Kaithal farmers show the way to make profit from stubble management

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, November 1

Though farmers of Kaithal and Karnal districts are among the top offenders in the state when it comes to stubble-burning, many farmers in several villages here are also showing the way to others by managing stubble and earning profits.

Scores of farmers are opting for the traditional manual methods of harvesting that enable them to protect the environment by shunning burning of crop residue and selling paddy straw to other farmers for use as fodder and to various industries. This is also helping them earn additional income.

Several farmers are using ex-situ and in-situ machines that help in crop waste management with the help of straw baling (ex-situ), super seeding and zero tillage machines (in-situ). They not only clean their own fields, but also others’. They collect straw and make bales that are then sold in the market, fetching them money.

Rajesh Kumar, a farmer from Kunjpura village, said he used to set the stubble on fire till 2019, but later he started managing stubble with the help of a baler machine. Now, he has three baler machines, one of his own and two of farmer societies, with the help of which he cleans the fields of other farmers and makes bales to sell in the market.

At present, he is selling paddy straw at Rs 180 per quintal. “It is a profitable business to manage straw. Each baler machine gives an earning of Rs 5 lakh per season,” Rajesh said.

Amit of Dadupur village in Karnal district also used to burn stubble to clean his fields, but now he is making profit from crop residue. “I started stubble management from 2019 and now I have three baler machines that help me to get good earnings. “Each machine gives a profit of Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh per season. I store paddy straw and sell it when the demand rises,” he added.

Dayanand of Nandsinghwala village in Kaithal district started management of stubble three year ago. Now he makes crop residue bales weighing around 40,000-50,000 quintal every season.

“I have three baler machines and now I provide job to nearly 150 persons in stubble management. It gives a profit of around 10 lakh per season to each society of farmers comprising around 10 members,” he added.

Ashok Kumar of Sotha village, who has been managing stubble on his 30-acre fields and that of others for the past six years, said their farmers’ society earned Rs 20 lakh last season.

Anil Kumar of Rasulpur village in Kaithal has the same story to narrate. “I manage around 3,000 acres every season, which give me good earnings,” he said.

Methods used

• Scores of farmers are opting for the traditional manual methods of harvesting that enable them to protect the environment by shunning burning of crop residue and also earn additional income by selling paddy straw
• Several farmers are using ex-situ and in-situ machines that help in crop waste management with the help of straw baling (ex-situ), super seeding and zero tillage machines (in-situ)

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