Farm mechanization

In a move to maximize the use of technology, the Government released Rs. 118 crore for the year 2016-17 for farm mechanization, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh has said.

“It is essential to use maximum and best technology available resources in fast changing world and growing world economic competition so that domestic requirement of food grains can be met and export may be promoted,” said Singh while releasing coffee table book “Farm Mechanization for Make in India” on November 25.

“The first challenge is to increase the supply of food for growing population and the second is the protection of environment,” he said.

Singh pointed out that the challenge of farm mechanization still exists in India as “most of our land holding is a small, therefore, commercial use is not proving beneficial.

The government, he assured, was ensuring the availability of farm machine- rota vator, blow sprayer, cotton cultivator, cutter and shredder through the establishment of custom hiring centre for those farmers who cannot buy costly farm machines.

Four regional farm machinery training and testing institutes have been established in the country which cater to the needs of standard and quality farm machinery and equipment, he said.

Farm mechanization sub-mission began in 2014-15 among small and marginal farmers.

The government has released Rs.340 crore for this sector in last two years. fii-news.com