The Agriculture Department has been able to convince agriculturists about the need to switchover to mechanised farming to overcome the problem of labour shortage.
Mechanisation will be highly beneficial for cultivation of sugarcane crop, in particular, agriculture department officials say.
Compared to other cash crops, area covered by sugarcane is more and hence farmers need to be trained in use of small-sized mechanised harvesters, said Joint Director of Agriculture, P. Ponkathaperumal.
Last month, a demonstration of sugarcane harvester manufactured by Sakthiman campnay was carried out by the Agriculture Department at a field in Thottiyampalayam in Bhavani block belonging to Ramalingam.
The suitability of the 175 HP motor for small farms was explained to the farmers.
Sakthi Sugars Ltd., Appakudal, was also involved in the exercise to orient 300 farmers on the advantages of mechanised harvesting.
The sugarcane harvester, according to Chezhiyan, general manager of Sakthi sugars, is a best replacement for manual harvestor that involves tedious work.
The district-level action-plan for 2016-17 submitted under the NADP programme envisages providing 50 per cent subsidy for farmers purchasing mechanised equipment.
The farmers could form groups to buy the mechanised harvester, said Assistant Director of Agriculture, Bhavani Block R. Savithri.
The department has been similarly encouraging farmers to derive utility of paddy transplanters for saving time, money and labour.
Farmers have been facing severe shortage of labourers at the time of transplanting and harvesting.
The main reason is migration of workers to urban areas for employment.
Also, a chunk of the available workers prefer to be under the ambit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme rather than doing farm work in private fields. The Nabard, on its part, has also been encouraging farmers to form clubs for purchase of paddy transplanters, harvesters and weeders at subsidised rates, by arranging for loans.
Source : The Hindu
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