Crop Residue Management (CRM) Scheme

Why in News?

Recently, Union Agriculture Minister and Environment Minister chaired a high‑level meeting on stubble management. A provision has been made for 2026‑27 under the CRM scheme.

• Aim – To address stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and NCT Delhi.
• To provide permanent solutions for stubble management, reduce air pollution, protect soil fertility, and increase farmers’ income.
• Type – Centrally Sponsored Scheme, not fully funded
• Centre–State Sharing – Funds are shared 60:40 between the Centre and Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, while NCT Delhi receives 100% Central funding.
• Launched in – 2018, implemented under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Implementing Agency – State Agriculture Departments under the supervision of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Key Features

• Supply Chain – Paddy straw is collected, baled, and linked to industries such as biomass power plants, thermal power plants (co‑firing), bio‑CNG units, and ethanol plants.
• This converts stubble from waste into a resource, creating a permanent market and reducing burning.
• Awareness and Training – Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns, technology demonstrations, and capacity-building programmes train farmers in Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), bio-decomposers, and CRM machinery to drive sustainable residue management

DSR – Sowing paddy seeds directly into the main field, eliminating labour-intensive nursery raising and manual transplantation into fields.

• Monitoring – Real‑time monitoring of stubble burning incidents, geotagging of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), and deployment of a Stubble Protection Force in NCR districts ensure strict enforcement and accountability.
• In‑situ (on-site) management – Promote retention, incorporation, mulching, bio‑decomposer use.
• Ex‑situ (off-site) management – Strengthen baling, transport, industrial use in biomass power, bio‑CNG, ethanol, pellet units.
• Coverage – Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, NCT Delhi, ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), State Agricultural Universities (SAU).

References

1. PIB | CRM
2. Farmech | Operational Guidelines