Parliamentary Panel Recommends Minimum Price for Paddy Residue to Curb Stubble Burning

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In News

• A parliamentary panel has recommended establishing a minimum price mechanism for paddy residue, similar to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, to discourage stubble burning.

Stubble Burning

• Stubble burning is the practice of setting fire to crop residue (paddy stubble) left after harvesting to quickly clear fields for the next crop. 
• It is primarily practiced in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh during October-November to prepare fields for rabi wheat sowing.
• Stubble burning leads to severe air pollution in Delhi-NCR, causing smog and high PM2.5 levels, worsening respiratory diseases. It harms soil fertility by destroying beneficial microbes, leading to increased dependence on chemical fertilizers. The practice also releases greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O), contributing to climate change and global warming.

Why Do Farmers Burn Stubble?

• Farmers burn stubble due to time constraints between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing. 
• High costs of alternative methods, despite subsidies, discourage mechanized residue management. 
• Lack of a fixed market price makes selling paddy straw unprofitable. 
• Limited awareness and inadequate incentives further push farmers toward burning as a quick solution.

Key Recommendations made

• Minimum Price for Paddy Residue: A mechanism should be set up in consultation with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to benchmark and notify minimum prices annually before the Kharif harvest season.
  • This price should cover farmers’ collection costs, including labour and machinery expenses.
• Subsidies: The government should subsidize machinery like happy seeders, rotavators, and mulchers for in-situ paddy straw management.
• Promotion of Short-Duration Paddy Varieties: The committee urged state governments to discourage long-duration paddy varieties like PUSA 44 and promote short-duration alternatives.
• Developing a National Bioenergy Policy: A unified national policy to integrate agricultural residue into bioenergy production.
• Others: Address ex-situ crop residue management costs, provide financial incentives, improve supply chain infrastructure, and raise awareness among farmers to ensure economic viability and environmental sustainability.

Source: Print