Haryana farmers shun stubble burning as fodder prices go up

KARNAL: The sudden increase in wheat fodder prices has come as a blessing in disguise — instead of burning stubble, which is a major cause of pollution and related health issues in the region, farmers are opting to sell fodder to earn extra income.

Wheat growers who have manually harvested the crop are earning anywhere between ₹8,000 and ₹8500 per acre, as compared ₹6,000 last year. Even those farmers who used combined harvesters are selling the stubble to landless dairy farmers in their localities instead of burning it, and earning ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 per acre.

District officials are heaving a sigh of relief, as earlier they had to remain on their toes to stop farmers from burning stubble. The fodder is also being transported to other districts from the wheat-farming districts of Karnal, Kurukshetra and Kaithal.

“The fodder price this year is around ₹400-₹500 per quintal even during harvesting season. It is likely to double in six months, as fodder is the best feed for cattle and area under wheat cultivating is declining every year,” said Jai Ram, a fodder trader in Yamunanagar.

“Earlier wheat farmers in the region used to burn the stubble after harvesting, but this year they are even earning by selling it,” he said.

“I have purchased fodder generated from four acres of land, and paid ₹8,200 per acre. Last year, I had paid ₹6,500,” said Kanhaiya Lal, a dairy farmer

Fodder production depends upon the means employed for producing wheat. One acre of wheat produces 20-22 quintals of fodder if the crop is harvested manually. Despite government ban, farmers used to burn wheat and paddy waste.

“This year there have been no incident of stubble burning in the region, as farmers are making extra bucks by selling the fodder due to increased prices,” said Haryana agriculture department deputy director Pradeep Kumar Meel.

He said the state government is planning a compulsory straw management system for paddy to deal with the problem during paddy harvesting season. Paddy straw cannot be used as cattle feed.

WHEAT GROWERS WHO HAVE MANUALLY HARVESTED THE CROP ARE EARNING ANYWHERE BETWEEN ₹8,000 AND ₹8500 PER ACRE, AS COMPARED TO ₹6,000 LAST YEAR