The Uttar Pradesh government is promoting the use of crop residue as an economic resource for farmers. Under the initiative, stubble is being collected from fields and supplied to compressed biogas (CBG) plants. It is then converted into biogas, while the organic residue left after processing is used as manure.
In Barabanki, the initiative has helped farmers reduce the cost and time involved in clearing fields after harvesting. The state currently has 40 biogas plants operational, with plans to establish 78 more, according to the agriculture department, as per a press release.
Yogesh, a farmer from Karamat Kheda village in Harakh block, grows wheat, paddy and potato. He added that farmers can now avoid burning residue while the processed organic material can be used as manure. The initiative has also created employment in stubble cutting, collection, baling, transportation and processing.
Balram, a farmer from Tikra village, said clearing stubble from an acre could cost around Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000. Around 10 to 12 people are engaged in field-level collection work, while about 2,000 people are employed at the plant, according to the department.
He said timely removal of stubble has allowed him to prepare his fields for the next crop without delays. “Transporting stubble to the biogas plant saves us the cost of removing it from the field,” Balram said.
Earlier, farmers often faced a choice between paying for residue removal or burning it to clear their fields quickly.
