Stubble Burning in Punjab: Practical Solutions

Explore practical solutions for stubble burning in Punjab, from affordable Happy Seeder access to crop residue management that turns rice straw into valuable resources, supports farmers and improves air quality.

RURAL COMMUNITY

Nadeem Riyaz

11/10/2026

a man standing in a field surrounded by smoke

Every autumn, a familiar scene unfolds across Punjab’s rice-growing belt. A farmer stands in a harvested field, struggling to see through a thick blanket of smog. Trees disappear into the haze, the morning sun becomes barely visible, and the air fills with smoke. Around him lies the residue of the rice harvest, stubble that must be cleared quickly before the next wheat crop is sown. For many farmers, burning has become a rapid and inexpensive way to prepare the land, but its consequences extend far beyond the field, affecting air quality, public health and soil sustainability.

Paddy-stubble burning is common in rice-growing areas of Pakistan and South Asia, particularly where rice and wheat are cultivated in succession and the interval between harvesting and sowing is short. Pakistan cultivated approximately 3.90 million hectares of rice in 2024–25 and produced 9.72 million tonnes. A 2023 United Nations ESCAP study estimated the country’s annual rice-straw resource at around 8.3 million tonnes. These figures illustrate both the scale of the residue challenge and the potential resource represented by rice straw.

The problem is particularly pressing in Punjab, where paddy burning is prohibited under the Punjab Environmental Protection (Smog Prevention and Control) Rules, 2023. Yet restrictions alone have not eliminated the practice. Farmers often face limited time, machinery, labour and affordable alternatives for removing or managing large quantities of straw. Burning therefore remains attractive because it clears fields quickly and requires relatively little immediate expenditure.

However, rice straw should not simply be viewed as waste. It can potentially serve as a resource for composting, livestock-related applications, bioenergy, biomass products and other value-added uses where appropriate technologies and markets exist. Developing these alternatives could reduce pollution while creating additional economic opportunities for rural communities.

The challenge is therefore not merely to stop farmers from burning straw, but to make non-burning alternatives practical, affordable and economically attractive. A successful strategy will require machinery access, residue-collection systems, farmer awareness, supportive policies and viable markets for processed rice straw. Turning an environmental liability into a useful resource could help Punjab address seasonal smog while strengthening the sustainability and circularity of its agricultural economy.

The Farmer’s Dilemma: Why Stubble Burning Persists

Paddy-stubble burning persists largely because it offers farmers a rapid and inexpensive solution to a difficult post-harvest problem. In Punjab’s rice–wheat system, the interval between rice harvesting and wheat sowing can be extremely short, leaving farmers little time to clear their fields. Removing, collecting or incorporating large quantities of rice residue requires additional labour, machinery, fuel and management. For many small and medium farmers, burning therefore remains the quickest and least costly option.

Evidence from a 2026 study of rice and wheat straw management in Punjab illustrates these constraints. Among 154 surveyed farmers, 42.9 per cent identified high machinery operating costs as a major barrier to adopting alternative residue-management practices, while 29.9 per cent reported limited access to suitable machinery. Another 19.5 per cent were concerned that incorporating residue into the soil could adversely affect wheat germination. These findings show that the problem extends beyond environmental awareness. Farmers also face financial, technological and agronomic uncertainties when considering alternatives.

This distinction is important for policymaking. Simply prohibiting burning may not be sufficient when farmers lack affordable and timely alternatives. Machinery services, residue-collection networks, custom hiring facilities and financial incentives could make non-burning practices more practical. Farmers also need reliable technical guidance demonstrating how residue incorporation, mulching and other management approaches can be used without compromising the establishment of the following wheat crop.

The costs of burning are much wider than the immediate expense saved by the farmer. Open burning releases fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other pollutants that contribute to seasonal smog and deteriorate air quality. The resulting pollution can increase exposure to harmful substances among rural communities and populations in nearby towns and cities. Burning also removes organic material that could otherwise contribute to soil health and destroys nutrients contained in the residue, including nitrogen and sulphur. Repeated burning can therefore undermine soil biological activity and nutrient cycling while contributing to greenhouse-gas emissions and biodiversity loss.

Most importantly, burning destroys a potentially valuable resource. Rice straw can potentially be converted into compost, biomass energy, animal-feed-related products and other value-added materials where technically and economically appropriate. The policy challenge is therefore to make these alternatives cheaper, easier and more accessible than burning. A durable solution must align environmental protection with farmers’ economic realities, turning residue management from a regulatory burden into a viable rural economic opportunity.

