There have been days when Mohan Kumaramangalam (51), a marginal farmer in Kalaththil Ventrar Pettai in Lalgudi taluk, seriously considered giving up farming because of acute shortage of workers. But he has had a change of mind after he acquired a paddy transplanter which helped him overcome shortage of workers.
Although he had acquired the motorised but hand-held imported transplanter for his personal use, he uses the machine for transplanting paddy in the neighbouring fields. As against 60 to 70 workers required for manual paddy transplantation on three acres of land, the machine completes the task with just three workers in a day.
“I feel the machine has made paddy farming very interesting. It saves time, energy, and money. It has thwarted the need for depending on farm workers for transplantation,” Mr. Kumaramangalam said.
He was not the only farmer who had switched over to the transplanter acquired with government subsidy.
Nine farmers had acquired paddy transplanters in 2015-16 in Tiruchi district with 50 per cent subsidy under the National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP).
R. Chandrasekaran, Joint Director of Agriculture, Tiruchi district, told The Hindu that within a few years, the paddy transplanter had become the sought-after machine.
The department had received enquiries from various farmers to acquire the machine with subsidy.
He said that a farmer who owned the machine just needed Rs. 2,000 to complete paddy transplantation. If a farmer hired the machine, it can be done with Rs. 4,000 that includes raising nursery. It would require just two workers for transplanting on three acres.
Mr. Chandrasekaran said it would require at least Rs. 6,000 an acre for paddy transplantation under traditional nursery system.
Farmers would have to work hard to arrange farm labourers.
