Pulses farming to become mechanised from kharif season

60,000 villages identified; tractors, planters and Rotavators to be provided to farmers

With the continuous high prices of pulses a major worry, the Centre has reoriented its strategy from this kharif season, with farmers being given incentives to go for mechanisation through custom hiring of tractors, ridge and furrow planters, and Rotavators (rotary tillers).

Farmers are also being encouraged to take up inter-cropping, adoption of new technologies, integrated nutrient management, better seeds, and drip and sprinkler irrigation.

Farmers in 60,000 identified villages in major pulse-growing States are being provided 6,000 tractors of 35 horsepower each, along with planters and rotavators in custom hiring mode. The funds will be provided from the Rs. 300 crore announced in the budget and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna.

“There is a felt need to promote farm machinery on a custom hiring basis to service the fields of pulses and oilseed farmers,” Union Agriculture Secretary P.K. Basu told

TheHindu here.

Increase in area

The normal area under pulses is 23.08 hectares. Seven States — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — have an 83 per cent share of area under pulses. “With the new thrust, we expect the area to go up by 10 to 15 per cent,” said Mr. Basu. .

It is estimated that the tractor and planting equipment will be employed for 180 days of the year, especially during the kharif and rabi seasons. A tractor would service a four-hectare area a day. Custom hiring would be provided on a no-profit, no-loss basis.

Subsidy on costs

A farmer currently incurs an expenditure of between Rs. 900 and 1,200 a hectare on pulse cultivation. Now, with the provision of tractors and planting equipment free of cost, farmers will have to bear only the cost of diesel, driver's wages and equipment maintenance, estimated at Rs. 500 a hectare. This is a 50 per cent subsidy on the present cost.

A tractor and equipment agency will service 10 villages to cover 60,000 villages. The scheme is being implemented through the State departments.

Over 85 per cent of the pulses output comes from under rain-fed areas and is impaired by poor genetic potential, inadequate seed availability, large-scale pests, diseases, blue bull ( neel gai ) attacks on fields, and lack of implements.

The average productivity in India is 659 kg a hectare, as against 1,700-2,000 kg in other countries. In the country, the productivity is the highest in Haryana at 979.6 kg and the lowest in Tamil Nadu at 306. 8 kg.

Last year the all-India pulses production was 14.7 million tonnes. To cover the demand-supply gap, the country imports 3-4 million tonnes every year. However, as mentioned time and again in Parliament, no country produces enough surpluses to cater for India's large needs.

With the mechanised farming campaign beginning this kharif season, pulses production is expected to go up by 1.5-2 million tonnes.