Testing, Demonstration and Capacity Building Activities with Support from DOAC Schemes (2007–12)

With increasing agricultural labour Shortage in India, a shift to mechanization is a logical response. Not only does mechanization support the optimal utilization of resources (e.g., land labour, water) and expensive farm inputs, it also helps farmers to save valuable time. Judicious use of time, labour and resources helps facilitate sustainable intensification (multi cropping) and timely planting of crops, which can give crops more time to mature leading to increase in productivity. The use of appropriate machinery also helps reduce drudgery. But, in spite of government's effort on making some useful farm machines available to farmers on subsidy, the objective of scientific cultivation by mechanization is being defeated due to farmers’ poor socio-economic condition, lack of proper knowledge of farm machines and improved farm practices both. Obviously, there is immediate need of intensive training to farmers for bridging the knowledge gap and further development of module ensuring availability of most useful quality farm machines even to the poorest farmer and others with small land holdings.