India's First Soil Carbon Payments Go to Punjab and Haryana Farmers

Jugti· 1 min read
Ploughing paddy field
Ploughing a paddy field with oxen. Photo: Yann Forget, CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons.

More than 2,500 small farmers in Punjab and Haryana have started receiving India's first direct payments for building soil carbon.

The transfers were launched on September 17 at Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana by ICAR Director General Dr M L Jat under the 'Aadi' programme run by Grow Indigo with ICAR guidance.

Officials said 2,550 farmers will share over Rs 2.9 crore for verified outcomes achieved between 2019 and 2022 through practices like direct-seeded rice, reduced tillage and better stubble management. The results were measured and independently verified, with credits issued under the Verra VM0042 methodology. Reported payouts range from about Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000 per farmer.

Sources: Sources: https://vitorrclasses.in/article/india-first-soil-carbon-payments-farmers-punjab-haryana-2026; https://www.tripurastarnews.com/indias-first-soil-carbon-payments-put-farmers-at-the-centre-of-regenerative-agriculture/

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