Punjab’s farm fire cases down to half amid rise in fodder price

Tribune News Service

Aman Sood

Patiala, APRIL 28

Punjab recorded 10 farm fires on Sunday in comparison to 22 farm fires it recorded on Saturday, taking the total count to 112 during this wheat harvest season. Last year, the figure was 200 while in 2022, it was 3,000 till date.

Farmers claim that the high price of dry fodder will motivate farmers not to burn wheat stubble.

In 2019, Punjab reported 11,701 farm fires while the number was 13,420 in 2020 as compared with 10,100 reported in 2021 followed by 14,511 incidents in 2022 and 11,353 in 2023. “The window of farm fires is from April 16 to May 20, but this year, due to high price of wheat stubble, we expect a sharp decline in the straw burning incidents and that too from a small area,” said PPCB officials.

“A majority of farmers in Malwa and Doaba are taking the wheat straw to Rajasthan, where it is fetching around Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per quintal and with the summer heat up, the cost will increase further. Others will sell it off in state markets and those who can hold onto it, usually wait for the peak summer season to sell it,” said a top official.

“With social media and awareness campaigns, farmers are not burning stubble as was being done previously, though a lot needs to be done to ensure that we put a stop to it,” he said.

Farmers also say that they are trying to store leftover stubble to use as fodder for their cattle. Doraha village farmer Jasbir Singh states that the price of dry fodder has almost doubled if compared with three years back.

This year, the government plans to procure 132 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat. The area under wheat production is 35 lakh hectares and the government is looking at a wheat production of 161.31 LMT.

Officials say that the farm fires will peak in the coming days when farmers will prepare their fields for the paddy season in June.

“Also the recent rain spell has left the stubble wet, thus farmers are not resorting to burning. In certain belts, the standing wheat crop is also the reason that they are waiting for the harvest to be over so that they can clear their fields”, he said.

Straw fetches Rs 3,000 per quintal

A majority of farmers in Malwa and Doaba are taking the wheat straw to Rajasthan to sell it where they get around Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per quintal. Others are planning to sell it in state markets during the peak summer season when its cost will increase. — Govt official

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