Subsidy okayed for 11,052 stubble management machines: Khudian
The Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare department has issued 6,377 sanction letters to farmers to get tools at subsidised prices.
With the paddy harvesting season ahead, the Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare department has issued 6,377 sanction letters for 11,052 crop residue management (CRM) machines so far to help farmers manage paddy straw effectively. Super Seeder appears to be farmers’ favourite for which the department has issued nearly 5,000 sanction letters for subsidy. Disclosing this in a press communiqué on Tuesday, Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said 5,534 CRM machines have already been acquired by farmers. Of these, 4,640 machines were taken by individual farmers, 745 by registered farmer groups, 119 by cooperative societies and 30 by the farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
Notably, 50% subsidy is being given to individual farmers and 80% subsidy to farmer groups and cooperative societies on the purchase of CRM machines.
He further informed that the Super Seeder machine leads the pack among CRM machines, with 4,945 sanction letters issued for this equipment. Additionally, 1,164 sanction letters have been granted for the Zero Till Drill, 637 for the Hydraulic Reversible MB Plough, 630 for the Straw Rake, 607 for the Bailing Machine and 591 for the Paddy Straw Chopper.
The state government has devised a ₹500-crore action plan to equip farmers with machinery and implement strategies to curb stubble burning in the state, said the minister while adding that the department has received 21,830 applications from farmers, cooperative societies and panchayats seeking subsidies for different crop residue management (CRM) machinery during the kharif season 2024-25.
Khudian also mentioned that 163 customer hiring centres have been established across the state so far to facilitate small and marginal farmers in accessing CRM machinery.
Khudian urged the state farmers to take maximum benefits of the subsidy and ensure optimum utilisation of machines to curb the stubble burning menace.