Government facility providing farm implements on rent to farmers evokes good response

Providing agricultural machinery and implements to farmers on rent since January through Custom Hire Service Centres (CHSC) seems to have received a tremendous response in the Mysuru district, and thousands of farmers have availed themselves of the services in the last three months. The seven CHSCs in the district were jointly established by the State government and the Shree Kshethra Darmasthala Rural Development Project.

The seven CHSCs have collected Rs.1,55,000 to Rs. 4,95,000 in the past three months from farmers towards rent on agricultural implements.

With an objective to help farmers who are unable to buy implements on their own, the government along with the SKDRDP set up seven CHSCs in the district and each taluk has a centre. They are in Anthrasanthe in H.D. Kote taluk, Bilikere in Hunsur taluk, Chuchanakatte in K.R. Nagar taluk, Varuna in Mysuru taluk, Biligere in Nanjangud taluk, Bettadapura in Periyapatna taluk, and Bannur in T. Narasipura taluk.

The agricultural implements that have been rented out for farmers in need were purchased at the cost of Rs. 50 lakh. While the government contributed 75 per cent of the cost, SKDRDP contributed the rest. M. Mahanteshappa, Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, told

The Hindu here on Friday that the District Steering Committee (DSC) had been formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Executive Officer of the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, and the panel decides on the rent to be charged on each implement of machinery being given to farmers. According to A. Shrihari, Regional Director of the SKDRDP, told The Hindu that the Custom Hire Service Centres also educates farmers on scientific and modern cultivation.