Agricultural waste is one of the most important components of sustainable farming practices. It includes crop residues, livestock waste, and agro-industrial by-products. Despite its potential, it poses numerous environmental challenges, including stubble (parali) burning. It is a practice where farmers in regions like Punjab, Haryana, and other northern Indian regions burn stubble in their fields after grain harvest. Studies suggest that every year about 84 million tonnes (23.86%) of stubble is burnt on-field immediately after harvest. Furthermore, studies also indicate that India produces more than 620 million tonnes of agricultural waste annually. Therefore, it has become more important than now to address the challenge of agricultural waste to minimise environmental impact and enhance economic viability.
However, agricultural waste can also be a valuable asset for farmers. Instead of resorting to burning or landfilling, farmers have the opportunity to convert this waste into an economic resource by selling it. Waste materials, which would otherwise hold no value, can be sold at competitive prices, providing farmers with an additional source of income. This approach not only helps to mitigate the environmental impact of agricultural waste but also enhances the economic viability of farming practices.
Challenges with agricultural waste
Lack of Infrastructure: After harvesting mature paddy, farmers have a tight window of 30-40 days to prepare the land and sow new seeds. The entire process of harvesting crops is done on 1,000 acres of land which can often be a challenging time frame for farmers. The harvested paddy needs to be cut and stored quickly, but this requires a set of 10- 12 machines that cost ₹1.8 crore per set. Most farmers can’t afford such an investment, especially since they need these machines within the limited window. This inadequate infrastructure makes it a huge challenge for farmers to manage both harvesting and storage effectively.
Issues in Pricing Policy: The cost of collecting, transporting, and processing agricultural waste often exceeds the revenue generated from selling the end products. In India, farmers do not have huge acres of land which often leads to a lack of stability and issues with pricing, therefore, to make agricultural waste management more economically viable, there needs to be a review of pricing policies. Governments can play a key role by setting minimum price guarantees for agricultural waste, similar to the minimum support prices (MSP) set for crops. This would provide farmers and companies focusing on waste management with a predictable revenue stream and reduce the financial risks associated with fluctuating market prices. Additionally, creating a market for agricultural waste-derived products, such as bioenergy, biofertilizers, and compost, can help improve profitability.
Lack of knowledge and awareness among farmers:
A significant barrier to effective agricultural waste management is the lack of knowledge and awareness among farmers. Many farmers, especially in rural areas, are not fully informed about the benefits of proper waste management techniques or the economic opportunities they offer. This resistance to change and lack of education hinders the widespread adoption of sustainable agricultural waste management practices.
Transportation and storage: Transporting and storing agricultural waste poses substantial challenges, especially in rural areas with inadequate infrastructure. Agricultural waste, such as straw, husks, and other residues, is bulky and difficult to handle. The costs associated with transportation are high, and finding proper storage facilities that prevent spoilage or degradation is often problematic. Without efficient transportation and storage solutions, much of the agricultural waste goes unused or is improperly disposed of, contributing to environmental issues and economic loss for farmers.
Ways to address the challenges
Government-led initiatives at the state or district level: One significant challenge is the excess availability of agricultural waste in certain regions, which often leads to its underutilisation. To address this, the government should identify areas with high concentrations of agricultural waste and mark them as key zones for waste management. In these marked areas, the government could provide facilities and subsidies to utilise the waste effectively. To support biogas plants, the government is now providing plant owners a substantial subsidy of up to ₹9 crore. This subsidy covers 50 per cent of the cost of machinery, with each set consisting of 10-12 machinery worth ₹1.8 crore. This will effectively cost just ₹90 lakh after the subsidy. Plant owners can take advantage of this by purchasing up to 10 sets of machinery at half of the actual cost. This initiative allows biogas plants to effectively handle large volumes of waste with the help of these machines and also empowers farmers to efficiently manage agricultural waste by selling it to biogas plants. By converting this waste into a valuable energy source, the program promotes sustainable farming practices and contributes to a greener future. Here are EPCs like CEID who set up Biogas plants that focus on developing large-scale infrastructure and agricultural waste processing.
Seasonal crop management
Given the seasonal nature of most crops, farmers struggle with different agricultural waste in different seasons. Compressed BioGas plants, on the other hand, require a consistent supply of raw materials throughout the year, which can help farmers in dealing with agricultural waste management issues. To address this, the technology developed by CEID is designed to process a diverse range of agricultural feedstocks. This innovation allows for the utilization of multiple types of feedstock with multifeed technology, ensuring a continuous generation of gas. In addition to paddy straw, CEID’s technology has successfully incorporated various feedstocks such as wheat straw, maize straw, sweet sorghum, dry leaves, cotton stalks, water hyacinth, coffee waste, and so on. A prominent example of this technology in action is the Goverdhannathji plant in Gujarat, which has set a benchmark in the Indian biogas industry. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this multi-feedstock plant effectively processes 10 different types of raw materials.
Advancing circular economy solutions
Conversion of agricultural waste to Biocng and organic fertilizer and bio manure. CEID has also evolved solutions for enriching the bio manure and also providing packaging and packaging and marketing solutions to it.
What to do with the Waste?
Agricultural waste can be transformed into valuable resources through several innovative methods. The compressed biogas industry is the best way to utilise agricultural waste, providing a renewable energy source and additional income to farmers.
In short, agricultural waste management poses a lot of challenges, however, with coordinated efforts from governments, the private sector, and local communities, these challenges can be effectively addressed. By implementing comprehensive policies, promoting advanced technologies, and boosting cooperative approaches, agricultural waste can be turned from an environmental burden into a valuable resource, contributing to sustainable development and a greener future.
The author is CTO and Director of CEID Consultants & Engineering Pvt Ltd.