Young farmers have profitable solution — turn straw into pellet fuel

As farmers grapple with the costs of machines for managing stubble, despite government subsidies and fewer number of machines, some farmers are finding a profitable solution to the challenge.

Two brothers from Ramba village in Karnal — Gurpreet Singh (45) and Gurjeet Singh (39) — are working on a project to transform paddy straw into pellet fuel, a renewable energy source that can supplement coal in breweries, sugar mills, and power plants. They are setting up a factory for it, and three of five machines have been installed. The farmers claimed that they would start producing pellet fuel after collecting stubble from fields.

“It is our first year collecting stubble. We have already gathered over 1 lakh quintal of paddy straw, and we are hopeful of collecting nearly 2 lakh quintal by the end of the season. We have two bailer machines, hay rake, tractor and trailer for collecting stubble and making bales. The process involves machines to compact the stubble into bundles, which are then transported to a facility for pellet production,” said Gurjeet Singh. “We offer farmers to clear their fields free of cost,” he added.

“Initially, we focused on Ramba, Padhana, Kurali, Kherimaansingh and Churni, and soon, will go to other villages,” said Gurpreet Singh. He claimed that it not only contributed to stubble management, but also provided employment to local workers.”

The brothers have covered about 95 per cent of fields in their village and plan to expand to other villages in Karnal, and even into Jind and Panipat districts. They aim to produce around 100 tonne of pellets daily. “We neither take money from farmers nor pay them for the straw. Our goal is to clear their fields so that they do not resort to burning,” said Gurjeet, adding that, “We educate farmers about the environmental benefits of stubble management.”

Another entrepreneur, Vansh Arora from Gheer village, has started producing pellet fuel from straw. Arora, now in his second season, pays farmers and custom hiring centres between Rs 1,700 and 1,900 per tonne for stubble, depending on quality. The Union government has set pellet prices according to the gross calorific value, with rates ranging from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000 per tonne. “The pellet size is between 6mm and 25mm, commonly used in industries,” he said.

Deputy Director of Agriculture (DDA) Wazir Singh commended these entrepreneurs, saying that they were setting an example. “Other farmers should learn from their efforts and consider profiting from stubble rather than burning it,” he said.