Impact of Government Initiatives on Crop Residue Management in Sonipat District (Haryana): Role of Custom Hiring Centres and Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Abstract:

The present study was conducted in Sonipat District, Haryana, to evaluate the effects of different components of the centrally sponsored scheme “Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for in-situ Management of Crop Residue”. Under this scheme, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sonipat, adopted 11 villages over the period 2018-19 to 2022-23. To manage crop residues through retention/incorporation into the soil, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare provided financial assistance to individual farmers for the procurement of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery and equipment. Under this scheme, a total of 2839 CRM machines, with financial assistance of Rs. 142621834, were provided to individual farmers in the district. The most preferred equipment among farmers was the rotavator (1188), the super seeder (1129), and the zero-tillage seed cum fertilizer drill (332). Farmers preferred to purchase equipment that was easy to operate, repair, maintenance, and suitable for their cropping pattern. In addition, a total of 234 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) with financial assistance of Rs.112143181 were established in the District, out of which 17 CHCs with financial assistance of Rs. 11482452 were established in 11 Villages adopted by KVK, Sonipat. In these Villages, frontline demonstrations using different CRM machinery were conducted over 100 ha, 120 ha, 50 ha, and 100 ha in the years 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23, respectively by KVK, Sonipat. Out of the total cultivated area, 63.0% to 82.9% area was covered by CRM technologies in different adopted Villages during the period of study. Through the effective implementation of the CRM project in the District, the number of crop residue burning incidents decreased from 154 in 2018-19 to 33 in 2022-23.