Krishi jagran agriculture world june 2015 by Krishi Jagran

Volume I | Issue 6 | June-2015 | `70

AGRICULTURE

W RLD FARM MECHANIZATION beyond TRACTORS

AGRI-MECHANIZATION AND THE LAW OF INHERITANCE

FARM MECHANIZATION IN INDIA: TRADITIONAL PRACTICES CHANGING SCENARIO OF MEGHALAYA TO AND THE WAY FORWARD FACE CLIMATE CHANGE

Echoing Sustainable Environment and Agriculture www.krishijagran.com

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M.C. Dominic Shiny Emanuel M.G. Vasan Dr. K.T. Chandy R.K. Teotia Chander Mohan G.S. Saini Sanjay Kumar Kumud Shukla Neha Sachdeva Ruby Jain Aniket Sinha Kanika Chauhan Imarn Khan Chetram P.S. Saini Farha Khan K.J. Saranya Hrituparna Banerjee Sara Khan Sarita Singh Jyoti Sharma Megha Sharma Afsana Malik Sujata Gautam Chunki Bhutia Poonam Bishwakarma Nishant Kr. Taak Chander Dev Bhatt Rahul Singh Abdus Samad Sukumar Dalai Aruna Jana Dharmendra Kumar Yogesh Kumar Preetha M. Nair K.B. Indira Devendra Singh Prem Kumar Ranjan

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IN THIS ISSUE Agri‐Mechaniza on and the Law of Inheritance.............................4 INTERVIEW, Dr. K. Alagusundaram..............................................10 Farm Mechaniza on in India Changing Scenario and The Way Forward ...................................13 Customer Response and Banking Solu ons..................................16 INTERVIEW, Mr. Basant Kumar ....................................................18 Innova ons Those Changed The Farm Mechaniza on..................21 Tradi onal Prac ces of Meghalaya to Face Climate Change.........24 Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportuni es Through Agricultural Engineering Technologies............................28 KAMCO Best Friend of Farmers...................................................34 Farm Mechaniza on beyond Tractors...........................................36

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Editorial

echaniza on is the measure of human development and that is one of the major dis nguishing characteris cs that iden fy humans as different from animals. Manual labour up to a certain extend is noble and necessary but beyond that it is dehumanizing and destroying the humanness replacing it by animality. Agriculture is one such occupa on; hence a cul vator mostly prefers to work as a watchman or a helper in a wayside ea ng place rather than soil his hands with mud and dirt of the field. There are many socio‐cultural reasons also why a man prefers any other job to work in agriculture or animal husbandry. Mechaniza on gives a certain amount of dignity to the man working in agriculture besides be er income. Everyone is talking about mechaniza on as an imminent and necessary factor in Indian agriculture which is dominated by marginal and small farmer who make up 85 per cent of the landholders. The main reason for such fragmenta on is the “The Law of Inheritance”. Further many of the land holdings are s ll fragmented into small pieces of land sca ered over a panchayat or a block. They are not con guous. Secondly small and marginal farmers have no means to purchase and maintain even the smallest equipment as they are cul va ng under loss. Dr. Chandy in his ar cle “Agri‐mechaniza on and the Law of Inheritance” highlighted the need for a policy change, namely, abroga on of “The Law of Inheritance” by passing an act in the parliament like the acts of “Central Land Reform” of 1972 abolishing Landlordism and the Act “Aboli on of Bonded Labour” in 1976. The law of inheritance as prevalent in our country is a big hurdle for smooth mechaniza on of Indian agriculture. Another area where mechaniza on is of paramount importance is the area of food processing. The interview Dr. K. Alagusundaram Deputy Director General of Agriculture Engineering Division is highly informa ve. He provides leadership and co‐ordinates a net work of six Research Ins tutes, six All India Coordinated Research Projects and two Network projects. Every year a large quan ty of food items produced in our country get spoiled due to lack of storage and processing. It is es mated that India incurs a loss of 2000 billion rupees worth due to spoilage in vegetables and fruits alone. In this context mechaniza on in food processing is an area which needs great revolu onary changes to be brought in as quickly as possible. No doubt compared to what it was at the me of independence in India farm mechaniza on, especially tractoriza on has gone a long way. Tractoriza on was the first genera on mechaniza on of agriculture. But it serves only as a mobile power; other machines have to be a ached to the tractor depending on the types of opera ons to be done, for the tractor to become fully opera onal. A second genera on mechaniza on would be the use of machines for performing various opera ons in different crops. Dr. Kanchan Kumar Singh in his ar cle on “Farm Mechaniza on in India: Changing Scenario and the Way Forward” highlights the areas where the change is required in farm mechaniza on in India. The interview with Mr. Basant Kumar, who is AGM and Product Head of Honda Siel Power Products Ltd, shows how a company can develop farmer oriented and soil specific machines and promote them among farmers. As a leading company in the power products HSPP is an example for others. We need more such companies. Man's struggle to mechanize his works has been there from me immemorial; we find that there are crea ve people among the ordinary village folks who will come out with some small innova ons or other. Chander Mohan in his ar cle on “Innova ons in Farm Mechaniza on” enumerates a number of such farmer level innova ons which help the farmers to perform be er in their own struggle for survival and development. For a na on, mechaniza on in agriculture is a necessity to generate enough surplus to feed the people and to generate enough raw material for various industries. Various studies have shown that about 15‐20 % increase in produc vity or reduc on in cost of cul va on can be achieved through mechaniza on of agriculture. U. R. Badegaonkar, P. C. Bargale and et al in their ar cle on “Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportuni es Through Agricultural Engineering Technologies” discusses agricultural engineering based technologies developed by CIAE, Bhopal one of the leading Research and Development organiza on in our country. To many in India mechaniza on of agriculture means tractoriza on. Prof. Surendra Singh is a emp ng to eradicate such a myth from the mind of people through his ar cle on “Farm Mechaniza on beyond Tractors”. Gone are the days when a farmers walking behind thin emaciated bullocks to seed his crops and to transport his harvest. In the author's own words 'appropriate and selec ve mechaniza on of produc on agriculture, post‐harvest management and value addi on using a proper blend of conven onal and renewable energy sources facilitates in enhancing produc vity is necessary”. This ar cle is very informa ve and supported with relevant data in the form of tables and graphs.

M C Dominic Editor‐in‐Chief editor@krishijagran.com

FMBT Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance

Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance

n every sphere of human life manual labour is being replaced by machines and machines are automated by computeriza on and digi za on. That is the type of “performance quo ent” being introdu‐ ced into almost all the secondary and ter ary occupa ons. Whereas the primary occupa ons like agriculture, ﬁshing, forestry and animal husbandry are far behind in mechaniza on and computeriza on compared to what they should have been. These are the occupa ons where hard human labour is being applied in its raw and crude form under the unbearable economic and social condi ons of inequali es and injus ces. In fact mechaniza on and computeriza on should have been introduced in these sectors long ago. Can a human being ever develop himself if he has to work like a bullock in the ﬁeld, illiterate and ignorant as ever?

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Though India has gone a long way in fa r m m e c h a n i za o n i t r e m a i n s restricted only to big and medium farms. As per 2002‐03 data the small and marginal farmers who form 81% of the cul vators opera ng on 43.5% of cropped area are totally excluded from farm mechaniza on. Even the medium and semi‐medium farmers who make up about 18 % of farmers opera ng on another 44.7% of the cul vated area are also unable to go for mechaniza on beyond the use of tractor for ploughing and harrowing. Finally it is the big farms of 1.4% opera ng on 12% of the cul vated area are only able to go for full ﬂedged mechaniza on. Observa on from the previous several decades data conﬁrm that there is a steady increase in the number of small and marginal farmers while the number and area operated by the medium and b i g fa r m e rs i n o u r co u nt r y a re

AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

decreasing posing a big ques on mark on the farm mechaniza on in India. Further it can be seen that farm mechaniza on is concentrated mostly in wheat and paddy growing areas Punjab, Haryana and Western U ar Pradesh and that too in areas where land reforms were implemented along with consolida on of land. More than 50% of the cul vated area is under cereals and millets. Most of the small and marginal farmers cul vate their land with the support of their family members and local labour working day and night. Child labour is maximum used in agriculture, animal husbandry and ﬁshing. All these factors pose a serious ques on on farm mechaniz‐ a on. The purpose of any mechaniza on is primarily to save human energy for the development of mind and mental ac vi es which are characteris cs of human nature. Such mechaniza onal changes in agriculture www.krishijagran.com

Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance FMBT have not taken place enough in India due to a number of reasons of which some are as follows. 1. Illiteracy or very low literacy among the farmers, 2. Farmers are too tradi onal and are resistant to changes, 3. Lack of capital availability and low capital genera on capacity, 4. Insufficient R&D in agriculture mechaniza on, 5. Landholdings are too small for mechaniza on, 6. Farm lands are not structured enough for opera ng agri‐ machineries, 7. Poor roads and infrastructural facili es in the rural agricultural areas, 8. Shortage of power/energy in the agriculture sector. 9. Too many people are in the agriculture sector Some more reasons can be added to this list. These are some of the o en men oned reasons for insufficient mechaniza on in agriculture sector in India. But the law of inheritance will seldom figure in the list of reasons. Hence this ar cle is an a empt to highlight the short and long term impact of the law of inheritance on mechaniza on of agriculture in India. Though there are many socio‐ cultural varia ons in the applica on of the laws of inheritance of landed proper es among the people in various parts of India, they all boil down to “equal inheritance of land assets to the designated inheritors, including the women”. For example a 12 hectare

large farm land is inherited by two children and the parents resul ng in three equal divisions of 4.00 hectare each which come under the medium s i ze l a n d h o l d i n g s . I n t h e n ex t genera on depending on the number of inheritors in each family, let us say minimum of two children plus parents the four hectare plots will be divided into three plots of 1.33 hectares each which will come under the category of small farms and in the next genera on all the inherited land por ons will be under the marginal land holding categories. What will happen in the next genera on is le to everyone's imagina on. In four genera ons the members of the landlord family become sub‐marginal land holders unable to generate a single meal a day for a family. The law of inheritance is suicidal in nature and adhering to it millions have wasted their lives unno ced. This “cut‐ throat‐suicidal‐nature” of the “Law of Inheritance” have been opera ng for centuries in India. And yet no one seems to dare to ques on or a empt to change them. THE CUT-THROAT-SUICIDAL-NATURE OF THE LAW OF INHERITANCE OF LAND ASSETS IS NEVER HIGH-LIGHTED ENOUGH WHEN WE THINK OF MECHANIZATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN INDIA. What happens to the farm holdings? They will become too small to cul vate and to make a living on them for any family. So as the genera ons go by, the large farms will become medium, medium will become semi‐ medium and semi‐medium will become small farms and small farms will become marginal farms marginal farms will become house plots which will come out of the domain of agriculture.

Further fragmenta on can take place if the original 12 hectare farm was in two pieces in different loca ons or if there are more inheritors. At the first division of inheritance itself each piece inherited will come into the category of marginal farms and further they will become house plots. However it should be admi ed that in the process of fragmenta on someone in the line of inheritors will buy up land from other inheritors, as they are not able to u lize their land, and become again a land lord. Thus along with the process of fragmenta on of land under the law of inheritance there will take place a process of consolida on by a very few who are smart enough to be land lords while many others will become landless illiterate agriculture labourers whose life may be a li le be er than the animals in their landlord's house. Illiteracy in their life will be like adding oil to fire. Landlords would not like to go for mechaniza on in farming because they have plenty of cheap labour at their beck and call. Mechaniza on will require investment of huge capital on their side along with maintenance cost. Invariably the landlords will become money lenders also and the village agricultural life becomes more complex though sta c. DEVELOPMENT OF LANDLORDISM ALONG WITH LANDLESS AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS WILL BE A NATURAL PHENOMENON WHEN FRAGMENTATION OF LAND TAKES PLACE GENERATION AFTER GENERATION UNDER THE LAW OF INHERITANCE IN WHICH ILLITERACY WILL BE LIKE ADDING OIL INTO THE FIRE. Under such situa on of genera onal fragmenta on of agricultural land mechaniza on of agriculture and allied occupa ons will become very slow. None of small or marginal farms will be able to purchase and maintain even some of the basic machineries as they are capital intensive. To operate farm machineries and to maintain them the land holdings should have a minimum size. The landlords do not want mechanization and the small and marginal farmers are unable to go for any mechanization. The land ownership and holding pa ern has reached to such an extent

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FMBT Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance

that a vast majority of the people in the rural areas became landless agricultural labourers to be exploited economically and ostracized socially. Further they became bonded labourers of the same landlords from whom they borrowed money periodically for mee ng various needs in their life. Land in India has always been a status symbol those who did not have any land had no social status. ALONG WITH LANDLORDISM GREW THE CLASS OF BONDED LABOURERS MAKING MECHANIZATION OF AGRICULTURE ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT.

In order to curb the growing landlordism as well as to improve the socio‐economic situa on of the vast majority of the rural people in India the government of India implemented the Land Reform which was enacted in 1972 at the Centre and State government level. ENDLESS FRAGMENTATION OF LAND HOLDINGS GOES DIAMETRICALLY AGAINST MECHANIZATION OF AGRICULTURE. The Central Land Reform Commi ee 1972 suggested the division of the land in the following sizes as viable family holdings. 1. 10 to 15 acres for irrigated land with two assured crops, 2. 27 acres for par ally irrigated land with one assured crop and 3. 54 acres for un‐irrigated or rain fed land. The ra onale behind this division is that from the income of the land holding the opera ng family should be able to meet all the basic requirements

for its existence and development. Requirements for human existence are food, fuel, clothes, housing, medicine, rest, etc. while the things required for personal and human development are educa on, recrea onal and reading facili es, infra‐structural facili es, ins tu onal support, decently furnished housing etc. But at the chief ministers' mee ng in 1972 on land reform this proposal was modified under the suggested guide lines of ceiling level in hectares: 5.05‐7.28 hectares for two cropped areas with assured irriga on, 10.93 ha where one irrigated and another un‐ irrigated crop are taken, and 21.85 ha in areas where un‐irrigated crops are taken as the ceiling limits. Ceiling levels were fixed by each state, for various types of condi ons as shown in Table 1. Obviously there is a lot of varia on in the ceiling level fixed by different states. S ll we can accept this as the ceiling level for the agricultural lands in each state.

Table 1: Ceiling limits on land holdings (in hectares) Sl.No A B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

States Suggested guide lines of 1972 Actual ceiling A.P. Assam Bihar Gujarat Haryana H.P. Jammu & Kashmir Karnataka Kerala M.P. Maharashtra Manipur Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Tamil Nadu Sikkim Tripura U.P. West Bengal

Irrigated two crops 5.05‐7.28 4.05‐7.28 6.74 6.07‐7.28 4.05‐7.28 7.25 4.05 3.60‐5.06 4.05‐8.10 4.86‐6.07 7.28 7.28 5.00 4.05 7.00 7.28 4.86 5.06 4.00 7.30 5.00

Irrigated one crop 10.93 6.07‐10.93 6.74 10.12 6.07‐10.93 10.9 6.07 ‐ 10.12‐12.14 4.86‐6.07 10.93 10.93‐14.57 5.00 6.07 11.0 10.93 12.14 ‐ 4.00 10.95 ‐

Dry land 21.85 14.16‐21.85 6.74 12.14‐18.21 8.09‐21.85 21.8 12.14 ‐28.33 5.95 – 9.20 21.85 4.86‐6.07 21.85 21.85 6.00 12.14‐18.21 20.50 21.85‐70.82 24.28 20.23 12.00 18.25 7.00

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Sta s cs at a Glance (1990), p.104.

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Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance FMBT

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FMBT Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance EVER GROWING POPULATION EVERYTHING PRODUCED IN ANY AMOUNT SEEM TO VAPORIZE INTO THIN AIR. 2. As we have abolished the landlordism and bonded labour system we also need to abolish the law of inheritance which automa cally fragments the land assets endlessly making agriculture nonviable. All land should be na onalized and people should have only the user's right and not the absolute ownership right. We need to learn from the experience of China and other countries which makes remarkable strides in land use pa ern and agriculture revolu on. China na onalized long ago all the land and also systema cally migra ng rural farming people into urban areas freeing their fragmented lands into consolidated viable farm holdings with adequate mechaniza on and be er remunerated employment. Within short span of me the urban popula on in china has grown to 52 per cent. India needs to plan for consolida on of small, marginal and semi‐medium farms into viable landholdings so that effec ve and efficient mechaniza on can be done. 3. Depending on the agro‐clima c condi ons and the cropping pa erns prevailing in India the available cropping area should be fixed into viable land holding as decided by the land reform commi ee of 1972 and as given Table 1. Agricultural land should be fixed, plo ed and structured within each state according to the recommenda ons of the states as given in Table 1. Then they should be numbered as we have the same postal code running all over the country. Each plot is designated with a cropping

