Baler shortage makes farmers burn crop residue in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, November 10

A shortage of balers in Punjab has led to many farmers shunning their earlier commitment to manage paddy straw scientifically and instead turn to burning stubble, for quickly preparing their fields for wheat sowing.

Editorial: The baler way: Need to admit in-situ solutions have failed

As Punjab continues to face legal and political heat over the stubble burning induced-air pollution enveloping most of North India, a large cross-section of farmers said they also lacked government support for scientifically managing the stubble, as they had not been provided with adequate machinery required for ex-situ stubble management.

‘Red entries’ in revenue records

• The government has started making “red entries” in revenue records of farmers found burning stubble
• As many as 370 entries have been made with a majority of these in Amritsar, Patiala and Ferozepur. In 10 districts, no such action has been taken
• Sixtyseven FIRs have been registered under Section 188, IPC, and environmental compensation has been imposed in 4,422 cases

Kulwinder Singh of Nadampura village in Sangrur said he harvested his crop 10 days ago and had been waiting for a baler, but in vain. “It’s time to sow the wheat, and I can’t wait much longer. I even messaged farm officials and the DC office for help, but there are no balers,” he said, adding that he had already spent Rs 550 per acre on using reaper to extract stubble.

This is not the only case. Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), said small and marginal farmers could not afford to buy balers, even with the 50 per cent subsidy. “But the already provided balers cannot meet the demand to make bales on the 32 lakh hectare area under paddy cultivation. At least two balers are needed in each village,” he said, demanding that the police cases being registered against farmers be stopped and no fines be imposed on them. He pointed out that though 23 million tonnes of paddy straw was expected to be generated this year, the arrangements to scientifically manage just 15 million tonnes of straw were made by the state government. “Why should farmers suffer for the government’s failing in this regard”, he asked.

The Tribune has found that as against the initial target of providing 1,840 balers on subsidy this year, which was later revised to 1,300, only 500 odd balers could be provided to individual and custom hiring centres, as confirmed by Punjab Director Agriculture Jaswant Singh. He said there were just two suppliers of balers in the state and they could provide just 500 this year, though the number of balers available in the state now were 1,260, including 700 odd supplied in previous years.

“We have managed to achieve over 60 per cent of our target for scientifically managing 15 million tonnes of stubble. This year, we have provided 18,000 different machines for stubble management and 10,000 of these have been physically verified. With 25 per cent paddy yet to be harvested, we are hopeful of meeting our target. The farm fires are much lower this year as compared to 2022. Next year, we will be able to bring these to negligible levels,” said the Director.

He also said the reason for the farm fires going up in the past week was the delayed harvesting of paddy, which shortened the window for wheat sowing and farmers in a hurry started burning the paddy straw.

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