Amid the growing number of stubble burning cases in North India, many farmers are using the crop residue to make money instead of burning it.
Farmers in Haryana are selling the crop remains at the crop residue collection centres set up at different villages by groups of cultivators who further sell the fodder & paddy straw to other states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and also to gaushalas after making their bundles & crushing the straw into dry fodder. The fodder is used for animal feed as well as in many industries like cardboard, brick kiln etc.
Sahil, a farmer said they are getting Rs 2,500 to 3,000/acre for paddy straw that is being sold further to various states. He said I have sold paddy straw I got from ten acres at the centre made by group of farmers. Previously, I used to set it on fire.
There are many farmers who are adopting the manual method of harvesting rather than getting their crop harvested with the help of combine to get better price for their produce.
The farmers said this will help in meeting the demand of dry fodder in the summer season. Vikram Rana, farmer & owner of a crop residue management centre at Nigdhu village said that “I used to get my crop harvested with the help of combine. But the paddy harvested with combine get less price in mandi because of breakage of grains. The paddy harvested manually obtains good price. Therefore, I started manual harvesting. Manually, the paddy straw is cut from the bottom of straw, leaving no residue to be burnt”.
He added that this season, many farmers have shifted to manual harvesting, rather than getting the crop harvested with the help of combines.
Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA), Aditya Dabas said that the manual method was environment friendly and farmers must earn profit from the straw instead of burning it. He told that over 25 ex-situ bailer implements for crop residue management have been given to growers on subsidy this season and they are using those to make bundles of crop residue.