From Waste to Resource: Practical Alternatives to Paddy Burning

Moving away from paddy burning requires alternatives that are both environmentally sound and economically practical. Rice straw can be collected and baled for suitable livestock-feed applications, biomass energy and industrial uses. It can also be composted or incorporated into the soil to return organic matter and nutrients to farmland. The challenge is to ensure that these options are not only technically feasible but also affordable and convenient for farmers working within a narrow window between rice harvesting and wheat sowing.

Rice straw can also create opportunities for small-scale rural enterprises. Collection, baling, storage and transportation can generate local employment, while processing facilities could supply biomass-energy projects, paper manufacturers and other industries. Developing these value chains could transform residue management from an additional cost for farmers into a potential source of income. However, this requires machinery, organised collection and transport systems, processing facilities and reliable markets. Without these supporting arrangements, farmers are likely to continue viewing straw primarily as a disposal problem.

Mechanised residue management provides another practical pathway. The Happy Seeder, a tractor-mounted machine, enables wheat to be sown directly into fields containing retained rice residue. It manages the straw during sowing, places the seed into the soil and leaves much of the remaining residue on the surface as protective mulch. This can help conserve soil moisture, reduce erosion and maintain organic matter while avoiding the delays associated with conventional residue removal.

Pakistan has promoted the Pak Seeder and other residue-management machinery through Punjab’s subsidised machinery initiatives under its 2024–25 Smog Control Strategy. However, technology alone cannot solve the problem. Purchase costs, tractor availability, operator skills, maintenance and field conditions can limit adoption, particularly among small farmers. Timely access during the short wheat-sowing window is equally important. Therefore, residue-management equipment needs to be available through affordable rental or custom-hiring services, supported by trained operators and dependable maintenance. Making alternatives cheaper, easier and more accessible than burning will be critical to achieving lasting change.

A Coordinated Path of Partnership

Moving away from paddy-stubble burning requires a coordinated transition involving government, the private sector, farmers, research institutions and financial institutions. No single stakeholder can achieve this shift independently. Alternatives must be environmentally sound, economically viable and practically accessible to farmers.

The government should provide policy direction and initial support through targeted subsidies, incentives for non-burning practices, demonstration projects and effective agricultural extension. However, subsidies and machinery distribution alone will not deliver lasting change. The private sector must help create viable markets through local machinery production, rental and maintenance services, organised straw collection and processing, and investment in industries using rice straw for biomass energy, paper and other value-added products.

Farmers should be treated as partners rather than mere recipients of policy directives. Their willingness to adopt alternatives will depend largely on affordability, reliability and timely access to machinery. Shared equipment, village-level rental facilities and farmer cooperatives could reduce costs, particularly for smallholders who cannot afford specialised machinery.

Research institutions and agricultural universities can adapt technologies such as the Happy Seeder and Pak Seeder to local conditions, conduct field demonstrations and provide technical guidance. Financial institutions can complement these efforts through affordable credit, equipment leasing and financing for machinery operators and entrepreneurs investing in residue-based enterprises.

Implementation should be phased, beginning with demonstration projects in major rice-producing districts and supported by machinery rental services, farmer training and extension. Successful approaches could then be expanded through village-level machinery networks, private investment and commercial markets for collected rice straw. This gradual process would allow policymakers to assess costs, identify operational challenges and adapt solutions to local conditions while building farmer confidence.

Regulations against open-field burning remain necessary, but their effectiveness will depend on whether farmers have practical and affordable alternatives. Success should therefore be measured not simply by penalties imposed or machines distributed, but by sustained reductions in burning, wider farmer participation and the emergence of viable systems for collecting, managing and using rice residue. This would turn an environmental challenge into an opportunity for cleaner agriculture, rural employment and resource recovery.

Conclusion

Paddy-stubble burning in Punjab is not simply an environmental problem; it is a challenge shaped by farmers’ economic constraints, limited machinery access and the narrow window between rice harvesting and wheat sowing. A lasting solution must therefore move beyond prohibition and make non-burning alternatives practical, affordable and economically rewarding. Rice straw can become a valuable resource for compost, biomass energy, livestock-related applications and other rural enterprises when appropriate collection, processing and market systems are developed. Technologies such as the Happy Seeder and Pak Seeder can further reduce the need for burning, but their benefits will depend on timely and affordable access, particularly for smallholders. Government, farmers, private businesses, researchers and financial institutions must work together to build this transition. Success should ultimately be judged not by the number of penalties imposed or machines distributed, but by sustained reductions in burning and the emergence of viable residue-management systems. Turning rice straw from waste into a resource can help Punjab achieve cleaner air, healthier soils and more resilient rural economies.

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writer is a former Pakistan Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD and can be reached at nriyaz60@gmail.com

Stubble Burning in Punjab: Practical Solutions

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