Lok Sabha Question No. 328 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Incentives to Achieve Zero Stubble Burning
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 328

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  DECEMBER, 2025

## INCENTIVES TO ACHIEVE ZERO STUBBLE BURNING

328. SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  ongoing  challenges  faced  by  Punjab farmers in adopting crop residue management machines despite subsidies;
- (b) if so, the number of such machines distributed in Jalandhar and other Punjab districts in 2025; and
- (c) the details of the additional incentives planned under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation to achieve zero stubble burning by 2026?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c):  In order to support the farmers of Punjab for adopting crop residue management practices, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing Crop Residue Management (CRM) Scheme through the State Government of Punjab w.e.f. 201819.  Under  this  scheme,  the  central  funds  amounting  to  Rs.  1963.45  crores  have  been released to the State of Punjab for providing financial assistance to the farmers for purchase of crop residue management machines @ 50% of the cost of machines and for establishing Custom  Hiring  Centres  (CHCs)  of  crop  residue  management  machines  @  80%  of  the project  cost.  Higher  share  of  subsidy  is  provided  for  CHCs  with  the  intention  of  making available  machines  and  euipments  to  small  and  marginal  farmers  at  lower  rentals.  The paddy  straw  supply  chain  projects  are  also  provided  financial  assistance  @  65%  on  the capital cost of machinery for the projects costing up to Rs. 1.50 Crores with the objectives of ensuring biomass supply security for paddy straw based industries such as BioCompressed Natural Gas (CNG), Compressed Biogas (CBG), Bio-ethanol, biomass based power plants etc.  The sale of paddy straw by the farmers for use by such industries also fetches additional income for them. Funds have also been provided to the State for taking up Information, Education and Communication activities for mass awareness of farmers.

The farmers are adopting crop residue management machines and during the period from  2018-19  to  2025-26  (as  on  25.11.2025),  more  than  1.59  lakh  machines  have  been supplied in the State. The overall benefits of in-situ residue management practices by using these machines also include enrichment of soil fertility and savings on reduced application of  fertilizers.    There  is  no  provision  for  additional  incentives  under  Sub-Mission  on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) and all these interventions under the CRM scheme aims at managing the paddy straw in a holistic manner to achieve zero stubble burning.

The number of crop residue management machines distributed to farmers in various districts of Punjab in the year 2025 is given in Annexure-I.

The overall objective of reducing the burning  of paddy straw through the initiatives under CRM scheme is getting  realized  as  it  is  evident  from  the  reports  published  by  the Consortium for  Research  on Agroecosystem  Monitoring  and Modelling  from  Space (CREAMS)  Laboratory,  Division  of  Agricultural  Physics,  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural Research  (ICAR)  -  Indian  Agricultural  Research  Institute  (IARI),  New  Delhi.  The  paddy straw burning events between 15 th September to 30 th November during 2018 in the States of Punjab were 67079, which have been reduced to 10909 events during 2024 for the same period, which indicates 83.7 percent reduction in paddy straw  burning. During the current year, the paddy straw burning events between 15 September to 27 November have been reported as 5106 numbers, which are less by 52.8% as compared to year 2024 for the same period.

## Annexure-I

Number of crop residue management machines distributed to farmers in various districts of Punjab in the year 2025 (as on 25.11.2025)

| S.No.   | Name of the district   |   Number of crop residue management machines distributed |
|---------|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Amritsar               |                                                      256 |
| 2       | Barnala                |                                                      511 |
| 3       | Bathinda               |                                                      436 |
| 4       | Faridkot               |                                                      239 |
| 5       | Fatehgarh Sahib        |                                                      214 |
| 6       | Fazilka                |                                                      731 |
| 7       | Ferozepur              |                                                     1159 |
| 8       | Gurdaspur              |                                                      464 |
| 9       | Hoshiarpur             |                                                      170 |
| 10      | Jalandhar              |                                                     1019 |
| 11      | Kapurthala             |                                                      461 |
| 12      | Ludhiana               |                                                      519 |
| 13      | Malerkotla             |                                                      206 |
| 14      | Mansa                  |                                                      540 |
| 15      | Moga                   |                                                      366 |
| 16      | Pathankot              |                                                       73 |
| 17      | Patiala                |                                                      419 |
| 18      | Ropar                  |                                                      115 |
| 19      | Sangrur                |                                                     1042 |
| 20      | SAS Nagar              |                                                      178 |
| 21      | SBS Nagar              |                                                       95 |
| 22      | Sri Muktsar Sahib      |                                                      535 |
| 23      | Tarn Taran             |                                                      347 |
|         | Total                  |                                                    10095 |

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