Date: 2026-06-16Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav chair high-level meeting on permanent solution for stubble management
**Executive Summary**
The Union Ministers for Agriculture and Environment chaired a high-level meeting on June 16, 2026, to implement a comprehensive strategy for permanent stubble management. For the 2026-27 period, a budget of Rs. 544.15 crore has been allocated to manage an estimated 2.762 crore tonnes of paddy stubble. Key deadlines include the distribution of over 46,000 crop residue management machines before August 2026 to prepare for the upcoming harvesting season.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Financial and Infrastructure Targets**
* **Budgetary Allocation:** A provision of Rs. 544.15 crore is made for 2026-27 under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme, with the first installment of Rs. 272.07 crore already released.
* **Machinery Distribution:** Targets include distributing more than 46,000 machines and establishing 910 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) in the current year.
* **Supply Chain Development:** The government plans to develop 141 stubble supply chain projects to facilitate industrial use.
**Monitoring and Enforcement**
* **Stubble Protection Force:** This force will be activated in 70 tehsils across 14 districts of the National Capital Region (NCR) to ensure strict monitoring and reduce burning incidents.
* **Lifecycle Monitoring:** Emphasis is placed on continuous monitoring of crops from sowing to harvesting to increase the time window between harvesting paddy and sowing wheat.
**Technological and Agricultural Shifts**
* **Alternative Varieties:** Promotion of short-duration and low-water requiring paddy varieties to reduce the time crunch during the harvest transition.
* **Direct Seeded Rice (DSR):** State governments are encouraged to effectively promote DSR techniques to improve productivity and management.
* **Resource Conversion:** Focus on "ex-situ" use by converting stubble into economic resources for biomass power plants, compressed biogas (CBG) units, ethanol production, and pellet manufacturing.
**Public Awareness and Historical Progress**
* **Productivity Awareness:** Efforts to educate farmers on how incorporating stubble into soil increases paddy productivity compared to burning.
* **Scheme History:** Since 2018-19, the CRM scheme has provided Rs. 4,266.47 crore in assistance, resulting in the distribution of 3.54 lakh machines and the establishment of 43,500 CHCs.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh)**
**Impact**
States are responsible for the on-ground execution of the CRM scheme and meeting distribution targets to manage 2.762 crore tonnes of stubble.
**Action Required**
Complete the distribution of machines before August 2026, strengthen Custom Hiring Centres, and run extensive public awareness campaigns.
**Farmers**
**Impact**
Farmers are encouraged to transition from traditional burning to mechanized management and alternative crop varieties.
**Action Required**
Adopt short-duration paddy varieties, utilize available CRM machinery, and implement the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique.
**Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)**
**Impact**
The CPCB is tasked with assessing the industrial capacity for residue consumption.
**Action Required**
Review available stubble stock and utilization capacity for pellet/briquette manufacturing, CBG plants, and co-firing in thermal power plants.
**Agricultural Research Institutions (ICAR and KVKs)**
**Impact**
These bodies provide the technical framework for stubble management and crop variety development.
**Action Required**
Continue steps to discourage long-duration paddy varieties and promote successful models of stubble management through Agricultural Science Centres (KVKs).
Key Entities Referenced
Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme: The primary government initiative providing financial assistance and machinery to states for managing paddy stubble and preventing crop residue burning.
Stubble Protection Force: A specialized monitoring unit deployed in 70 tehsils across 14 districts of the National Capital Region to prevent and reduce stubble burning incidents.
National Capital Region (NCR): The central geographic focus area where strict monitoring and the activities of the Stubble Protection Force are implemented.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): The premier research body responsible for providing technical solutions, distributing machinery, and promoting alternative crop varieties.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): The regulatory body tasked with reviewing stubble stock utilization capacity for industrial use, such as in biomass plants and thermal power stations.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan and Union Environment, Forest and
Climate Change Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav
chair high-level meeting on permanent solution
for stubble management
Centre’s comprehensive strategy for stubble management:
Emphasis on public awareness, real-time monitoring and
technical solutions
Provision of Rs. 544.15 crore for 2026-27; Target for
distribution of more than 46,000 machines and development
of 141 stubble supply chain projects
Emphasis on further reducing stubble burning incidents
through active monitoring by ‘Stubble Protection Force’ in 70
tehsils of 14 districts of NCR
“We will work towards turning stubble from a problem into a
resource”: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan
प्रव तथ: 16 JUN 2026 10:39PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, today
chaired a high-level inter-ministerial meeting at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, on stubble management and
its permanent solution.The meeting reviewed the progress made under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme and the
preparedness of states for effective management of paddy stubble during the upcoming harvesting season.
