•Agriculture Minister reviews preparedness for Rabi sowing season; Directs officials to ensure uninterrupted & timely supply of fertilisers & quality Agri-inputs
•Khudian warns of strict action on fertiliser tagging, says no violator to be spared
Chandigarh, September 24:
In a major thrust to sustainable agriculture and environmental protection, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian today said that the state farmers have procured 16,227 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines so far during the ongoing Kharif season. To support this transition, the Punjab Government has released a subsidy of Rs 183 crore to farmers for procuring over 10,000 CRM machines across the state.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, along with Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Mr. Anurag Verma, was reviewing preparedness for the upcoming Rabi season.
Reiterating Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab government’s commitment to incentivising eco-friendly farming, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that a 50% subsidy for individual farmers and 80% subsidy for Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), FPOs, Cooperative Societies and Gram Panchayats is being provided for purchase of CRM machines.
The Agriculture Minister said that backed by a robust Rs 576-crore action plan for 2026-27, these concerted efforts have resulted in a 90% drop in stubble-burning cases- from 49,922 in 2022 to just 5,114 in 2025— earning Punjab national recognition for its crop residue management strategy.
Appealing to the agrarian community to shun crop residue burning, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian urged farmers to adopt scientific residue management using CRM machines to protect the environment, preserve soil fertility and ensure long-term sustainability of agriculture.
Reviewing the fertiliser supply position, S. Khudian directed the Agriculture department officials to ensure timely and smooth availability of fertilisers across the state and to strictly curb the practice of tagging with fertilisers, while ensuring hassle-free access to quality agri-inputs for all farmers. He warned that anyone found indulging in this malpractice will not be spared and will face the strictest action.
He also urged farmers to adopt balanced nutrient management by utilising alternate fertilisers like TSP, NPK and SSP to maintain soil health and reduce over-dependence on DAP.
The Agriculture Minister was apprised that the state has a comfortable stock of over 3.92 lakh metric tonnes of Urea and 5 lakh metric tonnes of DAP available for the season. Director Agriculture Gurjeet Singh Brar assured the Minister that the department is proactively taking up the matter with the Union Government to ensure timely and uninterrupted supply of fertilisers for the Rabi season.
