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Punjab to seek ₹500 crore from Centre for paddy stubble management
The demand is being prepared as part of the action plan for crop residue management (CRM) for which the union agriculture ministry has asked for requisition
The Punjab agriculture department has decided to seek ₹500 crore grant from the Centre for in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy stubble in the harvest months of October and November this year, according to department officials privy to the development.
The demand is being prepared as part of the action plan for crop residue management (CRM) for which the union agriculture ministry has asked for requisition.
The Union agriculture ministry started funding the CRM programme from 2018 and until 2022, it was 100% grant by the Centre, but the norms were changed from the last season.
As per the new mandate, which came into practice from the previous kharif season’s harvest, the Centre and state contribution for paddy stubble management will be 60:40 respectively.
In the last season, the Centre sanctioned ₹350 crore, out of which the state contributed ₹140 crore, while the rest was given by the Central government.
From 2018- 2022, a total of ₹1,370 crore was given to farmers in Punjab for purchase of machines. In all, 1.17 lakh machines were distributed to the farmers. Last year, 23,000 machines were given to the farmers.
“We are seeking funds for in-situ management and this time special focus would be on ex-situ management, so the plan would be sent accordingly,” agriculture director Jaswant Singh said.
For the upcoming season, the state government would make an action plan for more machines than the previous season, also the department may spend more on ex-situ management of paddy stubble, he added.
According to department officials, this year, the state government has already started the process to supply machines to farmers for paddy stubble management.
Last season, Punjab touted the fact that the number of farm fires came down from 49,922 in 2022 to 36,623 last year, a fall of 26% in a pollution source blamed for the national capital’s poor air coinciding with the onset of winters in the months of October and November.
Stubble on 19 lakh acres was burnt in 2023, an increase of 26% over the stubble on 15 lakh acres burnt in 2022.
About 20 million tonnes of paddy straw is generated in the paddy harvest season, which also includes 3.3 million tonnes stubble of the premium aromatic basmati variety. Out of the total paddy straw, the state government manages around 11.5 million tonnes through various in-situ management measures and 4.67 million tonnes by the ex-situ method.
