Why burn paddy straw when you can earn out of it?

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 3

The district administration has appealed to the farmers to follow the example of Deshpal Singh, a farmer from Talwandi Dogra village who had stopped the practice of burning crop residue in fields after harvesting. Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira has lauded the role of the farmer for leading by example.

Deshpal Singh said he had stopped burning crop residue in 2008. He added that with the crop residue now being purchased partially by cardboard industry and partially by ‘gujjars’ as dry fodder for animals, the farmers can recover must of the money spent on alternate management of residue.

“Earlier, we had to spend Rs 1,500 per acre but now with a market getting developed for the crop stubble, we can recover half of the amount from sale of crop residue,” he said adding that alternate management helps in enriching the soil while the burning results in loss of nutrients.

Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira said other farmers should learn from the example of Deshpal Singh. He said the government had provided machines on subsidy for stubble management and farmers should make full use of the same.