pa ern reasonably flexible enough to adjust with the vagaries of monsoon. Thus we will have low land paddy cul va on zones, cereal and millets zones, pulses and oil seed zones, fruits and other hor cultural zones, planta on crops zones, co on and fibre crops zones, spices and condiments zones, ca le and dairy farming zones, sheep and goat rearing zones, irrigated and dry land agricultural zones, wet land areas, fisheries and aquaculture areas, planted forest areas, perennial forest areas etc. Each farm is numbered a n d i t s c h a ra c te r i s c s a n d t h e suggested cropping pa erns are computerized and monitored at the all India level. Thus each farm land in each agro‐clima c and cropping zone can be monitored via satellite and adjustments in crop alloca on, produc on, marke ng and distribu on can be executed. As in many other countries less and less people should be involved in farming opera on and more and more people should be involved in agri‐ business. 4. Agriculture is no more a way of life but a professional occupa on which requires knowledge, technology and tools. The farmer's job is that of a professional business man. He should be a manager with entrepreneurial ship and business acumen. Hence all are not fit to be farmers in the modern sense of the term. The plo ed and numbered agricultural holdings should be allo ed only to the really capable and willing h a n d s . Fo r exa m p l e i n H o l l a n d government divided the reclaimed land into plots of 25 acres each and allo ed to those families only a er interview and ap tude tests of both husband and wife. They were asked to cul vate crops

as per the direc on of the agricultural department of the government. Similar approaches should be carried out in India instead of totally unstructured and unplanned farm opera ons done by poor and illiterate people who can do nothing be er than hard manual work. 5. Mechaniza on should be developed according to agro‐clima c and cropping pa ern of each region and state. As already men oned machines should be developed on crops and agro‐ clima c specific lines. Thus the machines developed for wet land cul va on is different from dry land cul va on. Similarly the machines needed for cul va on of co on is different from that of sugarcane or paddy, wheat or soybean, maize, wheat, paddy etc. Research and development should focus on developing crop specific and agro‐ clima c region specific machines instead of imita ng foreign made machineries. Then only the Indian a g r i c u l t u re ca n b e m e c h a n i ze d effec vely and efficiently. 6. Infrastructural facili es like stable availability of electricity, roads and other transporta on and communica on facili es should be established all over the country so that movement of agricultural machineries, accessories and spare parts can be made easily done. Similarly the farm requirements for seeds, fer lizers, pes cides, insec cides can be reached to every farm and farm products can transported for distribu on and marke ng in various parts of the country and even for export. 7. Thus introducing appropriate farm machineries on‐farm employment can be reduced to the minimum while off farm employment in processing, packing, grading, storing, distribu on, sales, marke ng etc. can be increased. In many developed countries the actual percentage of popula on involved in farming is less than five per cent while more than 75% of the people are involved in agri‐business related off‐ farm employment. 8. Ecological and environmental aspects of our country is of paramount

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Agri-Mechanization and the Law of Inheritance FMBT

Dr. K. T. Chandy He has authored 676 booklets on various topics coming under environment management and agri‐related subjects. He is on the Editorial Board of (Krishi Jagran Media Group.)

PROM, a green chemistry product –Dineshbhai Patel

armada Bio‐chem. Pvt. Ltd. organized a Gram Seva Sahkarisami meet of Tahsil Abhore at Punjab on 9th May and dealer meet at Ahmedabad on 8th May respec vely to create awareness about biofer lizers, its uses and impacts on soil. The company discussed NBCL products range & informed to par cipants that NBCL is one of the leading manufacturers of B I O & chemical fer lizers, micronutrients, soil condi oner, organic manure & water soluble fer lizers. NBCL has introduced BIO‐GOLD and PROM as its innova ve brands in the market. The B I O ‐ G O L D is ideal for integrated nutrients management as well as intensive organic cropping pa ern which is derived from 100% organic ingredients and is registered under F.C.O. The PROM is a green chemistry product of Phosphate Rich Organic Manure enriched with essen al micronutrients. It has moveable organic carbon which improves the www.krishijagran.com

eﬃciency of soil for be er crop produc on growth; N B C L is only company in India which has introduced PROM in its product range. Mr. Dineshbhai Patel, Managing Director of N B C L, addressed the occasion in Punjab & informed that this company has four Organic, Bio & chemical fer lizers manufacturing units with CITY compost. The company is marke ng its products in 11 states of 2015 JUNE

India with annual quan ty of o rga n i c / b i o /c h e m i ca l fe r l i ze rs (indigenous + imported) approx. 8.5 lac MT per annum, he adds. Mr. H C Saxena in Ahmedabad discussed in detailed about soil condi oner and importance of SOIL HEALTH CARD & Bio‐fer lizers whereas Mr. Basudev Roy‐ shared prac cal experience of the PROM & other products of the company. Mr Manubhai Patel, Mr Hemantbhai Patel, (owner of Gajanand Fer lisers), Mr. Gafaji Thakar, Mr Chiragbhai Patel and Mr Rameshbhai Pa t e l , s e c r e t a r i e s / c h a i r m a n o f coopera ve socie es of Kuha, Miroli and Pirana Lat shared the uses of PROM in their ﬁeld and appreciated the result of the product. Mr. Chandartkant Patel owner of M/S Shak Agro Chem and Fer lizers and Mr. Jasvinder Singh sales oﬃcer Hanumangarh thanked par cipants with the slogan of NBCL “Jamin Balvan to Kishan Dhanwan” in both the mee ngs.

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FMBT INTERVIEW

MECHANIZATION IN FOOD PROCESSING IS MAJOR THRUST AREA

he Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR was established in the year 1945. The mandates of the division are: conduc ng strategic research on design and development of technologies &equipment in the areas of Farm Machinery & Power, Agricultural Processing and Structures and food engineering, Protected Cul va on, Soil and Water Engineering and Renewable Energy Sources with extension of technologies to farmers and entrepreneurs. The mandate of the division has further been expanded recently to include conduc ng basic and applied research in food science and technology and food safety related areas. Presently, Dr. K. Alagusundaram is the Deputy Director General of the Agricultural Engineering Division and very well known for his achievements in the areas of food and crop processing technology. Prior to joining as DDG (AE), he served as the Director of Indian Ins tute of Crop Processing Technology (Ministry of Food Processing Industries) which is located at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Dr. K. Alagusundaram obtained his undergraduate Agricultural Engineering degree from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. He obtained one of his Master degree in Farm Power and Machinery from the Asian Ins tute of Technology, Thailand, and another one in food technologies from the University of Manitoba, Canada. He earned his Doctorate degree in Food Process Engineering from the University of Manitoba, Canada. His main focus of work will be crea ng, at several places in the country, NABL accredited Food Tes ng Laboratory, ISO cer ﬁed Food Processing Training cum Business Incuba on Centers and world class research laboratories for research in farm mechaniza on, food processing, renewable energy use in agriculture and soil and water conserva on engineering. In an interview with Agriculture World, Dr. Alagusundaram discussed upon key working

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Dr. K. Alagusundaram Deputy Director General of the Agricultural Engineering Division, ICAR, New Delhi

areas of engineering division, status of mechaniza on in India and signiﬁcance of value addi on in crop produce. Here are the excerpts of the discussion: Agriculture Engineering Division of ICAR is strategic research body established for designing and development of technologies & equipment. How is this division func oning across India? The Agriculture engineering division is func oning as an apex body, undertakes basic, applied and adap ve research leading to development and improvement of equipment, technology, process for crop produc on, postharvest technology &food processing, energy‐use in agriculture and rural industries and irriga on & drainage. We provide lead a huge team of researchers across the country which include 6 R&D ins tutes directly under the administra ve control of the division, 6 All India Coordinated Research Projects (shortly called as AICRPs) and 2 Network Projects all over India. Recently 5 Consor a Research Pla orms (shortly called as CRPs) were also ini ated. With the help of this huge network we plan, coordinate and monitor R&D Programs and serve as an informa on storehouse in Agricultural Engineering. The six Research Ins tutes func oning under the division are: 1. Central Ins tute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Bhopal, 2. Central Ins tute on Post‐Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana 3. Central Ins tute of Research on Co on Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai,

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INTERVIEW FMBT 4.

5. 6.

Na onal Ins tute of Research on Jute & Allied Fiber Technology (NIRJAFT), Kolkata, Indian Ins tute of Natural Resins and Gums (IINRG), Ranchi and Indian Agricultural Sta s cs Research Ins tute (IASRI), New Delhi.

The six All India Coordinated Research Projects are: 1. Post‐Harvest Engineering and Technology 2. Farm Implements & Machinery, 3. Plas culture Engineering and Technology 4. Energy in Agriculture and Agro Based Industry 5. E r g o n o m i c s a n d S a f e t y i n Agriculture, and 6. U liza on of Animal Energy The ﬁve newly launched Consor a Research Pla orms are: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Secondary Agriculture Health Foods Energy from Agriculture Farm Mechaniza on and Precision Farming 5. Natural Fibres The two Net Work Projects are: 1.

