Farm fires down 68% from last year: Punjab Agriculture Minister

In Punjab, farm fire incidents have dropped by 68% from last year, state Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Sunday.

The minister said that last year on November 3, the number of farm fires in Punjab was 12,813 and this year it is 4,132. This is a testimony of the concerted efforts of the Punjab government and the farming community, he added.

Khudian said the state government, in a bid to equip farmers with latest technology for effective crop residue management, has sanctioned installation of 21,958 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines. Farmers have already purchased 14,587 machines this year, taking the total number of machines since 2018 to over 1.45 lakh, he said.

The minister said the Super seeder was the most popular among farmers this year, followed by the no-till seeder, RMB plow, baler and rake. He said that so far, 620 Personal Hiring Centers (CHCs) have also been set up across the state to ensure that small and marginal farmers have access to residue recycling machines.

He said individual farmers can avail 50 per cent subsidy on CRM equipment while cooperatives, FPOs, panchayats are eligible for 80 per cent subsidy.