Punjab’s stubble struggle: one-third of crop residue management machines not operational

Despite the reduction in the number of operational machines, experts believe that the current fleet is sufficient to manage the stubble generated across 32 lakh hectares of paddy cultivation in Punjab. The Government has devised a Rs 500-crore action plan to equip farmers with machinery, to educate them against burning and implement strategies. As many as 163 customer hiringcentres have been established to facilitate small and marginal farmers in accessing CRM machinery.

Distribution of crop residue management machines

Government statistics show that a significant number of machines have been distributed since 2018, with 27,747 machines distributed in 2018–19, 23,068 in 2019–20, 25,811 in 2020–21, 13,796 in 2021–22, 27,214 in 2022–23, and 13,215 in 2023–24. Until last year, the Government distributed 1,30,851 machines under the CRM, and this year it has proposed to distribute around 20,000 more machines, of which 6,000 have already been distributed.

Subsidies range from 50 per cent for individual farmers to 80 per cent for farmer groups, panchayats, and cooperative societies, making these machines more accessible to the farming community.

According to the Government, as of till last year, 70,954 machines were given to individual farmers, 46,109 machines were given to farmer groups, panchayats, and farmer producer organisations and 13,788 machines were provided to primary agriculture cooperative societies.

Farm fires and stubble-burning area from 2018 to 2023

Since 2018, Punjab has recorded 50,590 farm fire incidents in 2018, 55,210 in 2019, 76,929 in 2020, 71,159 in 2021, 49,922 in 2022, and 36,629 in 2023. The area of paddy burned in 2018 was 17.81 lakh hectares out of the total paddy area of over 3 million hectares. In 2019, 18.54 lakh hectares were burned; in 2020, 17.55 lakh hectares were burned; in 2021, 15.64 lakh hectares were burned; in 2022, 15.43 lakh hectares were burned, which accounted for more than 50 per cent of the total paddy area. However, in 2023, the burned area increased to 19 lakh hectares.

This means that while the number of stubble-burning cases has decreased, the actual burned area of paddy rose by 26 per cent compared to 2022. This highlights a significant problem: despite the availability of machines, farmers are either compelled to burnstubble or are deliberately doing so.

Shift towards advanced technologies

There has been a shift from older technologies like the Happy Seeder to more efficient models like the Super Seeder and the Smart Seeder. The Happy Seeder, widely distributed during the first phase of the CRM scheme, is now largely outdated. In contrast, the Super Seeder, which cuts and uproots the paddy straw, sows wheat seeds, and deposits the straw over the sown area in a single operation leaving the field with a clean appearance, and the Smart Seeder, which incorporates wheat stubble into the earth at the rows where wheat is sown, and remaining stubble left at the surface for mulching, have become the preferred choices due to their advanced features and efficiency.

Projected stubble management for 2024

Punjab is expected to generate around 20 million tonnes of stubble this season. The state aims to manage 12.70 million tonnes through in-situ methods, where stubble is incorporated into the soil. The remaining six million tonnes will be managed ex-situ, with the straw being collected and utilised in power plants, gas plants, and boilers. Around 55,000 Super Seeders and Smart Seeders are available to cover nearly 80 per cent of the paddy area, aligning with the Government’s target of managing 65 per cent of the stubble in-situ within a 20-day window from November 1 to 20, the ideal time for wheat sowing.

Cost implications for farmers

In-situ stubble management is more expensive for farmers compared to ex-situ methods, where farmers are either not required to pay anything to clear their fields from stubble or they even get some token money to provide stubble to the stubble-collecting companies. In in-situ renting of heavy tractors to operate machines like the Super Seeder can cost farmers Rs 2,200-2,500 per acre, a significant factor for those reluctant to adopt these practices. However, agriculture officials argue that this cost is worth it, as in-situ management increases the yield of the following wheat crop by preserving soil nutrients.

Government initiatives and challenges

Speaking to The Indian Express, Jagdish Singh, who is joint director (engineering wing) in the agriculture department and also the state nodal officer of the CRM, said, “Under the crop residue management (CRM) scheme, around 1.30 lakh subsidised machines had been distributed by last year, with an additional 20,000 machines set to be distributed this year, 6,000 of which have already been provided to farmers.”

Jagdish Singh acknowledged that many machines, especially the heavier ones, had either become outdated or redundant. “Furthermore, machines have a limited lifespan and some machines cannot work beyond 3-4 years because of their heavy usage. However, there are still sufficient machines available for stubble management, and efforts are being made to reach every individual farmer to discourage stubbleburning, even on small plots,” he said.

Singh said the farmers are provided with contact details so they can request the necessary machines at any time. According to him, seven hotspot districts—Bathinda, Moga, Ferozepur, Barnala, Sangrur, Mansa, and Faridkot—have been supplied with additional machines, and numerous awareness camps have been organised to educate farmers on the importance of stopping stubble burning to protect the environment and the health of their soil.

Singh noted that more farmers were becoming aware of the benefits of non-burning practices and adopting them.
Agriculture department officials have appealed to farmers that they should, before proceeding with the baling process, ensure they have a plan on where their baled stubble will be used. They also urged farmers not to burn any stubble left in the corners or along the edges after baling.