'4,000 mowing machines be given to farm cooperative societies'

Punjab government today decided to give 4,000 mowing machines to cooperative societies in order to desist farmers from burning paddy straw and in turn checking air pollution.
Stating this, Agriculture minister Tota Singh while presiding over a meeting with the agriculture machine manufacturers here said the Punjab government has decided to motivate farmers to adopt mechanical mowing machines to mow straw in earth rather than burning it in order to reduce air pollution.
The minister said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has also directed to provide incentives to those farm machine makers who manufacture machines at a low cost.
The Agriculture Minister said the state government is going to provide machines which can allow straw be used as fodder, for mushroom crop and for biomass power plants.