Farm Mechanisation for Small and Marginal Farmers

Table  1 : Mechanisation level across crops

• Portability of farm equipment:  Since farm machinery is expensive, small farmers find it difficult to purchase this equipment.  The Committee observed that the government has introduced custom hiring centres and farm machinery banks, where farmers can share machines.  So far 37,097 custom hiring centres which include 17,727 farm machinery banks have been established.  A well-established centre provides mechanisation to about 100-200 farmers.   The Committee noted that farm machinery banks have been established in almost all states.  However, it noted that their benefits have not percolated to the district, taluka, panchayat, and gram sabha levels.  It recommended that the government widely publicise such schemes, and develop an app to locate and contact nearby centres/banks.

• The Committee also noted that standardisation of farm machinery is complex and the government must make a concrete policy to enforce interchangeability at the stage of manufacturing.  Availability of standard parts makes production simpler.   It noted that design standardisation may be achieved at the level of Bureau of Indian Standards, and implementation of such standards at the manufacturer level.

• Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation:  Under the Mission, the government provides 40-50% of the cost of purchasing tractors, power tillers, or combine harvesters to small and marginal farmers.  It is being implemented through states/UTs.  In September 2022, the Mission was merged with the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.  Since the implementation of the Mission in 2014-15, 14.2 lakh machines were distributed.  The Committee highlighted that to ensure affordability to small farmers, the government promote low-cost equipment.   It also recommended that since the merger of the two schemes, the mandate of Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation must not be diluted.

• Availability of farm power: The Committee noted that availability of farm power impacts crop yield.  It noted that the average farm power availability is 2.5 kW per hectare, which must be increased to 4 kW per hectare by 2030.  It also noted a disparity in farm power availability between states, which must be reduced.  For instance, Punjab has a power availability of 6 kW per hectare, as compared to Mizoram with 0.7 kW per hectare.  Since an improvement in power supply ensures that more tasks are completed at the right time, greater areas can be farmed which increases production.

• Study to assess farm mechanisation: The Committee noted that no formal study has been conducted to assess farm mechanisation.   The Indian Council for Agricultural Research has proposed that a state-wise study be conducted to identify gaps in mechanisation and recommend suitable strategies.  The Committee recommended that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare prepare a plan for such a study.  The Committee noted that there is a lack of engineering manpower to demonstrate, train, and guide farmers.  Presently, the Directorate of Agricultural Engineering exists in Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu only.  The Ministry has informed states that they must establish a Directorate in their states.  The Committee also recommended that a Directorate be set up in each state.