Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar Gets 108 Applications For Subsidised Equipments
Last Year 196 Agricultural Equipments Were Given
Rajnish Sareen
Nawanshahr, August 17, 2019 : With a view to making Punjab a ‘zero stubble burning state’, the Punjab Agriculture Department has initiated a massive drive to provide more than 28000 agro-machines/farm equipment to farmers with subsidy component of Rs. 278 crore during the current fiscal under first phase for in-situ management of paddy residue.
Divulging the details, Chief Agricultural Officer Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Dr. Gurbaksh Singh said that subsidy ranging from 50 percent to 80 percent is being provided to the farmers under the scheme with 80 percent subsidy to cooperative societies and farmers’ groups while 50 percent for individuals. The State government has focused to deliver state-of-the-art machines to farmers including Super SMS, Happy Seeder, Paddy Straw Chopper/Shredder/Mulcher, Hydraulic Reversible Mould Board Plough and Zero Till Drill.
Giving the details of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, he said that by the last date set by state for the applications, we have got as many as 108 new applications including 21 from farmers’ group. Last year, district has delivered a total of 196 agricultural equipments on a subsidy of Rs. 1.25 crore, he added.
He further said that under first phase, around 15000 machines are being subsidized at 50 percent for individual farmers by state government throughout Punjab, another 13000 agro-machines are being provided to around 2200 farmer groups/Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) at a subsidy of 80 percent to establish Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) to be used as Custom Hiring Centres. He said that in order to supply the requisite machinery to the farmers, the Agriculture Department has fully geared up to complete the task of distribution of these implements before September 15, 2019.
Besides to gear up for ensuing paddy season, mass awareness campaign has already been initiated to educate farmers about the ill-effects of paddy straw burning. This awareness campaign was primarily aimed at imparting training to farmers and practical demonstration of equipments for In-Situ Crop Residue Management.
The farmers are being urged to make optimum use of subsidized agri-machinery to do away the practice of stubble burning thereby ensuring health and hygiene of the people besides preserving the environment of the state, he further added.
During 2018-19, total of 28,609 machines has been provided to individual farmers on 50 percent subsidy out of which 12075 machines have been provided to Individual Farmers and remaining 16,534 machines have been provided to Cooperative Societies & Farmers Group on 80 percent subsidy.
He said that this time a dip in area under paddy has also been noted after the concerted efforts initiated to save the depleted water table in the district.
Notably, the Paddy has been brought down to 30 lac hectares of land in Punjab. After harvesting paddy, about 20 million tonnes of paddy straw is expected to be left in the fields to be managed by farmers before sowing the next Rabi crops.