Punjab Farmers Reconsider Stubble-Burning Machines Due to Cost Concerns

In the heart of Punjab's farmlands, a story of changing farming technology is unfolding. Himmat Singh, a farmer from Amritsar, made a big investment in farming four years ago. He bought the "Happy Seeder" machine with a 50% government subsidy, costing him Rs 75,000.

This machine worked well for one season of wheat sowing, but the next year, a more advanced option came along, therefore Himmat left his Happy Seeder unused.

Similarly, a group of 15 farmers in Nakodar, Jalandhar, got several farming machines, including two Happy Seeders, at an 80% subsidy. They also abandoned their Happy Seeders in favor of newer models.

Jagjit Singh, a farmer from Sangrur, had Super SMS attachments for his combine harvesters. These attachments were meant for paddy harvesting, but high costs made many, including Jagjit, not use them.

The Happy Seeder and Super SMS were important when the CRM(Crop Residue Machinery) scheme started in Punjab in 2018-19 to reduce stubble burning. The government distributed 13,664 Happy Seeders and 6,142 Super SMS machines with subsidies summing over Rs 300 crore. However, today, nearly 90% of these machines are sitting idle. The Happy Seeder is designed to simplify wheat sowing and reduce crop burning. The Super SMS helps chop stubble during harvesting. But due to extra costs, these machines are falling out of favor.

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Punjab farmers are increasingly abandoning Happy Seeders and Super SMS machines, which were introduced to reduce crop residue burning, in favor of newer and more advanced models. The government has spent over Rs 300 crore on the CRM scheme, but the low utilization of Happy Seeders and Super SMS machines is a major setback. The government needs to address the concerns of farmers and make the CRM scheme more attractive to them.

Harnam Singh from Kapurthala got the Happy Seeder but later opted for newer options like the Super Seeder and Smart Seeder, which incorporate stubble into the soil during wheat sowing. Harnam now owns both a Super Seeder and a Happy Seeder but hardly uses the latter.

A senior officer in the Punjab Agriculture Department mentioned that only a fraction of combine harvesters have Super SMS, as it's not mandatory, and many farmers with it choose not to use it due to the added cost.

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In Satnam's area, most combine harvester owners with Super SMS attachments are not using them on their fields. The changing agricultural technology in Punjab reflects the balance between environmental concerns, cost, and practicality. Farmers are now looking for more efficient and economical options while continuing to feed the nation.

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