CO-OP SOCIETY BAILS OUT FARMERS OF BEGUMPUR

DOABA

SBSNAGAR: Farmers of Begumpur village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district have not resorted to paddy stubble burning for four years. The credit goes to the village co-operative society that has been managing stubble using baling machines. The paddy bales are sold to a private power plant at Binjon village in Hoshiarpur district. It’s a win-win for farmers as their stubble gets managed for free, while the society can earn profit that enables it to buy more machines.

The society bought the baling machine in 2014 but after initial resistance from farmers it covered more than 500 acres under paddy.

After harvest, the farmers book the baling machine and wait their turn that takes about three days. The society has arranged five tractor-trolleys to transport the bales to the power plant.

Baldev Singh, a farmer, says the society’s initiative is not only helping the grower but also the environment. Another farmer Kulwinder Singh says residue management was a headache earlier but now the society manages the stubble and buys new equipment from the profit. Co-operative society secretary Amrik Singh says 7,000 quintals of stubble is produced in the village. “We sell it to the power plant at ₹135 per quintal, while the cost of management, including transportation, comes up to ₹ 100 a quintal. We earn a profit of ₹2.5 lakh every year.”

DC Vinay Bublani says the society’s initiative has helped bring down stubble burning. With 166 farm fires reported so far, the district is among the last three in the state in terms of straw burning.

We promote natural farming. Stubble burning is injurious for both human and soil health. Last year, 10% of paddy straw was set ablaze in the village, but this time we hope to steer clear.

GURMEET SINGH, NGO head, Moga