Chandigarh, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian on Thursday said farmers in the state have procured 16,227 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines during the ongoing Kharif season, with the state government releasing Rs 183 crore in subsidy to support the purchase of more than 10,000 such machines.
Khuddian made the statement while reviewing preparations for the upcoming Rabi sowing season along with Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Anurag Verma.
Reiterating the Punjab government’s focus on promoting eco-friendly farming, Khuddian said a 50 per cent subsidy is being provided to individual farmers, while a subsidy of 80 per cent is available to Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Cooperative Societies and Gram Panchayats for purchasing CRM machines.
The minister said the state has a Rs 576-crore action plan for 2026-27 and claimed that concerted crop residue management efforts had contributed to a 90 per cent decline in stubble-burning cases, from 49,922 in 2022 to 5,114 in 2025.
Appealing to farmers to avoid crop residue burning, Khuddian urged them to adopt scientific residue management practices using CRM machines to protect the environment, preserve soil fertility and promote sustainable agriculture.
During the review, Khuddian also directed Agriculture Department officials to ensure timely and uninterrupted availability of fertilisers across Punjab during the Rabi season.
He specifically warned against the practice of tagging fertilisers with other agricultural inputs and directed officials to take strict action against anyone found indulging in the malpractice.
The minister also urged farmers to adopt balanced nutrient management and use alternative fertilisers such as TSP, NPK and SSP to maintain soil health and reduce dependence on DAP.
The Agriculture Department informed the minister that Punjab currently has more than 3.92 lakh metric tonnes of urea and 5 lakh metric tonnes of DAP in stock for the season.
Director Agriculture Gurjeet Singh Brar said the department was proactively taking up the matter with the Union Government to ensure timely and uninterrupted fertiliser supplies for the upcoming Rabi season.
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