Farmer leads way in straw management in Fatehabad

In Fatehabad district’s Nadhori village, a progressive farmer, Hari Singh Godara, has taken a stand against burning straw, a practice that releases toxic pollutants into the atmosphere and depletes nutrients in the soil.

For the past ten years, Godara has cultivated rice on his 28 acres without ever setting fire to his crop residue. Instead, he supplies the straw as dry fodder to local cow shelters and dairy farms.

Godara has been able to manage straw effectively, and he has also raised awareness among neighbour farmers about the importance of not burning the crop residue. As a result, many farmers in Nadhori have stopped setting fire to rice residues and have begun managing their straw responsibly. Godara shifted from traditional farming to horticulture, reaping substantial profits and now sells his straw to bioenergy plant contractors for 200 rupees per quintal, making the most of his agricultural waste.

His efforts caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conference on December 31, 2020, when they discussed strategies for generating substantial income from agriculture. Godara explained that previously, over 85 per cent of farmers produced the 1,121 rice variety, which was harvested manually, allowing the straw to be stored as fodder for livestock, thereby preventing environmental pollution and reducing illness in the village. However, after 2014–15, the popularity of the Parmal and Muchhal rice varieties increased, leading to a rise in straw burning since these residues were less utilised for fodder. To combat this, Godara launched a campaign in 2017 against straw burning. He sought machinery from Punjab to create straw bales but faced logistical challenges.

Eventually, the Central Government provided subsidies for baling machines under the CRM scheme. With this support, Godara began producing straw bales and today, over 85 per cent of farmers in the area no longer burn their rice residues.

Godara said straw had become a burden for farmers. Burning it could lead to legal action and preparing land for wheat sowing without burning straw was five times more costly and time-consuming. He said now that farmers are selling their straw, which benefits them financially and also contributes towards saving the environment.

In Nadhori, farmers such as Satpal Dhanria and Deva Dhanria are also protecting approximately 2,000 acres of rice straw from burning with the help of over ten baling machines and straw collection arrangements.