HOW MUCH IS THE AREA UNDER PADDY?

Director of Agriculture, Punjab, Jasbir Singh Bains pegs the area under paddy in the state at 30 lakh acres. He says the state generates 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble every year. The most problematic stubble is that of PUSA variety of rice, which is harvested late. It is being blamed for the recent spike in stubble burning cases.

2. Straw management system (SMS) and Happy Seeder

Fitted to any combine harvester, the SMS cuts the straw into small pieces and scatters it evenly in the field. Later, a Happy Seeder, mounted on a tractor, can be used to directly sow the wheat. The seeder sows wheat, and deposits the straw over the sown area as mulch, which improves soil fertility. Cost: ₹2.5 lakh for both

year. Using this money, the state proposes to give farmers 40% subsidy for the purchase of baler, rake, rotavator and Happy Seeder to dispose of the stubble instead of setting it on fire. The Centre has released a grant of ₹48.5 crore, which has been distributed to chief agriculture officers. The state government has empanelled some firms and the farmers can buy these machines from these, following which the subsidy will be transferred to their accounts. The cuttershredder is the cheapest machine at ₹45,000, the Happy Seeder is the most expensive at ₹1.25 lakh.

In May this year, the state government made it mandatory for farmers to attach a subsidised SMS to their combine harvesters. Dr Makkar from PAU says, 18,200 combine harvesters have been fitted with this system till now. “We’ve got