AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY

  

The strategy and programmes of Agricultural Implements and Machinery Division have been directed towards promotion of agricultural mechanization through eco-friendly and selective agricultural implements and machines with the aim of optimal utilization of the available sources of human, animal and mechanical/electrical power, increasing productivity of land and labour, efficient utilisation of inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation water, improving the quality of the farm operations by removing farm power constraints faced by farmers, and by reducing the cost of production and removing the drudgery associated with various agricultural operations. The farmers have also been provided assistance for owning tractors, power tillers,  other agricultural equipments,  supporting services of human resource development, testing and evaluation. As a result of the programmes of the government, the total power availability  has increased from 0.295 kw/ha in 1971-72 to 1.231 kw/ha in 2001-02.  For reducing the  cost of operation and increasing productivity and irrigation efficiency, new equipments such as zero-till seed cum fertilizer drill, raised bed planter and drip irrigation equipments have been made available to the farmers.  

         The Government have enacted the Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983, for providing safety and relief to the farmers and machine operators. Presently, only the power thresher has been brought under the purview of this Act.  The Government is in the process of bringing ‘Power operated Chaff Cutter and Power operated Sugarcane Crusher’ also under the purview of this Act.              

The Production and sale of tractors and power tillers during the last few years are given in the table.   Year wise production and sale of tractors and power tillers:

*Provisional

Farm Mechanisation Programmes under Macro-Management of Agriculture & other schemes

                  Assistance in the form of subsidy is available to  farmers for the purchase of various agricultural equipments including hand tools, bullock drawn/power driven implements, water conserving irrigation devices, planting, reaping & threshing equipments, tractors, power tillers and other specialized agricultural machines, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of “Macro-management of Agriculture - Supplementation/ Complementation of States Efforts through Work Plans”. Subsidy on identified equipments is also available to the farmers under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes for oilseeds and pulses development.

Training and Testing 

              Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes (FMT&TIs) located at Budni (Madhya Pradesh),  Hissar (Haryana) , Garladinne (Andhra Pradesh) and Biswanath Chariali (Assam) have been  imparting training to the farmers, technicians, nominees of Governments, retired/retiring defence personnel etc. in the selection, operation, maintenance, energy conservation and management of agricultural equipments. The Institutes have also been conducting testing and performance evaluation of various agricultural implements and machines. During the year 2002-03, 3342   persons have been trained till 31.12.2002 against the annual target of 3500 in different courses . 

The testing of farm machines and equipments has been continued by these Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes.  Whereas Budni Institute has been authorised to conduct test on tractors, power tillers and other agricultural machines, the Institute at Hissar conducts tests on self propelled combine harvesters, irrigation pumps, plant protection equipments, agricultural implements and other machines.  Garladinne Institute  conducts test on agricultural implements and components. Testing of agricultural implements has also been taken up by the Institute at Biswanath Chariali (Assam) since 2001. 

The Institutes have tested 103 machines of various categories, including tractors, power tillers, combine harvesters, rice transplanter, reaper, till 31^st December 2002, against a target of 70 number of machines for the year.  

Conducting Study and Formulating Long-term Mechanisation Strategies for each Agro-climatic zone

With a view to achieving an effective and balanced development of farm mechanization in the various agro-climatic zones of the country, this scheme has been sanctioned for implementation during the Ninth Five Year Plan with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 13000 thousands.  The scheme stands amalgamated with the Scheme of  “Studies on inputs for Agricultural Economic Policy and Development”  of the Department for the remaining period of the Tenth Plan. 

The Scheme envisages an in depth study at micro level keeping in view the technological, agro-economical, sociological and other relevant factors for formulating effective and balanced strategies for all round development of agricultural mechanisation for each agro-climatic zone of the country.  The study has been entrusted to the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute of ICAR, New Delhi. The study work has already commenced and an amount of Rs. 10000 thousands was released to the Institute.  This study report  is expected to be received  by June, 2003.  Based  on the findings and the recommendations contained in the Report, Government will formulate suitable strategies and programmes for the promotion of agricultural mechanization. 

