Farmers to receive machinery for straw management: Patiala DC

Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav reassured farmers about paddy straw management this season, stating that the district administration has arranged for all necessary machinery.

At the KVK Rauni Kisan Mela, she empathised with the farmers’ challenges while confirming that the government has made timely provisions for balers, happy seeders, super seeders and surface seeders have been made.

While addressing the grievances of farmers with less than two acres of land holding — who complained that they were forced to set the field on fire — the DC said their fields would be managed through in-situ technique soon after harvesting of paddy crop.

The DC thanked farmers for reducing field burning by 50 per cent last year as compared to previous years and stressed the importance of not burning straw.

She encouraged the use of in-situ and ex-situ techniques based on land type to incorporate straw back into the soil and highlighted the emerging industries in the state for producing straw pellets and related products. She said that using super seeders not only enhances soil fertility but also mitigates environmental pollution.

She assured farmers that the government and Patiala administration are aware of their challenges, particularly regarding the next planting season. She urged farmers and their unions to collaborate in avoiding straw burning, offering all possible support from the administration.

During the Kisan Mela, she engaged with farmers, addressing their grievances and directing departments concerned to provide immediate solutions. She collected farmers’ phone numbers to follow-up on their problems. The event was presided over by Satbir Singh Gosal, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, and attended by various officials, professors, researchers, and farmers.