There is a visible reduction
in the volume of post-harvest
stubble-burning
in
Punjab and
this year owing
to the promotion of farm machinery backed by financial assistance by government and awareness programmes.
Yet, a significant chunk of
farmers are
still reluctant
to use the Happy Seeder - which obviates the need for
stubble burning fearing lower yields. And this fear, coupled with the high cost of the machines, seems
to override the fear of penal action for burning
stubble.
Many
farmers
in these states take land on lease by paying up
to Rs 60,000 per acre which leaves them with small leeway
to think about the Happy Seeder, as they assume lower yields translate into huge losses for them.
However, the fear of a lower output has no factual or legitimate basis, say experts
in the field, even as they feel all
farmers would adopt new techniques
in due course of time.
Conceived by the
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)
in 2007-08, Happy Seeder, which allows sowing without removing
stubble, is seen as an perfect alternative as it completely rules out possibility of straw burning.
The machine is expensive at Rs 150,000, despite the 50 per cent subsidy which brings down the cost
to over Rs 75,000.
They can hire the machine for Rs 1,500 per acre from Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) but find it hard
to get them during wheat sowing period because there are not enough machines available.
Punjab farmer Satuguru Singh has cultivated his 18-acres of land using Happy Seeder this year. But he is apprehensive about the amount of sprouting.
"I burnt my fields till last year. I have used the Happy Seeder this time as I do not want
to contribute
to pollution. But I am nervous as I heard this machine lowers the output," said the farmer from Sangrur's Namol village.
Gursharan Singh from the same village firmly believes that Happy Seeder lowers crop output.
There is a need
to restore confidence among
farmers that the Happy Seeder is affordable and does not impact the yield, said Sridhar Iyer of the EY Foundation.
The EY Foundation, along with NGO India Paryavaran Sahayak (IPS) Foundation, is working
in five districts of
Punjab
to spread awareness about Happy Seeder and
to make it available on rent
to
farmers at a subsidised rate.
"When the Happy Seeders are used, sprouting cannot be seen easily for some days due
to the straw. It makes
farmers nervous. So we have
to clear their doubts
to encourage them
to use the Happy Seeder", Iyer said.
H.S. Sidhu, a Senior Agricultural Engineer at Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), said the apprehensions would not subside until the
farmers themselves use the machine.
"The
farmers would have
to get rid of the fear they have by using the Happy Seeder. It is about self-realisation. It would happen eventually," said Sidhu, who was a part of the PAU-led team that designed the machine.
An agriculture researcher from
Haryana said the
farmers
in the region believed that more tillage of land leads
to more production so they
burn
stubble and use Rotavator, which chops the straw into small pieces using rotating blades and spreads it inside the soil.
"The concept might have been true around 30 years ago. However, it is no more effective with the introduction of hybrid seed varieties. There is need
to explain it
to
farmers with scientific demonstration," said the Karnal-based researcher, who did not wish
to be named.
According
to the
Punjab's Agriculture department, over 25,000 machines, including approximate 8,000 Happy Seeders were purchased this year at subsidised rates
in the state. However, small and marginal
farmers like Maninder Singh can neither afford
to buy a Happy Seeder nor can they find one on rent.
"There is only one machine for three villages
in our area. I do not know when my turn will come if I want
to use the Happy Seeder," said Maninder Singh, who cultivates three-acres.
Punjab's Agriculture Director, J.S. Bains, admitted that not all
farmers had access
to Happy Seeders.
"This year,
stubble burning has gone down by almost 60-70 per cent. Many
farmers have rented Happy Seeders from 8,000 CHCs
in the state. There may be a section of small
farmers, who could not use it. But they will also soon be brought on board."