-propelled) and self-propelled reapers-cum-binders.
“Now, the focus is also on ex-situ management, for which we are roping in big industrial units and power plants which could use stubble as fuel in boilers,” said Jaswant Singh, the state agriculture director.
