Ludhiana farmer shows the way, makes Rs 31 lakh from paddy straw

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, October 25

A law graduate, Harinderjeet Singh Gill of Nurpur Bet, has shown the way to others, most of whom are still resorting to burning stubble, by making over Rs 31 lakh from the management of paddy straw in the district.

Speaking to The Tribune today, the progressive farmer said he had purchased a second-hand square baler and a rack worth Rs 5 lakh to make paddy straw bales from around 17,000 quintals of stubble left in his fields after harvesting paddy this season. “I sold them to paper mills for Rs 185 per quintal to earn Rs 31.45 lakh from the paddy straw,” he shared.

Elated over his successful paddy straw management, the 45-year-old first generation farmer now plans to further expand his paddy straw management business. A baler and two trolleys cost him Rs 11 lakh and after meeting all expenses, he earned a net profit of Rs 20.45 lakh. “Besides, the baler and two trolleys are with me,” Gill said, while acquiring another round baler with two rakes worth Rs 40 lakh and a square baler with rake worth Rs 17 lakh to further expand his straw management business.

“Now, we plan to make 500 tonnes of round bales and 400 tonnes of square bales with the help of two square balers,” he added. Doing farming on 52 acres, Gill had sown paddy on 30 acres while he had cultivated guava and peer orchards on 10 acres, besides poplar plantation on the remaining 12 acres.

“I have not burnt paddy or wheat straw for the past seven years and had been using a Happy Seeder for wheat sowing,” said the young farmer, whose crop production has also increased since he stopped stubble burning. This year, he produced 900 quintals of paddy from his 30 acres.

“Having seen me doing this for the past two years, several farmers of my village and vicinity have also started following the same practice,” he revealed.

Meanwhile, Surabhi Malik, DC, has urged the farmers to take cue from such environment-friendly ideas.

An agriculture expert and former Chief Agricultural Officer, Dr Amanjit Singh, said the scientific management of paddy straw was the need of the hour to check the incidence of stubble burning. “We are motivating and facilitating the farmers to opt for environment-friendly initiatives and make money as well,” he added.