Chandigarh, April 21 — In a major push to eliminate stubble burning, the Punjab Government has launched a Rs 500-crore action plan to provide crop residue management (CRM) machines to farmers on subsidy and promote sustainable paddy straw disposal practices.
Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the initiative targets a zero-burn goal for the upcoming harvest season.
“Farmers can apply online for subsidies on CRM machines from April 22 to May 12 through the portal agrimachinerypb.com,” he said.
Under the scheme, individual farmers are eligible for a 50% subsidy, while Farmer Groups, Cooperative Societies, and Gram Panchayats can avail an 80% subsidy.
“The idea is to make these machines more affordable and widely accessible,” said Khudian.
“This effort will not only support farmers but also contribute to a cleaner environment across the state.”
The subsidy will cover a wide range of machinery including Super SMS, Happy Seeder, Super Seeder, Surface Seeder, Smart Seeder, Zero Till Drill, Baler, Rake, Shrub Master/Rotary Slasher, Paddy Straw Chopper/Shredder/Mulcher, Crop Reaper, and Hydraulic Reversible Mould Board Plough.
Administrative Secretary Dr Basant Garg noted the state had seen measurable progress in recent years. “Last season, 17,600 subsidised CRM machines were distributed and 1,331 custom hiring centres (CHCs) were set up,” he said.
“These efforts contributed to a 70% reduction in stubble fire cases compared to 2023.”
Officials said the ongoing campaign builds on those gains and seeks to further cut residue burning incidents in the state’s paddy belt.
