Mission Green Harvest: Delhi Farmers Share Views on Bio-Decomposers & Subsidies

The Delhi government has launched a new initiative called "Mission Green Harvest" to combat air pollution caused by crop stubble burning. Under this initiative, the government is spraying bio-decomposers on crop stubble to turn it into manure. However, many farmers in Delhi are not too happy with this initiative.

Farmers are concerned because the bio-decomposers take a long time, up to 25 days, to break down the crop residue. This delay makes it hard for them to get their fields ready for the next crop.

Another complaint is that bio-decomposers are not very effective on Basmati stubble, which is the main type of crop grown in Delhi. Basmati stubble is often used as fodder or packaging material, so farmers are reluctant to spray bio-decomposers on it.

Instead of bio-decomposers, farmers in Delhi are asking for subsidies on farming tools and a better minimum support price (MSP) for their crops. They say that these measures would be more helpful in reducing crop stubble burning.

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Farmers' Perspective

Dariyapur Kalan farmer Satyavaan Sehrawat believes that bio-decomposers aren't very beneficial for farmers. He points out that the problem with these decomposers is that they require a significant amount of time, approximately 20-25 days. Interestingly, even without using them, the crop residue naturally breaks down within about 35-40 days.

Sehrawat also said that he has sold the stubble for Rs 8,000 an acre. For farmers, dealing with crop residue is neither a profitable nor expensive venture. It roughly equates to the labor expenses incurred in harvesting and bundling the crop. On the other hand, opting for machinery sets them back around Rs 5,000 per acre.

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In Delhi, farmers predominantly cultivate two types of Basmati rice namely, PUSA1121, which requires 120 days from the nursery to harvest and is typically sold at a price ranging from Rs. 4,400 to Rs. 4,500 per quintal, and PUSA1502, with a growth cycle of approximately 90 days from nursery to harvest, sold for Rs. 3,400.

Expressing the farmers' sentiment, Satpal from Nangal emphasized that the government's initiation of a 50% subsidy on farming equipment would be met with great appreciation. He cited previous attempts to secure subsidies for super seeders, which bore no fruit last year, and the unfortunate absence of forms for such subsidies this year.

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