Biomass Bank Initiative Empowers Uttar Pradesh Farmers to Tackle Stubble Burning

BiofuelCircle reaffirmed its dedication to rural India's economic growth through agri-waste utilization at the 'Parali Se Ujjawal Bhavishya' event in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. The company introduced a fleet of over 40 digitally connected agricultural machines at the Ramnagar Biomass Bank, sourced from global equipment provider Maschio Gaspardo. This initiative aims to streamline field clearing for farmers, reduce environmental impacts of traditional farming, and foster biomass entrepreneurship in rural areas.​

The event saw participation from over 100 farmers and industry partners. This initiative forms part of BiofuelCircle's mission to establish Biomass Banks locally which are rural enterprises that aggregate stubble (Parali) in the region, where an estimated 30,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of stubble will be collected from 25,000 acres of farmland, involving 5,000 farmers across 30+ villages in Uttar Pradesh. 

The machine fleet on the ground is an enabler for locals to create enterprises around parali collection, transport and storage. The farmers can rent their tractors on BiofuelCircle platform, become equipment operators and generate additional earning opportunities through the parali season. The locally setup warehouses offer year-round employment opportunities. This is only the start of the season and more locations across India will follow suit.

While presiding over the event, Manish Kapoor, Vice President, BiofuelCircle said, “We are excited to introduce the first large-scale deployment of modern farm-clearing equipment in Barabanki. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India. This will ensure efficient and timely clearing of farmlands. By deploying a fleet, of state-of-the-art farm clearing machines, we will save 30,000 MT of stubble from being burned, while also creating new economic opportunities for local farmers for better livelihood. We have also set up three Biomass Banks with three warehouses in Barabanki alone, creating dedicated biomass supply chains for Compressed BioGas (CBG) plants, powered by BioFuelCircle’s digital platform and its Biomass Bank model.”

Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircle shares, “The greatest challenge has been the efficient collection and timely clearing of stubble from farms which leads farmers to try alternate methods which are not environment friendly. With the use of telematics, GPS, and state-of-the-art cloud-based platform, we are creating an organized framework for collection, logistics and storage management at scale. With these technology enablers, we are engaging with 150 locals as tractor drivers, fleet operators, supervisors with assured business activities and over 200 laborers. We are ensuring rural participation and driving local entrepreneurship around biomass activities.”

BiofuelCircle is pioneering the establishment of dedicated biomass supply chains for Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants through its innovative digital platform-enabled Biomass Bank model. BiofuelCircle’s initiative not only mitigates the environmental impact of stubble burning but also contributes to rural economic activity by creating a more structured and sustainable biomass supply chain that is also participative and inclusive.

The company’s efforts are a testament to its commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices while ensuring the economic empowerment of farmers.