Punjab government: To provide farmers with 22,000 CRM equipment to prevent stubble burning.

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian thanked farmers for their positive answers to the Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) program, stating that the state has seen a 28% increase in the area utilizing this water-conserving method compared to the previous year. Compared to 1.72 lakh acres in 2023, up to 2.20 lakh acres have already been directly seeded.

The Punjab government will provide over 22,000 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines on subsidy to manage paddy straw scientifically in the state, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said Thursday.

Chairing a meeting to review the status of various schemes and projects undertaken by the department, the minister asked officials to ensure the draw of lots for the subsidized CRM machines should be held this month and subsidy must be released to the beneficiary farmers by August-end, before the starting of paddy harvesting to accomplish the ambitious plan to reduce farm fires to zero.

The state government, headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, unveiled a 500-crore action plan that will subsidize the purchase of CRM machinery for farmers in 2024–2025 during the paddy harvest season. He stated that cooperative societies, FPOs, and panchayats would receive an 80% subsidy on the cost of CRM equipment, but farmers would only be eligible for a 50% subsidy.

Khudian thanked farmers for their positive answers to the Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) program, stating that the state has seen a 28% increase in the area utilizing this water-conserving method compared to the previous year. Compared to 1.72 lakh acres in 2023, up to 2.20 lakh acres have already been directly seeded.

He gave department representatives the go-ahead to use every effort to seed 5 lakh acres this season by using DSR. According to him, the Punjab government is offering cash support of Rs 1,500 to entice farmers to choose DSR.

The minister also reviewed the status of maize kharif sowing, for which the state is providing Rs 100 as a subsidy on the purchase of every 1 kg of hybrid maize seeds.

Director, of Agriculture, Jaswant Singh apprised the Cabinet minister that the kharif maize had so far been sown in 1 lakh acres, and assuring that the target of bringing two lakh acres under the kharif maize would be accomplished.

The minister made it plain that no one would escape punishment if they were discovered engaging in the malpractice, asking department officials to keep up the pressure against the sale of phony or inferior agricultural inputs. “The government is fully committed to ensuring quality seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides to the state farmers,” he continued.