Harvest, Processing and Value Addi on of Natural Resins and Gums

Conserva on of Lac Insect Gene c Resources

Farm mechaniza on in India is s ll in its early stages. In the global scenario India is s ll lower than United States, Western Europe, Russia, Brazil and China. India stands on the 8th posi on at the interna onal level. During last two decades, we have achieved just 5 % growth. The average farm machinery availability is s ll very low in the country compared to our neighbor country, China. Increasing costs and shrinking popula ons of farm labourers make farming in India less remunera ve. The shortage of labourers during peak seasons of harvest, sowing and land prepara on causes farming opera ons un mely leading to lower yields and crop losses. It is also impera ve that primary and secondary processing opera ons need to be done by the producers and on the farm sites. Mechaniza on of such post‐harvest unit opera ons for numerous crops need to introduced in our farms to make the farming proﬁtable. For the staple crops like wheat and rice, harves ng and threshing opera ons have been mechanized to the level of 60‐70 %, while for other crops the mechaniza on level is less than 5 %. Farm mechaniza on has become a dire necessity in view of signiﬁcant reduc on in supply of labor for agricultural opera ons during peak seasons. The agricultural opera ons like seeding, crop care and harves ng of cereals and hor cultural crops are on

top priority for the farmers. But mechaniza on of these opera ons is s ll not up to the level of farmers' expecta ons. Farmers need complete mechaniza on package for major crops. The benefit of hi‐tech, affordable and hi‐produc ve agricultural machinery should be passed to farmers through c re a o n o f h u bs fo r s u c h fa r m equipment. It does not necessarily mean we do not have such technologies. The con nuous research efforts over several decades by our scien sts in our own ins tutes and the AICRP centers in State Agricultural Universi es have resulted numerous technologies that are suitable to Indian farmers. These need to be taken to the farmer in a way he understands the benefit of using such machinery for farming and post‐ harvest opera ons. Our division proposes to take up the ac vity of popularizing our technologies on a Mission Mode so the benefit our research reaches the farmer in meaningful ways. Although India is agricultural country but its farm holding is mostly small so how can a small farmer afford the expense of costly farm machinery? First thing, I want to say small holding is not an issue in adop ng the machinery for farming and post‐harvest opera ons. The focus of our research efforts is mainly on crea ng useful technologies for small to medium farm

These ins tutes, AICRPs, CRPs and Net Work projects are spread across the country in more than 120 loca ons. Our main mission is to develop and introduce need‐based and region‐ specific engineering technologies to achieve sustainable enhanced produc vity and profitability of different farming systems. Farmer are the important clientele for us and we create technologies suitable to small and medium farm holders. We offer numerous hands on training programs to producers in our ins tutes and t h ro u g h o u r A I C R P s , C R P s a n d Network projects. What is the current scenario of farm mechaniza on in India? www.krishijagran.com

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FMBT INTERVIEW holders. Usefulness of a machinery in small farms, affordability by small farmers, meliness of opera ons and sustainability of such technology over long periods of me are the major common base on which we conduct research. Of course, we have not ignored large farms, in several of our centers research also focuses on inven ng new technologies for large farms too. Generally, awareness about the farm machinery is very li le and we need to make farmers know of the developments in farm mechaniza on and post‐harvest processing. In many instances, when farmers are unable to purchase and use some of these machinery due to prohibi ve costs, we may support it by allowing them to rent the machinery through co‐opera ve machinery hiring centers. Apart from this, the Government has launched a major program called" Sub‐mission on Agricultural Mechaniza on (SMAM)" to promote the usage of farm machines and increase the farm power availability up to 2.0 kW/ha. The major objec ves of this Mission are to increase the reach of farm mechaniza on to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low and to create awareness among stakeholders through demonstra on and capacity building ac vi es. In order to offset the adverse economics of scale arising due to small land holdings and high cost of individual ownership, the mission also aims to promote custom hiring centers and high‐tech hubs and high value farm equipment. The farmers economic status can be improved upon only if he value adds his crop and brings to market than selling it raw. During harvest seasons due to glut in the market, o en, there are no buyers for the produce and the farmers are forced to sell them at low‐ low prices or throw them on the streets. Value addi on does not mean huge investments. Small and marginal farmers can easily afford to have small primary processing centers and rural pack houses so they can value add and

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sell at a good margin of profit. Our ins tutes and AICRP centers work towards iden fying technologies for post‐harvest primary and secondary processing that are of low cost and can easily be replicated by producers. We are giving a complete solu on of mechaniza on and food processing at different stages from seed sowing to marke ng of produce through our 'Capacity Building and Incuba on Program' which aims at entrepreneur‐ ship and enterprise development across India. Food processing training cum incuba on center needs to be created at numerous places in the country so the producers, their women and rural youth are offered hands on training on processing and value addi on. This will help in new co age level food processing business ventures in rural areas. Such ventures by farmers will have mul variate benefits such as: · The farmer will get a be er return from his produce which is value added · The post‐harvest loss due to poor handling and transporta on will get eliminated to greater food products will be available for marke ng locally and interna ‐ onally · This is a wonderful way of crea ng greater employment opportuni es in rural India Currently, we are working on crea ng food processing training cum incuba on centers in five different places in the country. If funds become available these must be replicated at the rate of a minimum of one in each State to begin with. What is the scope of food processing in India? What ini a ves have been taken by government for its promo‐ on?

food industries should also come into play. These large scale urban industries may take the minimally processed foods from rural industries as their raw material for further processing. Several Mega Food Parks are coming up in the country. New ventures on medium to large scale food processing can be ini ated in these mega food parks. To meet the na onal and interna ‐ o n a l s afet y sta n d a rd s o u r fo o d i n d u st r i e s m u st a d o p t to g o o d manufacturing prac ces including proper implementa on of HACCP rules. The safety and quality of the processed and raw foods need to be tested periodically and labelled appropriately for the buyer to examine. Food quality tes ng laboratories need also to be established at many places in the country to help the newly coming up food industries. Our Division, using the financial support from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, offers supports for crea ng food quality tes ng laboratories. For new food quality tes ng laboratories or for expansion of exis ng one the project offers up to 50% of costs on equipment and up to 35% of cost on infrastructure. There is a need to set up food processing units in villages as only 2.2 per cent farmers are beneficiaries of such ac vi es. This should be increased to more than 6 per cent to generate 4.21 lakh jobs for rural youth. Due to the research efforts of ICAR and State Agricultural Universi es we have achieved a tremendous growth in food produc on. Now is the me we focus on reducing our post‐harvest losses, value add our farm produce, make the farmer get greater income and make more food available for consump on.

Processed food will play a major role in future and soon "Kitchen‐less homes" are going to be a reality. India has to see the crea on of as many food processing industries in rural India so a minimum of 50% of our producer are processed and value added on the farm sites. In addi on to the rural food processing industries, large scale urban

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Farm Mechanization in India: Changing Scenario and the Way Forward FMBT

FARM MECHANIZATION IN INDIA Changing Scenario and the Way Forward To make the cost of machinery affordable and to make them available to all farmers, Govt. has launched a credit-linked subsidy scheme for establishment of farm machinery banks and hi-tech high productive equipment hub for custom hiring for increasing the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low; and promoting 'Custom Hiring Centers' to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership. Farm mechaniza on scenario India is in the early stages of evolu on as far as mechaniza on is concerned. The country is driving towards greater mechaniza on due to labour shortages and pressure to boost produc vity. Because, labour shortage was not a big issue a few years ago, therefore, big move towards mechaniâ&#x20AC;? za on is going to come only in the future. It increased in recent years due to the rural employment guarantee www.krishijagran.com

scheme and migra on to urban areas. Farm mechaniza on in India has come a long way during the last 60 years and s ll there is tremendous scope as it is required in every unit opera on of agricultural produc on, post harvest, food processing and rural living. Farmers, policy makers and developmental agencies now realize that for raising farm produc vity at reduced unit cost of produc on, 2015 JUNE

mechaniza on is essen al. From the economic point of view human labour on farm sector becomes a liability rather than asset. With increasing labour wages and agriculture produce market prices, farmers, specially, the medium and large ones are looking for labour saving devices to remain compe ve. As demand for farm mechaniza on is escala ng and it is almost becoming the today's farm necessity, mechaniza on has come to centre stage with the globaliza on of world markets. The total power availability on Indian farms has increased from 0.293 to 1.841 kW/ha at a CAGR of 4.58% during the last forty one years. The overall mechaniza on level in India is only 40â&#x20AC;?45% even though 90% of the total farm power is contributed by mechanical and electrical power sources. Even though farm mechaniza on shows an increasing trend, there are wide ranging dispari es

