This Punjab farmer earned Rs 16 lakh last year by trying to curb stubble burning

Punjab paced up the crop residue burning as 360 farm fires were reported on October 24

Stubble burning being considered one of the major contributors to air pollution in north India has always bothered this farmer from Ferozepur Kuthala village in Punjab’s Malerkotla district.

Kuthala bought ex-situ machines, a straw rake and a baler on 50 percent subsidy

Gurpreet Singh Kuthala (26) knew most farmers had no other way. However, the hazards associated with stubble burning and its subsequent impact on the environment troubled him no end. While looking for solutions, he ultimately stumbled upon a baler machine last year ahead of Diwali.

The machine, which costs around Rs 15 lakh, earned him Rs 16 lakh by selling 12,000 quintals of paddy straw bales last year. This year he hopes to earn Rs 1 crore by selling 28,000 quintals of straw.

“Last year, I was visiting an agricultural cooperative society when I met a biogas plant owner there. He introduced me to a baler machine. I bought ex-situ machines, a straw rake and a baler provided by the Punjab government on a 50 percent subsidy,” Kuthala told Moneycontrol.  He then signed a contract with Sangrur RNG Biogas Plant in Panjgaraian.

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This year, along with his friend Sukhwinder Singh, he has established the company Baler Brothers. They bought four new machines and built a team of 75 people to supply paddy straw bales at Rs 160 per quintal to the biogas plant. They collect paddy straw from the farmers who do not have to pay Kuthala anything. Kuthala then sells the paddy straw to the Sangrur plant which in turn makes compost and biogas from it.

Kuthala said he feels this benefits both farmers and the environment. “Most farmers have no option but to burn the stubble quickly for the next crop to be sowed within two weeks. The price of baler machines is too expensive for most farmers even with a subsidy,” he said.

According to Kuthala, without these baler machines, farmers will have to use other equipment to clear the paddy straw but these cost them around Rs 5,000 per acre which most cannot afford.  “Influenced by me, now more people in my village and the nearby ones want to buy these machines. Hopefully, this will reduce the air pollution in the coming days,” he said.

On October 24, farmers in Punjab paced up the crop residue burning as 360 farm fires, the maximum in a day this season, were reported, taking the overall count to 2,306.