Max Availability and Utilisation of Crop Residue Management(CRM) Machines by Punjab Govt

Last Updated: 28 Dec 2024

Focus shifted to ex-situ management under AAP[1]

2023 alone: 2000+ balers and nearly the same number of rakes are being distributed
vs
In past 5 years(2018-2022), only total 768 balers and 681 rakes were distributed in the state

2024[2]: Special Big Balers imported from Europe for Industrial units

BJP's Bad Politics or Genuine policy change?

Last 5 years Center BJP govt provide 100% grant to Punjab for crop residue management but reduced it to 60% in 2023[3]

Since AAP Govt, CRM machines are distributed under changed subsidy regime to benefit real farmers due to scams during earlier Congress regime[4]

Total 1,46,540 machines provided for crop residue on subsidy since 2018-19[5]
-- 61,951 super-seeders
-- 2,183 balers and 2,039 rakes included

1. Increase Availability of CRM machines

1. Subsidy Scheme[6]

  • 80% subsidy on the purchase of agriculture equipment for cooperative societies or other entities
  • 50% subsidy on the purchase of agriculture implements for farmers

2. Loan/Easy Credit by District Cooperative Banks[6:1]

  • Farmers can now avail loan from the state cooperative banks for buying crop residue management machines
  • 802 bank branches offer Easy Credit
  • Launched on 7 Oct 2024

2024[7]

1. Machine Subsidy Scheme

  • 16,000 CRM machines were provided[8]
  • Now total of over 145,000 machines have been distributed since 2018[9]

Heavy duty 1100 tractors[10]

1st time tractors are being made available under CRM subsidy

  • Most tractors are of power 35-40 hp, while stubble management machines require tractors with 50-60 hp
  • Tractors are being made available for farmers’ self-help groups, panchayats and cooperative societies
  • Farmers can now hire these tractors from these farmers’ group

Big Bailers[2:1]

  • ₹20 crore to import Big Bailers for industrial houses and entrepreneurs
  • 65% subsidy is offered on big bailers that cost between ₹1 and ₹1.5 crore
  • These are being imported from Germany, Spain and Holland
  • Each big bailer is targeted to cover 1,000 acres

2023

1 CRM machine for every 24 hectares[11]
With total 1,38,022 CRM machines & 32.93 lakh hectares under paddy

These CRM machines are part of In-situ & Ex-situ management of paddy stubble

  • This year these machines include 1,800 balers small & 30 big balers
  • Big balers costing 1 crore with ability to make bundles of over 100 acres a day[12]

Despite BJP's reduced funding, AAP Govt has come up with a 350 crore plan with 140 crores from its own pocket to distribute ~23000 crop residue machines[3:1]
-- 21,000 machines for in-situ management
-- 1,800 balers for ex-situ management

2022[13]

  • AAP Punjab govt distributed ~27,000 machines in 2022

2. Focus on Max Utilisation of CRM machines[14]

New Custom Hiring Centres[15]

Total 23,792 custom hiring centres (CHCs) have been established in Punjab to further support CRM utilisation

Unnat Kisan mobile app[16]

1.30+ lakh CRM machines mapped for easy access

  • This game changer mobile application enables farmers to easily book a machine from the available Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) in their vicinity
  • Each machine is geo-tagged according to the Cultivated Land Area, facilitating the monitoring of machine usage and documenting all residual management activities carried out by the farmers
  • 5k facilitators/nodal officers to assist farmers in booking crm machines
  • Launched in Sept 2024 by Punjab's agricultural department
  • Earlier it was done using i-Khet app which was launched in 2022[13:1]

References:

  1. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-residue-management-scheme-balers-farm-fires-9012744/ ↩︎

  2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/under-pressure-to-check-farm-fires-punjab-sets-action-plan-in-motion-101724782160311.html ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/punjab-plans-to-provide-around-22000-straw-management-machines-for-2023-kharif-season/102707063 ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/punjab-orders-probe-in-11-275-missing-crop-residue-management-machines-122081800191_1.html ↩︎

  5. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Nov/29/punjab-reports-70-per-cent-reduction-in-stubble-burning-highlights-ex-situ-management-efforts ↩︎

  6. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/punjab-co-op-bank-offers-subsidised-loan-on-straw-mgmt-machines-101728241723038.html ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. https://www.business-standard.com/industry/agriculture/punjab-govt-to-procure-over-11-000-crm-machines-to-check-stubble-burning-124091001256_1.html ↩︎

  8. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=196857 ↩︎

  9. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/state-editions/punjab-farmers-already-acquire-over-14k-crm-machines-against-sanctioned-21-958.html ↩︎

  10. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/farmer-groups-to-get-1100-tractors-for-stubble-mgmt/articleshow/113407557.cms ↩︎

  11. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/managing-crop-residue-i-straw-mgmt-policy-in-place-adoption-remains-a-challenge/ ↩︎

  12. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/punjab-farmers-to-get-balers-to-clear-stubble-101694367352155.html ↩︎

  13. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/heres-how-aap-led-punjab-govt-planning-its-stubble-burning-fight-to-alleviate-delhi-pollution-11663387435327.html ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/paddy-stubble-punjab-machines-8924872/ ↩︎

  15. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103981283.cms ↩︎

  16. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/revolutionary-unnat-kisan-app-launches-for-easy-booking-of-crop-residue-management-machines-in-punjab/articleshow/113718563.cms ↩︎