Indian Agricultural sector has been dependent on cheap and surplus labor for a long time. But the situation is changing dramatically as more opportunities are available in factories, services, and Government’s rural employment creation programs like National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The availability of labor at a higher cost drives the demand for mechanization. When we observe the technological advancement in India since the mid-sixties, it had bought a revolutionary change in farm production. The country has witnessed astonishing growth due to the use of advanced technology.
Tractorization is increasing in India. Local Tractor production started in India in 1961 by five manufacturers- Eicher, Mahindra, and Mahindra, TAFE, Gujarat Tractors, and Escorts. At first, just 880 units were produced in a year. Currently, India is the largest tractor manufacturer in the world, accounting for one-third of the global production, of agricultural implements, and equipment. These equipment include land development machinery, field preparation equipment, weeders, sprayers and dusters, irrigation pumps, post-harvest, and processing machinery, and dairy equipment.
Although, farm mechanization is still at a nascent stage. The average farm power available in India is lower than in countries like US and Japan. The overall mechanization in India is 40-45%, of which 90% of the power is contributed by mechanical and electrical sources.
Northern States like Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh has a high level of mechanization (70-80%) due to the presence of highly productive land. Reduction in agriculture workers is also a major cause for a high level of mechanization in northern states and also these states have full support from the state government for the usage of mechanization. 35-45% level of mechanization is present in Eastern and Southern states. The reason for this low level of mechanization in these states is as these states have small and scattered land holdings. The level of farm mechanization in North-eastern states is extremely low mainly due to hilly topography, high transportation cost, and socioeconomic conditions of farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture is giving a major thrust to farm mechanization through its various schemes. A dedicated Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation has been proposed for the Twelfth Plan, which includes custom-hiring facilities for agricultural machinery as one of its major components. Its focus is on increasing the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where the availability of farm power is low and also creating Hubs for high-value farm equipment and Farm Machinery Banks. It is also focusing on subsidized agriculture equipment distribution to individual farmers.
Challenges faced by farmers in using Machinery:
- Marginal Farmers believe higher technology is complex and not their cup of tea.
- Second deterrent is the higher cost of equipment and the need for high investment into a variety of equipment/sizes/technology for different conditions/crops.
- Lack of knowledge in using machinery and their stereotypical thinking of using technology excessively harmful etc…
How to overcome these problems:
- Increasing Custom Hiring Centres so that poor and marginal farmers can get access to the machinery.
- Introducing subsidies on farm equipment.
- Establishing Training Institutions for farmers and helping them to gain knowledge about how to use machinery and their maintenance.
- They must be taught about the use of machinery in farming as they increase farm output and income, overcoming labor scarcity, environmental safety, etc… and help them to overcome their stereotypical thinking.
Conclusion:
Although Farm Mechanization is increasing and being one of the largest manufacturers of tractors and farm machinery, India’s level of mechanization is still low compared to other developing countries. But it is going to increase in the future and the actions like providing subsidies on farm machinery and establishing Custom Hiring Centers should be taken to increase the farm mechanization level in India.
