- विज्ञापन -
On Sunday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that farmers can now access loans from state cooperative banks for the purchase of machinery to manage crop residue. This initiative aims to provide easier rural credit options for farmers to acquire tools that help in managing crop residue, ultimately reducing the practice of burning paddy straw.
The loan scheme has been rolled out in Chandigarh and across 802 branches of district cooperative banks. Mann encouraged farmers to take advantage of this new opportunity.
Additionally, primary agriculture cooperative societies and similar entities can receive up to an 80% subsidy on agricultural equipment under the Common Hiring Centre (CHC) scheme. Farmers are also eligible for a 50% subsidy on specific machinery designed for crop residue management, such as balers and superseeders.
The loans will be available for a five-year term, with repayments scheduled in ten half-yearly installments due between June 30 and January 31 each year. The Chief Minister highlighted that this initiative aims to promote the adoption of crop residue management practices, reduce pollution caused by stubble burning, and foster greater collaboration between farmers and industries involved in the agricultural residue supply chain to support bio-energy production.
Mann pointed out that power generation facilities, compressed biogas (CBG) plants, and 2G ethanol factories could benefit from an improved feedstock supply through this scheme, which will adopt a cluster-based approach. This will allow beneficiaries to collect, densify, and store paddy straw near industries, ensuring an efficient supply to meet the needs of various users.