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FMBT Farm Mechanization in India: Changing Scenario and the Way Forward in the levels of mechaniza on across states. Northern states such as Punjab, Haryana and western U ar Pradesh have achieved a faster growth in mechaniza on. Mechaniza on in Western and Southern states of the country viz. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and certain areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh etc., has increased with the increase in area under irriga on and also with the growing awareness among farmers. Changing scenario In India, it has been more of tractoriza on, while farm mechaniz‐ a on in the sense of small machinery has largely been un‐tapped but now the scenario has changed. The Indian tractor industry is the largest in the world and accounts for one third of global produc on. The sale of tractors has grown at a CAGR of 10.64% from 217,456 in 2001‐02 to 661,431 in 2012‐ 13 during the last 11 years. The Indian tractor market has tradi onally been dominated by 23‐30 kW tractor segment. The increasing trend of sale of more than 30 kW tractors indicates that requirement of higher power category tractors increased for using higher capacity machines on custom hiring basis. Shi towards higher HP tractors The tractor market is moving towards higher HP. The move has been happening for the past few years. In 2005, 4‐5 per cent of the total industry was higher HP i.e., above 48 HP. In 2013‐14, the domes c tractor industry volumes were about 6.35 lakh and of which above 48 HP tractors accounted for 16 per cent. So, we can clearly see there is a shi towards higher HP. As there is shortage of farm labour, the need for greater mechaniza on arises. As you move to more mechaniza on, e.g., use of rotavator, higher HP tractors play vital role for the implements to work more eﬀec vely. Also, farmers

start experiencing new implements, they see various beneﬁts such as higher produc vity. This is now becoming a movement which is catching on very quickly. We have seen shi towards use of implements in the past 2‐3 years and hence increasing interest in higher HP segment. We are not saying this trend or shi is going to happen overnight. We see that is the future and that will happen as we go forward. The high subsidies up to 50% provided by the government are expected to encourage large number of farmers to purchase these implements in coming years. Government infrastructure The Government infrastructure under State Agro Industries Corpora ons has been helping in making small farm machineries available to farmers by the following ways: (I) providing the knowhow and demonstra ng the machinery to farmers (ii) Supplying the machinery on demand as well as through various promo on schemes (iii) Providing a er sales service, repair and maintenance through farm machinery service centers Op mizing usage of machinery India's small farms usually do not present an economic condi on to permit the extensive use of agricultural machinery. Given the constraint of limited days usage of machinery, the opera onal and capital costs may be

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op mized for the farmers by making the machinery available to the farmers on custom hiring. Thus, even small farmers may be able to get the benefit of agricultural mechaniza on. Se ng up custom hiring services will be able to provide the machinery on need basis to the small and medium farmers. Credit availability In higher HP segment, availability of finance is not a constraint. In this category, the buyers are the upper economic strata of the farming community. But in the lower segment it is c h a llen g in g . B eca u s e fi n a n c e companies are wary that buyer doesn't have enough collateral to offer for loans and uncertain income flows. Also, their ability to pay back becomes an issue in the event of crop failures. Custom Hiring Centres The transforma on of mechaniz‐ a on scenario is inevitable. The challenge is to manage the gradual and evolu onary transforma on with minimum social costs. The investment capacity of majority of the farmers is poor. These farmers cannot own expensive farm power units and machinery. However, they are making use of modern technology like combine harvester, llage equipment and plan ng/sowing machinery through custom hiring. This has helped them to improve the meliness of opera on, to increase land produc vity and increase economic returns. India's granaries like Punjab and Haryana have set an example by establishing “Custom Hiring www.krishijagran.com

Farm Mechanization in India: Changing Scenario and the Way Forward FMBT agriculture machinery and equipment; Establishment of farm machinery banks for custom hiring; Establishing hi‐tech produc ve equipment centres to target low produc ve agricultural regions and a s s i s t a n c e fo r i n c r e a s i n g f a r m mechaniza on. Centers”. Diversiﬁca on of agriculture, need for and introduc on of new machines and the trend among the farmers to use increasingly larger tractors will vastly expand the scope for custom hiring of farm equipment because in future mul farm use will be the only way to keep the opera ng cost of farm equipment at a reasonable level. Mechaniza on in 12th Plan In order to lay special emphasis on farm mechaniza on and to bring more inclusiveness, a dedicated Sub‐Mission on Agricultural Mechaniza on (SMAM) for the XII Plan (2012‐17) has been launched. S M A M puts 'Small & Marginal Farmers' at the core of the interven ons with a special emphasis on 'reaching the unreached', i.e. bringing farm mechaniza on to those villages where the technologies deployed are decades old. Besides, the mission is also catering to 'adverse economies of scale' by promo ng 'Custom Hiring Services' through 'the rural entrepreneurship' model. The Mission is catalyzing an accelerated but inclusive growth of agricultural mechaniza on and providing assistance for Promo on and strengthening of agricultural mechaniza on through training, tes ng and demonstra on; Post harvest technology and management; Procurement of selected

To make the cost of machinery affordable and to make them available to all farmers, Govt. has launched a credit‐linked subsidy scheme for establishment of farm machinery banks and hi‐tech high produc ve equipment hub for custom hiring for increasing the reach of farm mechaniza on to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low; and promo ng 'Custom Hiring Centers' to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership. Farm Machinery Banks are promo‐ ng mechaniza on in districts with low farm power availability, facilita ng hiring services of various agricultural machinery/implements applied for different farm opera ons, expanding mechanized ac vi es during cropping seasons in large areas especially in small and marginal holdings, and introducing improved/ newly developed agricultural implements and machines in crop produc on. Hi‐Tech, High Produc ve Equipment Hubs are promo ng u liza on of hi‐tech, high value machines for higher produc vity, providing hiring services for various high value crop specific machines applied for different opera ons, expanding mechanized ac vi es during cropping seasons to cover large areas, and involving manufacturers for se ng up of such centres.

Fading interest in farming Sadly, interest is fading among the young genera on. But that is mainly due to lack of infrastructure such as power in rural areas. Also, stability of earning is one big factor in this as they tend to compare earning poten al with other jobs. But we should generate and sustain the interest in farming ac vi es among youngsters. But how will they get mo vated when the human energy and the me spent on farming never valued in the present economic system. A cul vator does not even get paid for his own labour. Why huge number of unemployed youth are migra ng to ci es? They would say, “It is be er to go for rag‐picking or daily labour in the city rather than working in a farm.” India there is a caste connota on to agriculture as something of low caste. Message to farmers The mo va on to mechanize is primarily driven by a wish to increase a family's food security, increase household income, or improve the quality of life. I suggest farmers may fully use custom hiring services and reap significant economic and social benefits. The economic benefits will include increasing the efficiency of labour, reducing costs, increasing the area cul vated, undertaking more mely produc on, improving the quality of cul va on, increasing yields, adop ng crop diversifica on, reducing harvest and post‐harvest losses, and earning a rental income through hiring farm‐power services to others. The social benefits include reducing drudgery and workloads (par cularly for women), improving safety, gaining pres ge, and encouraging younger and more innova ve people to remain in rural areas and work on the land.

Dr. Kanchan Kumar Singh Assistant Director General (Engineering) Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India www.krishijagran.com

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FMBT Customer Response and Banking Solutions

CUSTOMER RESPONSE AND BANKING SOLUTIONS As a Bank we have mapped our vehicle loan customer's database of selected geographies with the various credit bureaus to understand their ﬁnancial needs, credit behaviour and future offerings. With this approach we are able to understand the geography better and offering the products which suits them instead of opening multiple pockets and increasing the risk.

inancial products act as a savings/ investment avenue and provide the required financial security/ stability to the customer. In past, tradi onal financial products were offered in India through government ini a ves by Public Sector Banks (deposit/ credit account), Life Insurance Corpora on (LIC) and India Post (Recurring Deposit, Na onal Saving Cer ficate, Kisan Vikas

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Patra). As a result of liberaliza on of financial services industry, diverse financial products are being offered now by Public/ Private Sector en es, like Debit and Credit cards, Mutual Funds, Exchange Traded Funds, Index Funds, Systema c Investment Plans (SIP) etc., life and non‐life insurance schemes, pension plans, children educa on plans etc.

AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

As a result, the compe ve intensity is rising through innova ve and customized products, regulatory ini a ves and marke ng ac vi es in t h e fi n a n c i a l s e c to r, l e a d i n g to satura on in the urban markets. Financial Ins tu ons are now looking at the rural markets to maintain the growth momentum. A number of ini a ves by Regulator & Govt. have led to rapid expansion of Banking network in rural areas, like financial inclusion and at least 25% of their branches in rural pockets, mandatory. Concurrently, rural incomes are rising and there is a need for financial literacy to help them manage these funds. Banks have to follow differen ated strategies in urban and rural areas due to diverse demographic and socio‐economic nature of these markets. Private banks are densely www.krishijagran.com

Customer Response and Banking Solutions FMBT focussed on urban areas in terms of branches, ATMs, net banking, phone banking, DSAs, call centres, etc. Now, Private sector banks are expanding into the rural areas also, by opening more branches/ ATMs and through the Business Facilitator (BF) model or Business Correspondent (BC) model. Our approach: We as a Bank have a vision of being Customer‐responsive, striving at all mes to collaborate with clients in providing solu ons for their Banking needs. We have 25% of our branches in Rural pockets, and a complete product‐ bouquet for mee ng most of the needs of rural customers. As a step to accomplish Bank's vision and Regulatory requirement, Indus Kisan (KCC) Scheme was launched for the farmers for their short‐term and long‐ term credit needs through single‐ window system for undertaking Agri and Agriculture and allied ac vi es. Similarly, gold‐loans and vehicle‐ finance loans (two‐wheelers, tractors, four‐wheelers, LCVs etc.) are also being offered as “Off the Shelf” products to meet customers' requirements. In addi on, liability products (savings account, fixed deposits etc.) have also been designed as per the requirement of rural populace, thus offering compete bouquet of banking services in rural areas. This is a win‐win situa on for the Bank as well as customers as our rural branches are becoming viable and customers in turn are ge ng prompt, door‐step service for key products.

We have taken steps to promote fi n a n c i a l l i te ra c y a n d to c re ate awareness about different financial products. Financial Literacy Camps conducted for promo ng Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was a big step towards that goal and similar approach will be con nued in future as well for effec ve delivery of banking products. The marke ng /promo on a p p ro a c h to b e ta ke n fo r r u ra l popula on should be different as compared to their urban counterparts. This is due to the major differences in percep on of financial products of the rural popula on. Therefore, asset as well as liability products have been customised as per the requirement of a par cular geography and demand. Risk assessment of the households in the semi‐urban and rural areas is one

Harvesting Robot with 3 D framework will be tested and used in the “futureTheseries of harvesting robots, aiming on faster and more accurate harvesting cycle times. ”

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of the major hurdles for companies offering financial products in the rural areas. Credit bureaus or credit informa on companies could be instrumental in filling this informa on gap and would help small investors to access various financial products at fair prices. As a Bank we have mapped our vehicle loan customer's database of selected geographies with the various credit bureaus to understand their financial needs, credit behaviour and future offerings. With this approach we are able to understand the geography be er and offering the products which suits them instead of opening mul ple pockets and increasing the risk. Prabhat Chaturvedi Head ‐ Agribusiness IndusInd Bank Ltd

n coopera on with Harvard University, a framework is developed for the mo on control of harvest robots. By adding a camera to the end‐effector of a robot, visual informa on can be used whilst the robot is moving towards the target. Addi onally a three‐dimensional reconstruc on of the scene can be made. During the past 4 years a sweet‐pepper harves ng robot was developed in the European project CROPS. However it turned out that implemented approach was not yet op mal for recognizing all fruit. This approach only analyzed a single perspec ve, a er which path planning guides the robot blindly to the target. Unfortunately a single viewpoint is not sufficient to obtain enough informa on about the crop. In the new framework an alterna ve approach is implemented that should solve this problem. For this the plant is first scanned from mul ple perspec ves. A er this the robot is moved towards the fruit incrementally, in each step using images from the end‐effector to correct its pose. 2015 JUNE

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FMBT INTERVIEW

HONDA AGRI-PRODUCTS ARE COST EFFECTIVE, FUEL EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY

r. Basant Kumar is AGM and Product Head of Honda Siel Power Products Ltd (HSPP), a subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Japan on PAN India basis. He is graduated in Mechanical Engineering and having Masters in Business Administra on. He is an astute professional with 23 years of quality experience in Sales & Marke ng, Strategic Planning, Business Development, New product Launches, Dealer/ O E M development & Management, significant experience in managing project opera ons etc. in the field of machinery sector. He is also working on other projects to bring quality products for Indian farmers to increase farm produc vity. These new products will also have BIS and FMTTI Cer ficates and to be available under different government schemes for Farm Mechaniza on. Honda Siel Power Products Ltd. is wholly engaged in the manufacturing and marke ng of Portable Generators, Water Pumps, General Purpose Engines, Lawn Mowers, Brush Cu ers, Tillers and Back Pack Sprayers. The company is well known in the Indian market to provide environment friendly high quality products. It is ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 14001 cer fied Company. Mr. Kumar is instrumental in increasing Company Product range by focusing on increasing growth in Farm Mechaniza on in India . During his leadership, he has introduced different range of Fuel Efficient OHV Irriga on Water Pumps, Power Weeder and HTP and Back Pack Sprayers. Agriculture World team discussed the progress of the company. Here are the excerpts of the discussion:

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Mr. Basant Kumar AGM and Product Head, Honda Siel Power Products Ltd

Congratula ons, Sir, for reaching your company to the heights, where it is today? Kindly share with us the insights you gained from your business mantra of achievements? Well, I would like to say that our philosophy is “Respect for individuals” and Ensure three joys of life for them. These are: "Joy of buying for the customer, Joy of selling for the Distributors & Dealers and “Joy of crea ng” for manufacturers. Further we, at Honda are working with the mo o “Helping People Get Things Done “ by providing quality products at affordable price. He con nued further, “We have gained prominence through our ceaseless innova on and commitment to offer the best products to our customers. We also work with a sense of responsibility to the environment: related to pollu on or noise control. Our Gensets confirm to latest CPCB norms of GOI. Narra ng the growth of the company from the beginning to the present Mr. Kumar explained that Honda Siel Power Products Limited is basically a power products manufacturing company. We are the leader in the power products industry. We are manufacturing and marke ng a range of Portable Generators, Water Pumps and General Purpose Engines at its state‐of‐art manufacturing facili es at Greater Noida. We are also engaged in marke ng of Lawn mowers, Brush Cu ers, Long tailed out‐board motors and Power Tillers.

AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

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INTERVIEW FMBT India is basically known for diesel pump set and non self priming pumpset market but Honda had brought the innova ve Self Priming technology in pumpset and created new market and happy customers across country who beneﬁ ed by Easy Opera on due to this technology. This has solved the water leakage problem and also removed the need of Foot valves. Because of this technology, pump also become compact and portable (Weight not more than 32 Kg) even one person can li or carry the pump. Our innova on changed the whole concept and also reduced the extra human hands required for carrying heavy diesel pumpsets. The focus was to conserve the water and save labour for other agri related work. Now a farmer can carry the pump sets even on the carrier of the cycle. We understand the focus of Honda towards the Farm Products and the product range in boos ng the morale of the Indian farmers. Would you like to highlight the salient features of these products ? Mr Kumar enthusias cally con nued the discussion, "A er

Honda Backpack Sprayer 'WJR 2525'

farm machinery business with the products useful for the small and marginal farmers. We understood the need of the farmers thru survey –they need products having light weight (Portable), Less Fuel consump on and Less running cost ,Easy to operate and Less maintenance . Presently, we are providing to our farmers Honda Pumpsets range from 1.5HP to 5 HP, Honda Rotary Tiller 'FJ 500', Honda Backpack Sprayer 'WJR 2525' and Honda Brush Cu er. All these products are very light weighted, cost effec ve and very efficient. And moreover, the subsidy is also available under different Government Schemes" Highligh ng further the company`s ability, Mr. Kumar con nued, “We are leading engineering solu ons provider company. We always provide need based product to our farmers”. Regarding development of the Farm Machinery, Mr Kumar narrated a

Honda Rotary Tiller 'FJ 500'

remaining 15 years in glory of power generator business, in 2000 we realized that India is Agricultural country and the farmers are having small and marginal land holdings. To have good technologies from that point of view, we thought of entering into the ﬁeld of Honda Pump set 'WB 30X''WBK30FF' www.krishijagran.com

story, “In our programs of interac on with the farmers in UP, in Kashmir and in some districts of southern states of India I myself had witnessed that the soil condi ons are different from each other. Honda Rotary Tiller for removing grass surroundings the trees is very useful but I saw in the Kashmir where the soil was hard with small and big stones the farmers were struggling to clear the surrounding of the apple trees. With the change in the teeth size and strength we were able to solve that problem as well and we were able to capture a good market in Kashmir. With the introduc on of accessories we were able to make our Tiller as mul purpose machine. This product was firstly made for removing the grass from field but

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Honda Brush Cu er

a er some me, on farmers demand we have developed customized accessories for this machine. Now this machine can be used for lling, leveling, weeding and for ridges or furrow forma on. It is fully customized and depending on crop spacing and ﬁeld its size can be reduced from 3 to 1.5 . This rotary ller is meant for small farmers and for their small piece of land. Beside this it is portable and farmer can easily carry this machine from place to place. We are ge ng good feedback from the farmers on this product. The cost of this machine is Rs. 85000/‐. Subsidy available to farmers under Agriculture and Hor culture Departments under Farm Mechaniza‐ on Scheme up to 50% of the Cost.” He con nued further, “For Plant

