Record paddy area, ageing CRM fleet: Punjab readies 1.25 lakh machines for stubble season

Punjab is preparing for this year's paddy harvest with a record 32.86 lakh hectares of rice, making it the largest paddy area in history. The state's crop residue management (CRM) fleet is set to expand to 1.25 lakh machines, as the Agriculture Department anticipates around 22,000 new CRM machines will be added this season under the anti-stubble-burning program at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore.

However, nearly 67,000 machines distributed since the scheme's launch in 2018 have reached the end of their operational life and are now considered non-functional or scrap. To address this, around 2,000 additional machines are also expected to come through other schemes and grants. The CRM scheme, integrated with the national agricultural mechanisation framework since 2023-24, has seen the distribution of 1.65 lakh machines since 2018, with about 67,000 now nearing the end of their five-year operational cycle.

Super Seeders, capable of managing paddy residue and sowing wheat simultaneously, are the most sought-after CRM equipment, with more than 70,000 expected to be operational this season. Punjab has 6,100 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) from which farmers can hire CRM machinery, and 600 more are being added this year. The state generates over 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble, with plans to manage 8 million tonnes through ex-situ utilisation and convert the remaining 12 million tonnes into soil through in-situ management.

The government aims to reduce stubble burning to almost zero this season, with efforts to monitor residue management and farm-fire incidents through around 8,000 agriculture and field-level personnel.