Farmer support centres set up in mandis to manage stubble

The district administration has made special efforts to assist farmers in sowing their next crop. Farmer support centres have been established in every mandi, where they are provided with agricultural tools for stubble management. Additionally, farmers bringing paddy to the mandi can receive these tools directly from the help desk. A dedicated support centre has also been set up at the District Administrative Complex.

Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said any farmer can call the support centre on the phone number 0183-2220159 to seek assistance for stubble management. She added that officials are also present at the village level to guide farmers on how to sow crops without burning stubble. This year, every type of machinery required for stubble management is available in the district, ensuring that farmers will not face any difficulties, she added.

Chief Agriculture Officer Baljinder Singh Bhullar said they are actively reaching out to farmers to provide machinery as per their needs. He highlighted that farmers who avoided stubble burning in previous years have witnessed a continuous increase in crop yields. He urged farmers to adopt the initiative this season and experience its benefits first-hand.

Assistant Agricultural Engineer Mandeep Singh said the district currently has 72 balers for making straw bales and 62 rakes for collecting straw. In addition, there are 4,290 in-situ machines for ploughing straw back into the field or sowing wheat along with straw. This includes 2,730 super seeders, 671 zero-till drills, five smart seeders, 119 happy seeders, 41 surface seeders, 124 reversible harrows, 106 mulchers and 236 paddy straw choppers that are all provided on subsidy. He said that all these machines are actively being used for straw management.