Punjab government, an entrepreneur and an NGO have joined hands to bring about a change in the way farming is done in the state. To fight with the problem of burning paddy straw in fields, farmers are being given lessons and field training on rice straw management. Farmers are taught eco friendly way of zero tillage and how to use straw as an organic fertilizer.
The ban imposed by state government on burning paddy residue meant little for growers and they continued to set fire to the dry straw in the state.
On an average, paddy is grown in around seven million acres in the state. An acre yields around 25-30 quintals of crop residue, thereby, the aggregate crop residue is estimated at 175 million quintal of which more than 90% paddy straw is burnt.
It is estimated that farmers burn 19.6 million tonne straw every year that is worth crores of rupees, besides losing 38.5 lakh tonne of organic carbon, 59,000 tonne nitrogen, 2,000 tonne phosphorous and 34,000 tonne potassium every year.
?We have decided to educate farmers of Ferozepur district about the adverse effects of residue burning. By focusing on better straw management, farmers can cut down their input costs, save water, fuel, use organic matter, make additional money while nursing the environment at the same time. Initially our team will provide training to sarpanches who acts as opinion leaders in villages. We will promote the use a new post-harvest-technology machine happy seeder that helps farmers in the incorporation of rice crop residue,? Vikram Ahuja who runs Zamindara Farmsolutions, a farm equipment bank in Fazilika told FE.
Contrary to the local belief that rice straw is a very good cattle fodder, farmers will be educated by taking them to cowsheds. Properly cut, chopped, collected and baled straw can also be sold at profitable price, he highlighted.
Cereal Systems Initiative, a non-governmental initiative for South Asia (CSISA) headed by HS Sidhu in Punjab, has volunteered to offer technology to one part of this campaign.
Elaborating on the concept, Sidhu said, ?Under the CSISA project we have carried out eights sessions with farmers and have given 150 demonstrations. It has been found that farmers are able to save Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 if they use scientific methods. We intend to cover Amritsar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh-sahib, Patiala, Sangrur and Bathinda. This programme will be expanded gradually.?
According to agri-experts, only 15% of the total paddy straw being produced in Punjab can be used in a productive way. PS Rangi, consultant with Punjab State Farmers? Commission (PSFC) told FE, ? In Punjab, October onwards there is a haze over the countryside since paddy residue, being moisture and silica rich, keeps burning for days. This residue cannot be ploughed back either and since it is rich in silica, decomposition takes a long time. In the absence of viable alternatives, farmers are left with no other option but to burn paddy stubble. In such a situation the Farmers Commission as well as the agricultural department are promoting rotavators, which buries the paddy straw in the fields and happy seeders that uses the zero tilling method to sow wheat in the fields with paddy straw.
TPS Sidhu, chief executive officer of Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) said that only 10% of total paddy straw can be used to produce electricity at bio-mass power projects.