Demonstration of newly developed Agricultural equipment including Horticultural equipment at farmers’ field 

         With a view to dissemination of the latest technology among the farmers, the scheme has been aimed at demonstrating newly developed/specialized Agricultural/Horticultural equipment for acquainting them about their utility & use thereby enabling them to adopt the same in agricultural production system.  During the year 2001-02, funds amounting to Rs.2000 thousands were released to the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab and Orissa.  A sum of Rs.5000 thousands was also released to ICAR for the purpose.  During the year 2002-03 an amount of Rs.1533 thousands has been released to the States of Assam, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Chhatisgarh & Goa and Rs.2800 thousands to ICAR for demonstration of newly developed agricultural equipment.  In the wake of drought this year, these funds have been released to the wheat growing States and ICAR particularly for the demonstration of strip-till drill and zero-till seed cum fertilizer drill so as to plant the wheat crop timely and for optimal utilization of available soil moisture. 

         The field demonstrations have been conducted on zero-till seed drill, strip-till drill, self-propelled vertical conveyor reaper, manual/self propelled paddy transplanter, raised bed  planter, sugarcane cutter planter, tractor/power tiller operated rotavator, sunflower thresher, power weeder, cono weeder etc. for the benefit of the farmers and have been reported to be well accepted by them. 

Material on activities in the North-Eastern States for Annual Report of the Deptt. of Agri. & Coopn. for the year 2002-2003     

The Government have established a Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute at Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur district of Assam to cater to the needs of human resource development in the field of agricultural mechanisation and also to assess the quality and performance characteristics of different agricultural implements and machines in the region. Against a target of 250, for the year under report,  413  persons have already been trained as on 31-12-2002 by this Institute.  As regards testing of agricultural equipment, while two test reports have already been issued till 31.12.2002, more equipment’s are expected to be tested during the remaining period of the year. 

During the year 2001-2002 funds to the tune of Rs.562 thousands  & Rs.118 thousands respectively were released to the States of Arunachal Pradesh & Manipur under the scheme “Demonstration of Newly Developed Agricultural Equipment including Horticultural Equipment in Farmers fields”.  During the year under report, a sum of Rs.133 thousands has been released to the State of Assam under the same scheme.

STATE AGRO INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

             The Government of India advised the State Government in the year 1964 to set up State Agro Industries Corporations (SAICs) in the Public Sector to act as catalysts in providing access to farmers of the industrial inputs for the use in the agriculture. Thus, 17 SAICs were set up in the joint sector with equity participation of Government of India and respective State Government namely Andhra Pradesh,  Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal during 1965 to 1970.  Many of the State Governments have increased their equity participation as a result of which Government of India, at present, is a minority shareholder.  SAICs have since expanded their basic functions by commencing manufacture and marketing of agricultural inputs, implements, machines,  after sale service, promotion and development of agro-based units/industries. Government of India is implementing a policy of dis-investment of its shares in SAICs with a view to give greater decision making power to State Governments by allowing transfer of its shares to State Governments on following guidelines: 

(i)                  Where the networth of the SAIC is positive, Government of India would be willing to consider offering the shares to the State Governments at a price 25% less than the book value of the shares on the basis of the latest available audited balance sheet. 

(ii)                In the case of the SAICs whose networth is negative, Government of India would be willing to pass on its stake for a token consideration of Rs. 1000 for the value of the shares. 

So far, Government of India’s share in SAICs of Gujarat, Karnataka, U.P., Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan States have been transferred to the concerned State Governments.

Annexure- II 
WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
 Name of the Division : Agricultural Implements and Machinery Division

Annexure- III
Programmes of North - Eastern States
Name of the Division: Agricultural Implements and Machinery Division