Only 10 out of 800 combine harvesters have SMS

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 19

Even as the district administration had warned that combine harvesters without the SMS (Straw Management System) equipment would not be allowed to operate in this paddy season, only 10 of a total of around 800 combines have so far got the system installed.

The Agriculture Department’s scheme to provide subsidy to the owners of combine harvesters, too, has failed to motivate them. As a large numbers of combine harvesters are still operating without the SMS equipment, the local administration is yet to take notice of it.

The decision to make SMS equipment mandatory for the harvesters was taken in view of the strict instructions from the National Green Tribunal to check burning of crop residue in agricultural fields. However with not many takers for the idea, agriculture officials claim the SMS equipment has been very successful in the fields where these were used. Agriculture engineer with the department Ranbir Singh Randhawa said, “We have seen a good response. It has led us to believe that more combine operators and farmers will vouch for the new technique.” He said instead of taking punitive measures, the government was trying to motivate farmers to use SMS equipment.

However, many farmers feel the SMS equipment is not of much help. “It manages the residue which earlier used to fall at the tail of the machine. The problem of stubble still remains”said Harjinder Singh of Mehta.