- Agriculture Minister highlights 53% drop in stubble burning incidents during 2025
Chandigarh, February 3:
The Punjab Government-led Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, has been taking concrete steps to promote scientific crop residue management to address environmental concerns, improve soil health and boost farmers’ income, said S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab.
He was addressing a state-level conference organised by ASAR in collaboration with Canopy.
S. Khudian said that Punjab has successfully been turning the long-standing challenge of paddy stubble into a powerful economic and ecological opportunity.
He informed that Punjab’s efforts to manage crop residue are yielding impressive results as stubble burning incidents have dropped by 53% in Kharif season 2025, with cases falling to 5,114 from 10,909 in 2024. The Agriculture Minister credited subsidised Crop Residue Management machinery, incentives and viable alternatives for stubble use for this success. He shared that the state is scientifically managing over 80% of its 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble produced every year, by using modern in-situ and ex-situ methods to boost soil health. The crop residues are also being used in ex-situ applications like biomass-based power plants, bio-CNG units and bio-ethanol projects, generating energy and employment opportunities. “What was smoke in past is becoming energy, industry and employment today,” Khudian said.
The Agriculture Minister envisioned a future where farmers reap the benefits of crop residue management. “When crop residue is being transformed into fuel, energy any packaging, it creates rural employment and gives our youth opportunities close to their homes. This inclusive and sustainable development is our goal,” he said.
S. Khudian invited industries to tap into Punjab’s green and sustainable business potential, stating that the state is primed to create India’s first true circular economy region. He showcased the state’s potential to turn stubble into value, while stating, “By turning stubble into wealth instead of smoke, Punjab is transforming pollution into prosperity. Punjab is proving that climate action and economic growth can go hand-in-hand”.
