Agri dept meets makers of crop residue management machinery

The agriculture department of Punjab today held a meeting with manufacturers of crop residue management machinery to ensure quality of equipment to be provided under a central scheme to tackle farm waste burning, a release said.

Around 165 manufacturers from Punjab and 100 from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states participated in the meeting.

Under the central scheme, 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In situ Management of Crop Residue', Punjab will get Rs 665 crore in two years on 100 per cent grant-in-aid basis to tackle crop residue burning.

Already an amount of Rs 269.38 crore had been received as first installment for 2017-18, out of which money would be spent on procurement of equipment on subsidy basis at the rate of 50 per cent for individual farmers and at the rate of 80 per cent for farmer groups.

The state government received a large number of applications in the first phase for equipment like happy seeders, paddy straw choppers/mulchers.

As many as 7,436 applications had been received for happy seeders, 5,490 for paddy straw choppers/mulchers and more than 19,000 for rotavators, the release said.

Timeline has already been set up for approval of applications of farmers/farmers groups for purchase of equipment on 'first come, first serve basis'.

The directions have been issued to all the Deputy Commissioners to place order with the manufacturers and dealers to regulate manufacturing and supply of equipment well before the paddy harvesting season.