The Union Agriculture Minister said that stubble burning not only pollutes the environment but also
affects the health of Mother Earth. It destroys beneficial insects, reduces soil fertility and has an adverse
impact on public health due to pollution. From this point of view, it is extremely necessary to stop it.
He informed that the Crop Residue Management scheme was started in 2018-19 to deal with the problem
of stubble burning. Since then, a total financial assistance of Rs. 4,266.47 crore has been provided to
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
With this assistance, more than 3.54 lakh crop residue management machines have been distributed in the
states and more than 43,500 Custom Hiring Centres have been established.
Regarding preparations for 2026-27, he informed that a provision of Rs. 544.15 crore has been made
under the CRM scheme, out of which the first instalment of Rs. 272.07 crore has already been released.The Union Agriculture Minister said that the states have set ambitious targets for the current year, which
include distribution of more than 46,000 crop residue management machines, establishment of 910
Custom Hiring Centres and development of 141 stubble supply chain projects. The meeting also reviewed
the action plans prepared by the states for management of an estimated 2.762 crore tonnes of stubble
during the paddy harvesting in 2026.
Shri Chouhan said that due to the continuous efforts of the Central Government, state governments, ICAR
institutions, Agricultural Science Centres, local bodies and farmers, there has been a significant reduction
in stubble burning incidents in the past years.
Both ministers stressed on further strengthening the ex-situ use of stubble through biomass power plants,
compressed biogas (CBG) units, ethanol production plants and pellet manufacturing units. They said that
such efforts are creating a permanent market for stubble and converting agricultural residue into economic
resources.
The meeting also reviewed the monitoring and institutional arrangements established for effective
implementation of the programme. It was informed that the inter-ministerial committee constituted for
crop residue management is holding regular review meetings. States have been advised to complete
distribution of machines before August 2026, strengthen Custom Hiring Centres, ensure full utilisation of
available machinery and run extensive public awareness campaigns.
Special emphasis was laid in the meeting on promoting short-duration and low-water requiring paddy
varieties so that the time window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing can be increased.
The Union Agriculture Minister informed that the government has already taken necessary steps through
ICAR and state agricultural institutions to discourage cultivation of long-duration paddy varieties and
promote suitable alternative varieties.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan laid special emphasis on continuous monitoring of the crop from sowing to
harvesting of paddy so that the time window available between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing can be
increased. He said that the ‘Stubble Protection Force’ will be made active in at least 70 tehsils of 14
districts of the National Capital Region (NCR) to ensure strict monitoring which will help in further
reducing stubble burning incidents.
Both Union Ministers advised the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to review the available stubble
stock and its utilisation capacity for pellet/briquette manufacturing units, compressed biogas (CBG) plants
and co-firing in thermal power plants (TPPs).
The Union Agriculture Minister stressed on wide publicity of successful models and inspiring experiences
of stubble management. He emphasised on creating awareness among farmers that in those fields where
stubble was incorporated into the soil instead of being burnt, an increase in paddy productivity has been
observed. He also stressed on effectively promoting Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique in the states.
Both Union Ministers reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminate the problem of stubble
burning through mechanisation, technical innovation, industrial use of stubble, public awareness and
coordinated efforts of all stakeholders.
Shri Chouhan said that the objective of the Central Government is to implement permanent solutions for
stubble management for environment protection, maintaining soil fertility and increasing farmers’ income
and productivity.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and concerned agencies participated
in the meeting.*****
RC/PU/MK
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इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu