Punjab to give Rs.395 Cr to farmers for subsidized paddy residue Management.

As part of the Chief Minister’s ambitious campaign to control stubble burning, the Punjab Agriculture department has embarked upon a massive programme to provide subsidy worth Rs.395 crore, in the current fiscal, for the purchase of 28,641 agro-machines/farm equipment to farmers for the management of paddy residue. Subsidy ranging from 50% to 80% is being provided to the farmers under the scheme. This is part of the Rs. 665 crore subsidy announced by the Captain Amarinder Singh government for 2018-19 and 2019-20. The remaining amount of Rs. 270 crore would be utilized during the next financial year. While around 12,000 machines are being subsidized at 50% for individual farmers, another 5280 agro-machines are being provided to 514 farmer groups and 16655 agro-machines to 3547 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) at a subsidy of 80% to establish Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) to be used as Custom Hiring Centres.