DERA GHAZI KHAN: More than 100 super seeders have been provided on highly subsidised rates to farmers and service providers in the DG Khan division to curb crop residues burning to fight smog, which is enveloping various areas of Punjab nowadays.
Sharing the information with Dawn on Sunday, Director Agriculture Extension Mahr Abid Hussain said the super seeder technology enables wheat sowing directly in the standing rice stubble, without any need for burning the crop residues.
He said the technology not only saves time and diesel cost for farmers, but also improves soil health by retaining organic matter.
As the government is promoting use of modern farm technologies, D G Khan division has four balers and two Kubota harvesters currently operational and more machinery is being mobilised, he said.
The technology enables growers to sow wheat in the standing rice stubble, without any need for burning the crop residues
Mr Abid said D G Khan division agriculture extension department has expedited efforts to curb smog and to ensure environment friendly disposal of rice crop residues without burning.
According to official data, the total area under rice cultivation in the division stands at 384,000 acres.
The sources say that to check crop residues burning in the division, daily monitoring is being carried out through SUPARCO satellite, issuing anomaly alerts and field verification by extension staff.
As per daily reports, 33 anomalies have been reported by SUPARCO, 93 burning incidents were self-observed and 107 incidents have been verified so far. In order to enforce the ban on stubble burning, the department, along with district administration, has got registered 44 FIRs, filed 15 Istaghasas, imposed fines amounting to Rs735,000 and recovered Rs720,000 from violators.
The department’s main strategy is to provide farmers with viable alternatives to stubble
burning, the officials say.Mr Abid said farmers are being educated about productive uses of rice straw as balers are converting paddy straw into bales which are used as fodder, compost and mushroom cultivation,besides producing bio energy and industrial raw material. This is providing extra income to farmers.
He further maintained that a massive awareness campaign is underway and the field staff is conducting village-level meetings, making announcements from mosques, distributing pamphlets, displaying banners and extensively using social media to sensitise farmers.
The farmers are also being informed about the health hazards of smog caused by stubble burning and its long-term damage to soil fertility, he added.
Mr Abid said that while action, including FIRs and fines, will continue against violators as per the Punjab government’s directions, the department’s priority is to facilitate farmers, who have
been advised to contact their nearest assistant director agriculture extension’s office for advance booking of super seeders, balers and Kubota machines available on subsidised rental charges.
Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2026
