Shortage of balers behind farm fires, claim Karnal farmers

Parveen Arora

Karnal, October 30

Despite the state government’s claims of providing in-situ and ex-situ machines at subsidised rates for stubble management, farmers are facing difficulties in dealing with crop residue.

Farmers blame shortage of machines in the district, long wait for arrival of machines from custom hiring centres for making bales or bundles of stubble, and delay in the lifting of bundles from fields as among the major reasons forcing them to set the crop residue on fire.

Farmers say they have been calling people involved in making bales, but they do not have time to cater to the massive demand. Even if the bales are prepared, they are not being lifted timely from the fields.

“I harvested my paddy crop three weeks ago. Earlier, I could not find a baler machine, but now I have been waiting to get the bundles of bales lifted from my fields. The person involved in making bundles has no time to lift them, due to which I cannot prepare my fields for the next crop. The delay in lifting of bales will reduce the moisture in the fields, which will further delay sowing of wheat,” said Vikrant Chaudhary of Jarifabad village.

Jitender, a farmer from Staundi village, said the duration between the harvesting of paddy and cultivation of wheat or vegetables is very less, due to which farmers prefer to burn the crop residue instead of waiting for in-situ or ex-situ machines to come.

“Karnal is known for rice due to which it has a large area under paddy cultivation, but the number of machines is not sufficient. Farmers cannot wait for long for the arrival of machines, so there is a need to increase their number,” he added.

A baler machine owner said stubble management requires space for storage of bales. “It is also risky to store stubble bundles in the open as it can catch fire due to negligence. The prices of stubble bundles are not sufficient in the market as it is being sold between Rs 1400-1900 per ton while the cost of making bundles, labour for loading, unloading, and transportation is high, ” he added.

Meanwhile, the district has recorded a fall in the stubble burning cases. So far, it has recorded 68 cases, while during the corresponding time last year, 245 cases were recorded.

Sufficient machines

We have provided 7,614 machines, including 7,022 in-situ and 283 ex-situ machines, to farmers as well as custom hiring centres. We are also providing assistance to farmers in arranging the balers.” — Dr Wazir Singh, deputy director agriculture (DDA)