Zira farmer leads the way in managing paddy straw

As the state battles severe “smog”, there are some individuals like Jarmal Singh of Ferozepur, who stand out as a beacon of hope amidst the hazzy “dark” clouds.

Belonging to Kamalgarh village in Zira block, Jarmal (35) has been cultivating his 13 acres without burning crop residue for the past six years. Now, he has started managing stubble on others’ fields too. “Six years ago, I understood the ill-effects of stubble burning and decided not to burn straw. Later, I purchased Super Seeder, Happy Seeder, Multure etc. at subsidised rates,” he said.

“For the past six years, I have been cultivating my land with the help of these equipment. Besides curbing pollution, it has also led to increase in crop yield,” he said.

Jarmal is now cultivating around 120 acres belonging to around 25-30 other farmers of his village at a nominal cost. “I charge around Rs 2,000 per acre, including diesel and labour charges. I use my own tractor for the purpose as most marginal farmers do not have their own tractors,” he added.

“Encouraged by my progress, some fellow farmers have also purchased these equipment and started doing what I am doing,” he said.