Why Punjab farmers are not using stubble management machines

Why Punjab farmers are not using stubble management machines

Several farm union leaders from Punjab alleged “technology mismatch” between tractors and the crop residue management (CRM) machines, saying that the stubble management machines were “inadequate”.

They said that although most of the farmers in Punjab own small tractors of around 25 to 30 BHP, the CRM machines which are available or suggested to them require a heavy-duty tractor of up to 50 BHP as the machines are bulky and weigh up to 13 quintals.

Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Mohali vice president Mehar Singh Theri told India Today, “There is a total mismatch as far as the tractors and these machines are concerned. How can a tractor of 25 BHP pull a 13-quintal CRM machine? There are 12,581 villages in Punjab which grow rice over an area of 31.67 lakh hectares. The CRM machines are inadequate and cannot cater to the farmers. The government should also tell the people why they were resorting to the draw of lots to provide the machines.”

Harjinder Singh, a farmer from Mohali, owns 80 acres of agricultural land. He cultivates rice on 25 acres of the land and sugarcane and potatoes on the remaining land.

Following advice from the state government, he purchased a CRM machine by paying Rs 2.5 lakh from his pocket. Along with five other farmers from his village, he had applied for the subsidy and was asked to deposit Rs 5,000 each as token money. But they have not yet received the subsidy even after a month. While Singh procured the machine from a private vendor, others were assured that the concerned department would make the machines available.

Due to the weight mismatch between the tractor and the machine, Singh adopted an alternate technique to pull the CRM machine, which he had purchased last month.

“The weight of my tractor is 22 to 23 quintals. It cannot pull a 12 to 13 quintal CRM machine. I tied more weight to my tractor to create a balance, so that I can pull the machine easily,” he said.

Tejinder Singh, another farmer from Popna in Mohali, said the farmers require a technology upgrade and require at least Rs 10 lakh to buy a 50 BHP tractor.

“The farmers cannot use CRM machines as the tractors are old. The new tractor will require an investment of Rs 10 lakh. On the other hand, there is a shortage of machines, which are also not available even on booking,” said Tejinder.

WILL CONTINUE TO GROW PADDY: FARMERS

Reacting to the recent Supreme Court judgment, which said that states should try to phase out paddy cultivation, farmers’ leaders said they will continue to grow paddy “as it is the only profit-making crop”.

Farmer Union leader Mehar Singh Theri said the farmers are ready to give up paddy cultivation, but the state government will have to provide equal MSP on crops other than rice and wheat.

“The farmers are growing paddy as it is the only crop that fetches good money. They can grow other crops, but the MSP is only available for wheat and paddy. Announcements were also made to bring other crops under MSP, but they were not implemented. The maize farmers were promised that they would get Rs 2,200 per quintal, but when they take their crop to the markets, they only get around Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per quintal. The farmers will continue to grow the paddy till other crops are covered under the MSP regime,” Theri said.

FARMERS’ PROTEST ON STUBBLE BURNING

More than 18 farmers’ unions on Monday staged a protest against the punitive action taken by the state pollution control board against the farmers for stubble burning in various districts in Punjab.

The state government had ordered the cancellation of arms licenses and passports owned by the farmers found guilty of stubble burning. They will also not be able to sell their agricultural land or raise a loan in the wake of adverse remarks in land records.

More than 932 FIRs have been registered against farmers in Punjab since November 8. A fine of Rs 1.67 crore has been imposed and 7,000 cases have been registered. The total number of farm fire cases this winter has risen to 34,459.

AAP DENIES ALLEGATIONS BY FARMER UNIONS

The AAP-led government in Punjab has refuted the allegations leveled by the farmer unions and said that over 1.40 lakh machines were provided to other farmers, which has resulted in a better Air Quality index.

AAP Spokesperson Jagar Singh Sanghera said, “Our government is committed to providing a pollution-free environment for the people of Punjab. We have established continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations in six cities, including Patiala, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, and Mandi Gobindgarh. Effective in-situ management has resulted in a 22.8 per cent AQI improvement. We haven’t received any complaints about the poor quality of CRM machines so far.”