Mechanisation of farming gaining momentum

Srikakulam:Mechanisation of agriculture is gaining momentum in the district due to acute shortage of labourers and steep increase in wages and other expenses.

The main reason for the mechanisation of cultivation was migration of farm labourers to the cities and towns for better future. In fact, traditional farming needs more farm workers unlike mechanisation.

As part of farm mechanisation, the government was implementing two schemes to encourage farmers by providing subsidies to them on purchase of various tools and machines.

The government was providing 50 per cent subsidy to small, marginal and women farmers and 70 per cent subsidy to SC and ST farmers, said assistant director of agriculture department Kutikuppala Krishna Rao.

In 2014-15, 7,000 farmers had purchased farm machines by availing subsidy and in 2015 -16, 5,865 farmers purchased farm machines. The government allotted Rs 12.02 crore funds for subsidy under farm mechanisation for the current financial year, the AD explained.

The government was providing subsidy to farmers on 16 farm machines-ploughing sets, power sprayers, mini-tractors, power tillers, thrashing machines and paddy plantation tools-under different schemes by providing 50 and 70 per cent subsidy on actual cost, said joint director of department G Rama Rao.

The paddy farmers are purchasing machines to overcome labour scarcity and to save time as paddy crop cultivation needs more labourers when compared to other crops.

Due to scarcity of farm labourers we adopted mechanisation process by using tractors for ploughing, tools for plantation of paddy, levellers to level field before plantation,” said Ch Lakshunnaidu, a farmer of Gorinta village in Ponduru mandal.