Punjab govt forms plan to provide CRM machinery to manage paddy straw

IANS April 20, 2025 147 views

The Punjab government has unveiled an ambitious Rs 500 crore plan to combat stubble burning through strategic CRM machinery subsidies. Farmers can now access significant financial support, with subsidies ranging from 50-80% for purchasing crop residue management equipment. This innovative approach has already demonstrated success, with a remarkable 70% reduction in fire incidents compared to the previous year. The initiative not only supports farmers economically but also contributes significantly to environmental preservation.

"We are offering 50-80% subsidy to make CRM machinery accessible" - Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Agriculture Minister
Chandigarh, April 20: Aiming to bring the stubble burning to zero in the state, the Punjab government on Sunday formulated an action plan of Rs 500 crore to provide farmers with crop residue management (CRM) machinery on subsidy and implement other strategies to manage the paddy straw efficiently.

Key Points

1

Punjab introduces comprehensive plan to manage crop residue

2

50-80% subsidy on CRM machinery for farmers

3

Online applications open from April 22 to May 12

4

70% reduction in stubble burning incidents achieved

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said that the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has invited online applications from the farmers to avail subsidies on the procurement of CRM machines.

The applications can be submitted through online portal agrimachinerypb.com from April 22 to May 12.

Encouraging the farmers to take advantage of the scheme, Khuddian said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab government has been offering a 50 per cent subsidy to individual farmers and an 80 per cent subsidy to farmer groups, cooperative societies and gram panchayats for the purchase of CRM machines.

This initiative aims to make CRM machinery more accessible to farmers, promoting its adoption and ultimately contributing to a cleaner environment, the Minister said.

He added that the subsidy would be available on CRM machinery include Super SMS, Happy Seeder, Super Seeder, Surface Seeder, Smart Seeder, Zero Till Drill, Baler, Rake, Shrub Master or Rotary Slasher, paddy straw chopper or shredder or mulcher, crop reaper and hydraulic reversible mould board plough.

Basant Garg, the Administrative Secretary of Agriculture Department, said that Punjab witnessed significant progress in crop residue management.

The state government distributed 17,600 subsidised CRM machines to individual farmers, cooperative societies, and panchayats during the previous season.

Additionally, 1,331 custom hiring centres were also established to facilitate CRM practices.

These efforts resulted in a 70 per cent decrease in fire incidents during the previous season compared to 2023, with only 10,909 incidents recorded compared to 36,663 in 2023.

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
This is a great initiative by the Punjab government! 👏 Providing subsidies for CRM machinery will definitely help reduce stubble burning. My cousin in Ludhiana has been using a Happy Seeder and says it's made a huge difference.
P
Priya S.
The 70% decrease in fire incidents is impressive, but I wonder how sustainable this is long-term. Will farmers continue using these machines after the subsidies end? The government should also focus on creating markets for paddy straw as an alternative income source.
H
Harpreet M.
Finally some good news for Punjab's farmers and environment! The 80% subsidy for groups is especially smart - it encourages community solutions. Hope they extend the application deadline though, many farmers might not hear about this in time.
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Amanjeet B.
As someone who's suffered from Delhi's pollution caused by stubble burning, I'm so relieved to see Punjab taking concrete steps. The numbers show it's working! More states should follow this model.
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Simran J.
The website for applications isn't very farmer-friendly. My uncle tried registering last year and found it complicated. Maybe they could set up help centers in villages to assist with the online process? Otherwise the scheme seems well-planned.
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Gurvinder P.
₹500 crore is a big investment, but if it helps solve the stubble burning problem, it's worth every rupee. The health costs from pollution are much higher. Kudos to the government for thinking long-term! 🌾💨

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Tags:
Punjab Agriculture Crop Residue Management Stubble Burning Bhagwant Mann Gurmeet Singh Khuddian Sustainable Farming
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