₹500-cr subsidy on 22K machines to manage crop residue: Khudian

Farmers can avail 50% subsidy on the cost of crop residue management machines while 80% subsidy is for cooperative societies and panchayats, etc

Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Thursday said the Punjab government, under a ₹500-crore plan, would provide over 22,000 crop residue management (CRM) machines on subsidy to manage the paddy straw scientifically. Chairing a meeting to review the status of schemes and projects undertaken by the department, the minister asked the officials to ensure that the draw of lots for the subsidised machines be held this month and subsidy be released to the beneficiaries by the end of August before the beginning of paddy harvesting so that the ambitious plan to reduce the farm fires to zero could be accomplished.

The state government’s scheme is aimed at stopping the practice of stubble burning.

“Farmers can avail 50% subsidy on the cost of CRM equipment while 80% subsidy is for cooperative societies and panchayats, etc.,” he said. Khudian also informed that the state has witnessed 28% surge in the area under the direct seeded rice (DSR) water-conserving technique than last year.

As many as 2.20 lakh acres have already been sown directly under the DSR. The figure was 1.72 lakh acres in 2023. He directed the officials to pull all the stops to accomplish the target of 5 lakh acres this season. The state government has also been providing ₹1,500 financial assistance per acre to promote the DSR, he stated.

He also reviewed the status of maize kharif sowing for which the state is providing ₹100 as subsidy on the purchase of every 1 kg of hybrid maize seed. Agriculture director Jaswant Singh apprised the cabinet minister that the kharif maize has already been sown in 1 lakh acres so far, while assuring that the target of bringing two lakh acres under the kharif maize will be accomplished.