Cash carrot better than fine stick
Give the farmer a cash incentive of ~100 per quintal on paddy, provide technical hand-holding and allow him to find his own solutions to manage the stubble. This was the consensus at the HT Roundtable attended by Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman, Punjab Farmers Commission; Kahan Singh Pannu, secretary, agriculture (Punjab); Karunesh Garg, member secretary, Punjab Pollution Control Board; Harinder Singh Lakhowal of the Bhartiya Kisan Union; farm entrepreneur Vikram Aditya Ahuja, and Ritesh Bhatia of IPS Foundation. Executive Editor Ramesh Vinayak moderated the discussion.
Vinayak: How has Punjab’s experience been with the Centre’s scheme, launched last year, to provide subsidised machinery to farmers for in-situ (on the field) management of paddy stubble ?
Pannu: Paddy is sown over 65 lakh acres in Punjab and it’s a big challenge to manage 20 million tonnes of stubble produced along with the grain. All these years, farmers used to burn the straw, leading to massive pollution and loss of organic matter of the soil. Under the central scheme, happy seeders were introduced and harvest machines were fitted with super straw management system that comes at 50 to 80% subsidy.
Last year, we got Rs 270 crore as subsidy from the Centre and 28,000 machines were also given to farmers on subsidy. This time, we’ve got 26,000 applications for machines and the state government has received Rs 260 crore for disbursing as subsidy.
The period from October 15 to November 15 is a crucial phase when most stubble fires occur, between paddy harvest and wheat sowing.
Last year, the number of stubble burning cases came down in 14 of the 22 districts of Punjab but increased in eight districts of southwest Punjab. We have reached out to farmers in these districts and have organised 3,000 camps by taking those who burnt stubble to farms of farmers who did not. The aim was to make them see the positive impact on the next crop.
Of 20 million tonnes of straw, how much was managed properly?
Pannu: Last year, 5 million tonne paddy straw was managed ex-situ ( outside the fields). A portion of basmati variety was stored as dry fodder and another portion from coarse grain paddy went to biomass plants. Of the remaining 15 million tonnes, 8 million tonnes was managed in-situ. A positive impact was seen on the wheat crop which saw all time high yield of 131 lakh tonnes. Urea usage in wheat crop dropped by 2 lakh tonnes and diammonium phosphate (DAP) consumption fell by 80,000 lakh tonnes.
Why are farmers still reluctant to adopt it?
Ajay Vir Jakhar: All stakeholders want there should be no crop residue burning. The disagreement is about the methods employed. When the scheme was made, Punjab was not consulted. Hence the inherent problem of mechanisation. Despite the odds, the state has done wonderfully well. We should focus on behavioural change and not force farmers to use machines.
What are the other options?
Jakhar: Farmers should have got the choice and been given a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal of paddy. There’s a need to build trust among farmers. Chief minister Amarinder Singh has also written to the Centre for giving bonus to farmers.
But the financial implications of bonus are huge.
Jakhar: If we had given bonus to farmers for five years, they would have understood the benefits of not burning stubble and would not have gone back to it, knowing that the yield is rising and there is a cut on urea and DAP use. We are not quantifying cost incurred in curing health ailments due to stubble burning. Let the Centre give cash subsidy to farmers and allow them to make a choice between in-situ or ex-situ stubble management. Under the circumstances, we have done well but it is not value for money. The government has fixed prices and there is a list of empanelled companies to sell. There is no competition.
There is a view that farmers indulging in stubble burning should face penal action. Will that work?
Lakhowal: The government should not create a fear psychosis among farmers. A farmer with two to three acres can’t buy these machines even on subsidy. Nearly 28,000 farmers got machinery but it can’t be used on 65 lakh acres. What will farmers who have not been touched by mechanisation do when the window to sow wheat is so short? We have asked the government to give Rs 3,000 per acre subsidy to fight stubble burning. This season, at least 40% of farmers will set stubble to fire. They need rotavator but no subsidy is offered on the implement.
Ritesh, your NGO has been working on the ground to stop stubble fires. Why are farmers resisting the subsidised solution?
Bhatia: Last year, we thought we had made a positive impact but I’m surprised that despite encouraging results of mechanized solution stubble management, farmers are still non-committal ( on stubble burning). On the ground, it looks like a Delhi versus Punjab or farmers versus administration problem. There is a disconnect. Though farmers see benefit in not burning the stubble, they lack commitment. There is a need to establish connect with the farmer. I’m not advocating penalising the farmer but he needs handholding so that he feels he is under watch and somebody will help him.
The coming week is crucial because if there is no action, farmers will think the government is lenient and may resort to burning straw?
Jakhar: That is why we have already started sending video clips made by the NGO India Pariyavaran Sahayak ( IPS) Foundation to 25 lakh farmers about good farm practices that will help in behavioural change.
Pannu: In the government scheme, Rs 10 crore was reserved for creating awareness and we are broadcasting clips on TV channels and jingles on radio.
Vikram Aditya Ahuja: When advised against crop fire, some farmers get aggressive. They understand benefits of not burning stubble but, unfortunately, the entire drive has been reduced to a happy seeder campaign. There are differences over using machines to tackle the residue. The government should have given a bouquet of solutions and not imposed mechanisation for in-situ stubble management. Happy seeder is the best option but we need to make changes in agronomy practices.
What are the other options?
Ahuja: Our extension services are weak. We need a person in each village to guide and hold hands of farmers when he’s using a happy seeder to sow wheat. Of the total number of combines in the state, 40% are tractor-mounted and fitting super straw management system on them is a problem. The cost of happy seeders has also gone up from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh.
Why was the cost increased?
Jakhar: The companies empanelled by the Centre jacked up the prices two years ago.