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Innovations those Changed the Farm Mechanization FMBT

INNOVATIONS THOSE CHANGED THE FARM MECHANIZATION

“

It is the basic strength and creativity of our farmers that has made India the agriculture powerhouse that it is today.

owever, innova on is a two‐ way street, especially when we are dealing with natural resources management. Even though we have a large and sophis cated agricultural research system manned by highly qualiﬁed scien sts and researchers, they depend on the wisdom and knowledge of our farming community to adapt technol‐ ogy to local needs and condi ons. The spirit of innova on is on display in India's agriculture sector more than anywhere else the world. With a popula on of over 600 million people being supported by the sector, and given the spectrum of well‐known constraints challenging its perform‐ ance, the successes of India's agricul‐ ture are the greatest tes mony to the immense crea vity and innova ve and www.krishijagran.com

”

enterprising spirit of its farmers. Innova on is intrinsic to agricul‐ ture. Ever since humans discovered the technique of mul plying wild seeds into food and other products, an unbreak‐ able rela onship between agriculture and crea vity was born. Here are few selected examples. Modiﬁed Rice Drum Seeder developed by Shri Laxman Baburao of Maharashtra. The modiﬁed equipment sowed 4 lines at a me, using tyres of a

cycle instead of the steel wheels. This reduced the weight considerably and made the equipment much more navigable and easy to use. It has a 9 inch line and a hole 2 inches above that. The modiﬁed drum seeder was designed during May, 2009 and put to use in his own village Vadap on an area of 3 hectares during June, 2009, besides area of 12 hectares in nearby villages viz. Sapele, Gaurkamat, Salokh, Ashivali, Dahigaon, Posari. Currently, farmers in nearby villages have sown rice with drum seeder on an area of more than 250 acres. A total of 50 Drum Seeders were manufactured by the Farmer under the guidance of Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth University Scien sts and sold in nearby villages. He sells each drum at a price of Rs. 3500 and makes a net proﬁt of nearly Rs. 1000 per drum. A d va n c e d Fa r m F i e l d To o l s innovated by Shri Jayavant H Wadekar,

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FMBT Innovations those Changed the Farm Mechanization

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Innovations those Changed the Farm Mechanization FMBT

Chander Mohan Senior Execu ve Editor Krishi Jagran Media Group, New Delhi

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FMBT Traditional Practices of Meghalaya to Face Climate Change

Bamboo shoot on sale on road from Tura to Baghmara, Garo Hills: a destruc ve prac ce

Traditional Practices of Meghalaya to Face Climate Change The Institute for Development Initiatives, New Delhi undertook a study on the relevance of traditional knowledge of Meghalaya documenting five practices of the tribal people of Meghalaya. These related mainly to the water, aquatic and biodiversity sectors. The case studies were of a sacred forest, a bamboo drinking water supply systems, a spring rejuvenation and protection activity, sustainable fish rearing and harvesting practices and a living root bridge. Climate Change Adapta on: Promise and Reality Climate change is one of the major challenges affec ng the agricultural sector not only in India but also all over the world. The most commonly accepted defini on of this phenome‐ non is the change of climate that alters the composi on of the global atmosph‐ ere, directly or indirectly resul ng from human ac vity. This change is in

addi on to natural climate variability that occurs at different me periods.¹ Climate change is a sta s cally significant varia on in either the mean state of the climate or its variability, persis ng for an extended period. Though agriculture and rural communi es, par cularly the tribal people do not contribute to climate altering ac vi es, they are the major sufferers of the change in terms of loss

¹United Na ons Framework Conven on on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ²Government of India, Prime Minister's Council for Climate Change, Na onal Ac on Plan for Climate Change, p.6

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of produc vity, livelihoods and health. How to adapt to climate change is very much on the global and na onal development agenda. The Na onal Ac on Plan for Climate Change(NAPCC) and State Ac on Plans of Climate change of several State Governments have set the goal of climate change sensi ve, inclusive and sustainable development, protec ng the poor and vulnerable sec ons of society. The ac on plans have charted a slew of measures to mi gate the eﬀects of climate change through measures that enhance ecological sustainability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pu ng into prac ce cost eﬀec ve demand side management, developing appropriate technologies for both mi ga on and adapta on and evolving new market and regulatory mechani‐ sms for the measures planned under NAPCC.² Though the achieve‐ment of this na onal goal supposedly involves www.krishijagran.com

Traditional Practices of Meghalaya to Face Climate Change FMBT “many proac ve measures that can substan ally reduce many of the adverse impacts of climate variability and contribute to livelihood security of the vulnerable rural popula on” transla on of such noble goals into meaningful ac on is yet to take shape. Ac ons aiming at “adapta on to climate change” should involve adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected clima c s muli or their eﬀects.³ Tradi onal Knowledge can help Adapt to Climate Change While lo y and science based plans are prepared (and mostly remain on paper), it is o en forgo en that people have lived with climate change since a long me and have developed various low cost coping mechanisms against the v a g a r i e s o f t h e w e a t h e r. S u c h tradi onal knowledge is a collec ve asset developed over centuries, passing on from genera on to genera on in the form of stories, folklore and local culture. Though some of these coping mechanisms may be ineﬀec ve against t h e c l i m ate c h a n ge i n d u c e d by industrial and urban ac vity, they would be the most obvious and accessible choice for the resource poor people living in remote rural areas. Tradi onal knowledge is important not only for preserva on of biological diversity but also for adapta on to climate change.⁴

global warming is becoming manifest through extensive deforesta on⁵, changes in the hydrological cycle, river hydrology and ground water regime following the reduc on in rainfall and changes in the pa ern of rainfall, coal mining, sand quarrying and consequ‐ ent silta on and disappearance of several perennial streams and natural springs. Contamina on by indiscrimi‐ nate discharge of untreated municipal effluents and dumping of garbage threaten the water bodies. These are leading to scarcity of drinking water and ex nc on of aqua c species. It is an irony that this water rich stat is facing drought like situa ons in some seasons. Climate change is also affec ng the biodiversity of Meghalaya along with other regions in the North‐East. Case studies of Tradi onal prac ces relevant for climate resilience The Ins tute for Development Ini a ves, New Delhi undertook a study o n t h e re l eva n c e o f t ra d i o n a l knowledge of Meghalaya documen ng five prac ces of the tribal people of Meghalaya. These related mainly to the water, aqua c and biodiversity sectors⁶. The case studies were of a sacred forest, a bamboo drinking water supply systems, a spring rejuvena on and protec on ac vity, sustainable fish

rearing and harves ng prac ces and a living root bridge. Sacred Forest of Mawphlang, East Khasi Hills The 500 year old sacred forest at Mawphlang, termed as nature's

Monolith dedicated to god of Mawphlang forest

museum, is a green island in a land scape of barren hills that were once verdant forests. It hosts a diversity of plant and animal species. It is managed by tradi onal village ins tu on that is spearheading the green movement and drawing strength and protec on from customary beliefs and prac ces. The forest is considered as the abode of the supreme tribal God and no one dares to take even a twig out of the forest. It is the source of the excellent ground water regime around and ensures that the local streams ﬂow with pure r u n n i n g wate r p e re n n i a l l y. T h e marriage of science and tradi onal

Climate Change in Meghalaya Meghalaya is part of the Indo‐ Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, one of 34 such hotspots across the world, with an es mated forest cover of about 8,500 sq. km, abundant water resources (Cherrapunji being one of the we est regions on planet earth). The economy of the State and the livelihoods of the people are highly dependent on natural resources and climate sensi ve sectors like agriculture and forestry. In this paradise on earth also the eﬀects of

Living root bridge in Riwai village East Khasi hills

³UN University, h p://unu.edu/publica ons/ar cles/why‐tradi onal‐knowledge‐holds‐the‐key‐to‐climate‐change.html ⁴UN Conven on on Biological Diversity deﬁnes tradi onal (indigenous/local) knowledge as the knowledge, innova ons and prac ces of indigenous and local communi es represen ng tradi onal lifestyles that are of importance forthe preserva on and sustainable use of biological diversity. ⁵As per Government sta s cs the forest area of Meghalaya has reduced from over 69% to 63% during the 15 year period prior to 2005. ⁶The study was commissioned by the Water and Climate Resilience Program of Global Water Partnership South Asia, in associa on with Global Water Partnership –India (India Water Partnership). A documentary ﬁlm on the cases was also produced, which can be viewed on the website www.cwp‐india.org. For more details contact at email idiindia@gmail.com.

