PROGRESSIVE FARMER PUT BAJRA VILLAGE ON THE RIGHT TRACK

BAJRA (JALANDHAR): Encouraged by the increasing yield from the fields of progressive farmer Maninder Singh, 58, who stopped burning stubble five years ago, farmers of Bajra village have also turned to eco-friendly ways.

Today, their village with a population of 1,500 has been recommended for an award. Initially, the agriculture department helped four farmers buy machines to settle stubble with a 50% subsidy. There are 30 farmers, including five who own more than 50 acres, with their own machinery to mulch the stubble.

Maninder, who took the initiative after his return from a visit to Canada, has been honoured twice by the agriculture department. “I spent ₹5 lakh on the machines required to settle the stubble in the field. I give these machines on rent,” he says, adding he harvests paddy in 70 acres. Another farmer, Dilbag Singh, who harvests paddy on 150 acres, says, “Since I shunned burning straw three years ago, it has increased the farm yield. Most farmers are not using any fertiliser here and still getting 33 quintals of yield per acre as compared to the 29 quintals an acre earlier,” he says.

Agriculture officer Naresh Gulati said the department will honour village farmers for the in-situ management. under paddy, this village is the only bright spot in the district for it has not seen a single case of stubble burning this harvest season.

Behind this encouraging trend is the Guru Sahib Charitable Trust, a villagebased NGO, led by Baba Gurmeet Singh, an MSC in chemistry. He encouraged farmers to manage the stubble instead of burning it by setting up the Udhami Kisan Self-help Group under which they are provided machines at nominal rates. “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,” says Gurmeet Singh.

A private biomass plant at Hukumat Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district also set up a dumping site with a capacity of 3.1 lakh tonnes. So far, 35,000 tonnes of the paddy straw has been stored at the site. “Farmers of Khosa Pando and surrounding villages dump the straw there. This helped curb stubble burning,” he says.

Tirath Singh, a farmer who cultivated paddy on 31 acres, said the Trust head had appealed to shun stubble burning. “He provides machinery for free to poor farmers and takes nominal rent from others,” he says.

“So far, 60% of harvesting is over in Khosa Pando and 40% stubble has been managed. Efforts of the agriculture department and Gurmeet Singh to make farmers aware have paid off,” says agriculture officer Kuldeep Singh.

Sadly, Moga district has recorded 676 farm fires since November 1. This despite 99 farmers of other villages being fined ₹3.1 lakh and 43 being booked for stubble burning after using the reaper. burning paddy crop residue.

Progressive farmers of the village with 650 acres under paddy approached the agriculture department and expressed their interest in saving the soil fertility and environment. Sunam agriculture officer Varinder Singh Gill says over 80% of farmers have left stubble burning. “Our target is to make the three villages of Chatha Nakta, Akalgarh and Sheron stubble burning-free,” he says.

The farmers and agriculture department have been working to stop burning of paddy residue since 2007 but they got a boost in 2014 when the district administration