Punjab govt officials, experts discuss crop residue management, regenerative agriculture in Chandigarh
PTC News Desk: A two-day workshop on regenerative foodscapes, aimed at improving agricultural practices in Punjab, began on December 4 in Chandigarh. The workshop, part of the PRANA (Promoting Regenerative and No-Burn Agriculture) project, witnessed the attendance of key figures including Ajit Balaji Joshi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of Punjab; Professor Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board and Shoikat Roy, Member, Punjab Development Commission.
The workshop on “Transitioning Towards Regenerative Foodscapes in Northwest India” was held by Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS). The event brought together over eighty agriculture experts across policy, science, and practice to discuss the challenges and solutions in Punjab's agrarian ecosystem.
Ajit Balaji Joshi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of Punjab, stated, “PRANA’s work in Punjab connects to the concept of pran, which relates to oxygen. We are keen to increase agroforestry and green cover in Punjab, and it would be great to see such initiatives scale up. Crop residue burning count this year was more than 70% down compared with last year, so there can be a lot of room for innovation in Punjab to improve farmer incomes and address environmental concerns. We need to work on maximising farmer incomes through crop diversification and water savings. There can be ways of combining carbon credits with water credits and green credits and translating this into farmer incomes.”
Professor Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, shared hopeful evidence from Punjab’s crop residue management initiatives. “Ex-situ management of crop residue has doubled in Punjab since last year, and the increase in industrial boilers (to 44 operational boilers with an additional 31 boilers being installed) has significantly increased ex-situ management. Yet, in-situ is the most natural way of managing crop residue, and I call those farmers who have already been practising regenerative agriculture ‘Nanak de Heere.’”
Dr. Anjali Acharya, Managing Director, NCIS, highlighted the need for collaborative efforts to support initiatives promoting economic viability and offer alternatives to farmers in achieving long-term environmental sustainability. She stated, “PRANA has been focused very much on crop residue management, but we are expanding into a regenerative foodscapes approach as we believe this is critically important. This workshop provides a strong technical background to enable this discussion. It covers crop residue management, crop diversification, the Energy-Water-Food Nexus, how to bring the private sector in, how to bring about cross-regional learning, and exploring different types of financing options. But at the end of the day, we are trying to support this ecosystem in four ways—Innovation, Institutional Supporting, Partnerships, and Financing—which will be key to scaling up the transition to regenerative foodscapes that are required in Punjab.”
During the workshop, two policy briefs were launched: one on crop residue management and the other on the Energy-Water-Food Nexus, offering actionable recommendations for sustainable agricultural practices in the state.
Shoikat Roy, a Member of the Punjab Development Commission, discussed solutions to address interconnected issues such as paddy overproduction, stubble burning, and groundwater depletion. He highlighted the potential of decentralised solarisation and energy-efficient pumps to save water and power while supporting farmers’ income.
The workshop sessions also addressed the importance of private sector involvement and innovative financial solutions, such as carbon credits, to support farmers in adopting regenerative practices. Key discussions included water-saving techniques like Alternative Wetting and Drying (AWD), which can significantly reduce water usage and methane emissions.
- PTC NEWS
