Agri-tech company Grow Indigo has made direct payments of Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000 to about 2,550 farmers in Punjab and Haryana for more than 57,000 agricultural carbon credits generated between 2019 and 2022. The payouts came from Grow Indigo's own funds because the credits have not all been sold yet, and most farmers chose a fixed one-time payment over waiting for a 75% revenue share from future sales. Most of the participating farmers grow paddy and wheat. The company says it will record a profit if the credits eventually sell above the amount already paid to farmers, or a loss if they sell below it. The story also highlights research on direct-seeded rice, which cut methane emissions by nearly 90% compared with conventional flooded rice systems and could support future carbon credit projects.