Pannu: The standards were fixed for machines that led to an increase in prices. The imposition of goods and services tax (GST) led to further escalation. Then companies were invited and told to manufacture machines as per specifications.
Lakhowal: The happy seeder doesn’t work for all kinds of soil. That’s why we are demanding region-specific schemes.
Is the high cost of technology one of the factors behind the farmers’ reluctance to shun stubble burning?
Jakhar: I don’t think so. It’s a mindset. After 50 years of the Green Revolution, farmers were trained for two generations that first clear the paddy fields and then start sowing wheat. Suddenly, you’re telling them to change and citing the new law against stubble burning. The pollution control board is also threatening the farmers to shun this practice or face fines.
How does the Punjab Pollution Control Board look at the impact of the central scheme on curbing fires?
Karunesh Garg: We launched a project with the help of the remote sensing centre at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, that gives us satellite data of fire incidences. Two satellites of NASA have been engaged and they take pictures using thermal imaging. The number of fires decreased from 80,000 in 2016 to 46,000 in 2017. But this number increased to 50,000 in 2018, compelling us to think what went wrong. When we studied the area under fire in 2018, it was found to have decreased to 9.95%. That means, earlier out of the 30 lakh hectares of paddy being sown in Punjab, paddy straw used to be burnt in 20 lakh hectares. This fell to 18 lakh hectares in 2018.
Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Kapurthala districts were found to be best performers, while Patiala, Moga and Mansa were worst. We had done a study to find out the extent of the problem village-wise. As many as 3,655 villages were found where fires were reported in up to 20 hectares, while 2,474 villages reported fires in 20-50 hectares. In 2,072 villages, such fires were reported in 50-100 hectares and in 2,224 villages, straw burning was seen in more than 100 hectares. We shared the data of the more than 100 hectare category with the district administration for an awareness drive.
But the PPCB has been slightly wary of acting against farmers?
Garg: We are acting on the National Green Tribunal’s directions. The number of farmers is so high that if we act against them, we have to hear them out by first issuing a notice. The PPCB penalised farmers Rs 1.5 crore for burning stubble but we could recover only Rs 15 lakh till the court stayed the recovery. That is not the solution. The PPCB believes in making farmers aware. Last year, we involved National Service Scheme units of Punjabi University Patiala, to create awareness in 2,000 villages. On October 4, the PPCB involved 1.2 lakh students of government institutions to create awareness.
What do you think about the carrot and stick policy to tackle this issue? At present, it appears we are only using the stick?
Pannu: The carrot and stick policy is the best. By carrot we mean incentives to farmers by the Centre. That is why chief minister has demanded Rs 100 as bonus per quintal of paddy. Even farmer unions are of the same view. We can use the stick effectively only when farmers will be compensated. But the Centre will need Rs 2,000 crore to give this bonus. I’m meeting Government of India officials on this demand.
The NGT is pushing for action against farmers for stubble fires. Why is the government reluctant? You also talked about ‘red entry’ in revenue records.
Pannu: We are acting as per NGT directions. The NGT says farmers burning straw should be fined but it doesn’t tell us the process to recover the penalty. ‘Red entry’ was simply to identify farmers burning straw so that an awareness campaign and action can be taken following revenue records. The idea was not to harm any farmer.
Jakhar: The NGT should not go after small and marginal farmers but should focus on the big factories that cause pollution. The question is not the burning of crop residue. The question is the larger pollution. The NGT should go after power plants. Power plants are polluting much more than what farmers do in three weeks. Not a single plant in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh was shut. The NGT should act against the big fish and set an example. It’s not possible to catch each and every small farmer for violation.
What is the projection about stubble fires this year?
Garg: Till today, 270 cases of such fires have been reported. With the awareness and government subsidy on machinery, we expect area under paddy straw burning to decrease but the number of fire incidents will be more. That’s because farmers worry about government action and they have started burning fields in small portions and that too on the sly. For example, they will burn an acre at night, douse that fire and plough it next day before the authorities could detect them. Earlier, farmers used to burn their straw in one go.
Jakhar: There is one part that has not been explored while dealing with the problem. As the head of Punjab Farmers Commission, I was at a summit recently. What we are trying to start now is to find out carbon credits. There is a concept of exchanging carbon credits in other parts of the world. The question is can we monetise what farmers are doing and get them to be paid by international organisations such as Apple and Google who claim to be carbon credit neutral. They buy carbon credits to show they are environmentally conscious companies. Whatever they pollute, they say they are compensating by buying carbon credits. That’s the new market we should explore.
What’s the mood of farmers about stubble burning this time?
Lakhowal: Farmers are aware about its ill-effects. The problem is they lack infrastructure. Small farmers are unable to buy machines. In villages, a cooperative society has a happy seeder and rotavator for 2,000 acres. It’s not practical for farmers to use these machines because we have to sow wheat within 15 days.
There was talk about zero-stubble burning villages.
Bhatia: Yes, we are talking to farmers. They are happy and have committed to zero burning. We are working in six districts and more villages have promised not to burn stubble. Frankly, farmers appreciate government efforts despite the economic pressure. I’m sure an additional 10%-20% of farmers will not burn this time. The Punjab government has felicitated these villages as well.
What is the best solution to fight stubble burning?
Ahuja: Farmers need to be offered the complete bouquet. It can’t be a one-sizefits-all solution. Allow farmers the solutions and give economics. Farmers don’t want any subsidy as it causes increase in prices. We should open the market so that they can buy cheaper technology. We can withdraw the facility but we should not force farmers.
Jakhar: Efforts should be make to focus on behaviorial change. We have to adopt the technology that is practical. We need to reach out to farmers. I’m not for any action against them, rather provide cash incentives to adopt good techniques. The incentive can be withdrawn gradually in four or five years till farmers appreciate the benefits they reap by not putting the fields to fire.