With the government emphasising the importance of mechanised farming, the land under mechanised farming in Udupi district has shown a small increase in the last six years. But when compared to the total area under agricultural cultivation in the district, the area under mechanised farming is tiny. The total area under agricultural cultivation in the district is 44,000 hectares for kharif and 4,500 hectares for rabi. Paddy is the chief agricultural crop in the district.
One reason for the slow rise is that mechanised farming requires preparation. In the case of paddy cultivation, trays containing paddy nurseries should be ready in good numbers. “If nurseries are ready, farmers could start their operations with the first rain using transplanters,” said Satish, Officer, Department of Agriculture.
Again, before starting transplanting operation, it is essential that soil is properly sown with manure.
“The area under agricultural cultivation is stagnating because machineries have to match the topography and farmers are mostly producing for self-sufficiency and not going commercial,” Mr. Satish said.
But some diligent farmers have adopted mechanised farming to their advantage in places such as Kota, Gavali and Hiriyadka. The department is providing farming equipment on hire at the Farm Equipment Hiring Centres at reasonable rates. There are seven farm equipment hire centres in the district in Brahmavar, Ajekar, Byndoor, Kaup, Karkala, Kundapur and Kota.
B.V. Poojary, president of the district unit of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, who also grows paddy in two acres in Perdoor village, said that the land was uneven and land holdings were small. There was no link between fields. “Hence transplanters are not profitable. But some farmers, who are passionate, have adopted mechanised farming,” he said.
‘Profitable’
However, Soma Poojary, who has employed mechanised farming methods in eight acres of his farm in Shiriyar village, said that mechanised farming operations were profitable if done properly. The rent for a paddy tranplanter is ₹ 5,000 per day per acre for transplanting operation.
“But if one followed traditional method, one had to hire 25 workers and pay them ₹ 300 per day for working in addition to their transportation and food,” Mr. Poojary said.
