Paddy Straw Management in Punjab: An Economic Analysis of Different Techniques

Abstract

The study has been conducted to undertake economic analysis of paddy straw management in Ludhiana and Mansa districts of the Punjab state during the year 2019-20. A sample of 80 farmers growing paddy and using various methods of paddy straw management viz. insitu complete burning, partial burning and non-burning using different technologies was taken for the study. Happy seeder revealed to be the most economic approach for handling paddy straw without burning it before sowing of wheat crop. Other techniques of straw management (Straw baling technology, Straw incorporation with M B Plough and Super seeder technology) increased the burden of Rs 2 00 to 5 00 per 0 1hectare on the farmers. The returns from wheat crop grown using happy seeder were almost same as that of wheat grown after burning paddy straw. For wheat crop grown using other paddy straw management methods showed relatively lesser returns due to increase in variable cost. However, rodents attack, higher disease/pest incidence and expensive implements were some constraints faced by the farmers in the adoption of this technique. These issues can be addressed by using appropriate crop production strategies, short duration varieties of paddy and making these machines available to farmers on a custom-hire basis. Compensation to farmers by including the cost of paddy residue management in the MSP, ensuring the availability of residue management machines at subsidised rates, and better custom hiring services could all be the options for addressing the state's paddy straw management problems.