Parliamentary Panel Recommends MSP for Paddy Residue to Curb Stubble Burning

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday recommended setting up a mechanism to determine a minimum price for paddy residue, similar to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The move aimed to discourage stubble burning, a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi-NCR during winter.

Panel Recommends Annual Pricing Review

In its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Committee on Subordinate Legislation suggested that these benchmark prices should be reviewed and notified annually before the Kharif harvest season. 

The committee emphasized that the prices should reflect farmers' costs for collecting and managing crop residue, including expenses on labour and machinery.

Coordination with Air Quality Commission

The panel also urged the government to work with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to implement the pricing mechanism. 

It stated that this would ensure farmers receive guaranteed returns when selling their stubble, making alternative disposal methods more viable.

Shift to Short-Duration Paddy Varieties

Additionally, the committee recommended promoting short-duration paddy varieties over long-duration ones like PUSA 44. It suggested measures such as seed certification bans, procurement standardization, and financial incentives for farmers adopting crop diversification.

Using Crop Residue for Bioenergy

The report also called for a unified national policy to integrate agricultural residue into bioenergy production. It proposed inter-ministerial coordination to boost the adoption of technologies like bioethanol, compressed biogas, and biomass pellets. 

The policy should also address costs related to crop residue management, provide financial incentives, and create awareness programs to support farmers.

Stubble Burning: A Persistent Issue

Stubble burning has remained a persistent issue in northern India, particularly in Punjab and Haryana. Farmers often resorted to burning crop residue to clear their fields quickly for the next sowing season. While the government provided subsidized machinery for in-situ residue management, high fuel costs discouraged many from using them. 

Some farmers sold paddy straw to biomass plants, but the absence of a fixed price made it an unreliable option. The new recommendations aimed to provide a structured solution to the ongoing problem.