OFFICIALS OF GOVERNMENTS OF INDIA AND PUNJAB VISIT PAU TO DISCUSS STRAW MANAGEMENT ISSUE

Ludhiana, February 9, 2018: The Chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Dr Vijay Paul Sharma, accompanied by his Advisor Dr D.K.Pandey, visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today to discuss the paddy straw management issue with special thrust on providing incentives to the farmers who refrained from straw burning and managed it using various alternatives. Since the residue management involved additional cost, the Government of Punjab had requested the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices to provide incentives to the farmers who said no to stubble burning and managed it by adopting various technologies. Mr Ajay Vir Jakhar, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers’ Commission; Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Dr B.S.Sidhu, Agriculture Commissioner, Punjab; Dr J.S. Bains, Director of Agriculture, Punjab; faculty and heads of the departments of PAU; officials of the State Department of Agriculture; and farmers from Punjab participated in the deliberations.

Dr Vijay Paul Sharma said paddy straw management is a challenge; it is causing severe pollution and resulting in land degradation. For straw management, he referred to three essentials including research which provides need based technology, efficient agricultural engineers who develop machinery, and effective transfer of technology to encourage the farmers to use the recommended technology in their fields. “We have come to PAU to solve the problems of the farmers,” he stated.

Mr Ajay Vir Jakhar called for the intervention of the Central Government to check straw burning in the state.

Dr Dhillon apprised the Chairman of CACP of the efforts being put in by PAU to manage stubble burning in Punjab through the development of several technologies.

Earlier, Dr R.S. Sidhu, Registrar, welcomed the dignitaries and the participants.

Dr J.S. Mahal, Director of Extension Education, PAU, while giving presentation on “Paddy Straw Management: Challenges and Solutions,” said wheat sowing with milch, incorporation and collection/removal and use were the options available for straw management. Happy Seeder, PAU Super Straw Management System and PAU Straw Cutter-cum-Spreader technologies, and sowing of short duration rice varieties like PR 121, PR 122, PR 123, PR 124, PR 126 and PR 115 contribute to straw management, he added.

The Director of Research, Dr N.S. Bains also informed about the focus areas for residue management.

Sharing their problems, farmers said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on residue management machinery has created all the more problems and machinery is not within the reach of the small farmers. They also suggested that the machinery (whether of good quality or not) with the Cooperative Societies must get the approval of the concerned authorities. Farmers are ready to manage straw, if incentives are given to them, they added.