How can Punjab Increase the Adoption of Crop Residue Management Methods? Survey Insights from 11 Districts of the State

Punjab has set a target to manage the entire 100 per cent (~20 million metric tonnes) of its paddy residue in 2024. The state aims to achieve this by scaling up the in-situ and ex-situ crop residue management (CRM) practices in the state. Last year, the state witnessed over 35,000 Kharif farm fires. While this stands lower compared to the cases reported during the pre-covid era, it continues to plague India’s clean air and climate commitments. In order to ensure a smooth transition to the zero-burn CRM methods, it is essential to learn from the experiences, challenges, and good practices followed in various districts.

This study undertakes a state-level primary survey covering nearly 1500 farmers from 11 districts of Punjab. The assessment provides a multidimensional evaluation of the state of CRM in Punjab, highlighting field-level nuances associated with the accessibility, affordability and sustained adoption of CRM methods. Through this report, we aim to inform the union and Punjab governments of the barriers that still hinder in achieving the zero burn target in Punjab and recommend immediate measures toward paddy varietal diversification, market development for residue-based products, and optimal utilisation of the current stock of CRM machines.