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FMBT Traditional Practices of Meghalaya To Face Climate Change

Local poet‐musician singing praise of Mawphlang sacred forest

Threatened species of ﬁsh thrive in this community managed ﬁsh reservoir

wisdom is manifested through the support provided by the forest department for the revival of some of the over 100 iden ﬁed sacred forests of the State, many renowned botanists using the forest as a living laboratory, the ancient trees of the forest providing seed material for new forest planta ons and the forest being selected as the ﬁrst Registered pilot project in India for carbon credit.

boulders, which provided excellent breeding ground for the fish. They nourished the fish local leaves and herbs. The fish popula on began to grow and when it stabilized, fishing through angling was allowed for domes c use and for the use of the sick as this par cular variety fish is believed to have excellent therapeu c proper‐ es. The Government later pitched in with construc ng a low height water reservoir, which allowed the movement of fish upstream for breeding. Today the sanctuary bubbles with fish and the government is replica ng the experiment by establishing fish sanctuaries across the state. The relevance to climate change adapta on is the fact that tradi onal knowledge and leadership can serve as the spring board for ac ons that kill natural resources through crippling human interven ons.

Fish Sanctuary of Nongbareh, West Jain a Hills The fish sanctuary at Nongbareh in East Khasi Hills was ini ated by the tradi onal leadership of the village to tackle the problem of deple on of the local species of fish (chocolate mahseer) due to deple on of local river due to human ac vi es like mining, excessive diversion of water from the river, fishing through destruc ve means, washing clothes dumping garbage etc. The village council put an end to mining, cu ng down trees from the catchment, fishing through using toxic chemical and dynamite etc. The built boulder checks along a 1 km stretch of the river bank and erected crude a check dam using stones and

Mawlyngbna village has five permanent springs, which benefit a cluster of four villages. One of the springs is believed to have therapeu c proper es. Here again human ac vi es like dumping garbage, disposal of sewer and wastewater and deforesta on of the catchments contaminated the springs. Realizing the harmful effect of such ac vi es on the water resources, the village leadership has ini ated ac on to revive the springs to their pris ne purity and glory. With the support of the Meghalaya basin development authority plans are afoot to start the first mineral water bo ling plant of Meghalaya, using modern methods of water purifica on and bo ling. If successful, this will be another marriage of science and tradi onal wisdom, which will have tremendous implicat‐ ions for climate change adapta on. Water Conveyance through Bamboo pipes in West Garo Hills Sibbari village of West Garo hills depend solely on natural springs for their drinking water needs. They use split bamboo pipes to bring water from source to their homes for domes c use and for use of the children of the village's primary schools. It may be men oned that a tributary of the Singsang River passes through the village and they use country boats to cross the river in the absence of a bridge. Mud roads and footpaths, constructed under the employment guarantee programme, are the main social infrastructure of this backward village, beside the primary school. Iron pipes were brought to the village for supply of drinking water under Government's drinking water supply prgramme, but they are s ll rus ng in

Natural springs of village

Revival of Natural Springs at Mawlyngbna, East Khasi Hills

Fish caught through angling in village ﬁsh sanctuary. All other forms of ﬁshing are strictly prohibited

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Natural springs have been the main source of drinking water in several villages in Meghalaya. Even today the springs are the lifeline of many villages in the North east where the govern‐ ment drinking water supply program‐ mes have failed to provide assured drinking water supply to the people.

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Water brought to school tank through bamboo pipes in Sibbari village, West Gro Hills www.krishijagran.com

Traditional Practices of Meghalaya To Face Climate Change FMBT

A country canoe is the only means of crossing this torren al river in Sibbari

Dr. Joseph Viruthiyel Bamboo made Viewing point at Riwai: a panoramic view of Bangladesh plains can be seen from here www.krishijagran.com

2015 JUNE

Honorary Director, Ins tute for Development Ini a ve, New Delhi

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FMBT Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportunities

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT

AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES Today, the biggest challenge before Indian agriculture is to make it sustainable and proﬁtable. This will be possible only by reducing cost of cul va on, through enhanced input use eﬃciency and by higher returns to the farmers through use of appropriate produc on technologies, value addi on by establishing agro‐processing industries in produc on catchments and adop ng loss preven on measures. Such an approach would also generate backward and forward linkages for farmers and provide gainful employment to rural youth. It has been shown that 15‐20 % increase in produc vity and reduc on in cost of cul va on can be achieved through engineering interven ons. It is in this context that technology led entrepreneurship and business development based on agri‐engineering technologies is extremely vital for India. The paper discusses agricultural engineering based technologies developed by CIAE, having poten al for agri‐business and entrepreneurship development.

Introduc on Today Indian agricultural develop‐ ment is viewed with a diﬀerent perspec ve where the inputs con nued to be important but engineering interven ons for eﬃcient u liza on of the inputs is more important for increasing returns in addi on to environmental sustainability. Engineer‐ ing interven ons in agriculture have become inevitable for reducing the cost of produc on and drudgery, while improving the livelihood opportuni es, income and environmental sustainability through appropriate mechaniza on, postproduc on

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technologies and energy management. Agricultural Engineering technolo‐ gies include equipment and technolo‐ gies for farm mechaniza on, post‐ har vest management and value addi on, efficient energy management in agriculture and harnessing the poten al of natural resources. Improve‐ ment in profitability of agriculture along with reduced human and animal drudgery and gender specificity are much needed incen ves for farmers and farm workers of tomorrow. Recent surveys have amply established the fact that low or no profitability of present day agriculture coupled with human

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drudgery and uncertainty are the reasons that are discouraging the younger genera on to go for farming. The engineering interven ons enhance input use eﬃciency and returns to the farmers through value addi on by establishing agro‐processing industries in produc on catchments and adop ng loss preven on measures. For eﬀec ve transfer of agricultural engineering technologies, it is necessary to ensure their availability at na onal level through promo ng their commercializa on through small and large sized business units. Such an approach is likely to ensure sustainable www.krishijagran.com

Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportunities FMBT commercializa on of proven as well as poten al technologies through (i) Public‐Private‐Partnership (PPP) mode (ii) technology based entrepreneurship development (EDPs) and (iii) Promote entrepreneurial a tude and raise awareness about the opportuni es for entrepreneurship using agricultural engineering technologies into the local business environment and to enhance interac on among all stake holders. Effec ve transfer and commercializ‐ a on of agricultural engineering equipment and machinery is likely to enhance mechaniza on index, efficient input use efficiency, employment and income genera on. The CIAE through its three and half decades of existence has achieved recogni on as the pioneering research ins tute in the field of agricultural engineering. The ins tute has developed technologies for farm mechaniza on, post‐harvest management and value addi on, efficient energy management in a g r i c u l t u re a n d h a r n e s s i n g t h e p o te n a l o f n a t u ra l re s o u rc e s . Imp rovement in p ro fi tability of agriculture along with reduced human and animal drudgery and gender specificity are much needed incen ves for farmers and farm workers of tomorrow. Recent surveys have amply established the fact that low or no profitability of present day agriculture coupled with human drudgery and uncertainty are the reasons that are discouraging the younger genera on to go for farming. These interven ons are limited to a few crops, farm opera ons and post‐harvest ac vi es. There is an urgent need to extend it to various crops, cropping systems and agro‐ clima c zones of produc on agriculture in the country. The vision of CIAE, Bhopal is to develop and demonstrate appropriate mechaniza on for various farming opera ons incorpora ng modern tools and methods to address the issue of farm power availability, harnessing poten al of agro‐residue and renewable sources of energy.

for irriga on and drainage, 33 for agro processing including soybean, 8 for energy u liza on and management. There is a need to promote these modern and improved agricultural engineering technologies developed a er intensive R&D effort by CIAE scien sts, through more effec ve and efficient proac ve ac ons and mechanisms of technology transfer and commercializa on.

Business and Entrepreneurship Development Units From a number of proven technologies and economically viable business units available at C I A E, ini ally, eight business incuba on units have been iden ﬁed as the requisite basic infrastructure for all of these technologies is readily available.

Business Opportuni es through Agricultural Engineering Technologies

[A] Agricultural Mechaniza on

[B] Agro Produce Processing & Value Addi on

[A1]Entrepreneurship based on manufacturing of agricultural machinery [A2]Entrepreneurship development for custom hiring of agricultural machines [A3]Agril machinery market informa on cell

[B1] Soybean processing & value addi on for soy products. [B2] Agro processing centre for milling of cereal, oilseeds, pulses, spices etc. [B3] Live stock feed plant for produc on of animal feed, poultry feed and aqua feed.

[C] Biomass energy genera on

[C1] Brique ng plant for crop residues for direct fuel or producer gas genera on [C2] Biomass based power genera on Unit

CIAE has developed 67 technologies / equipment for the use of farmers/ entrepreneurs. Out of these, 18 are for agricultural mechaniza on, 8 www.krishijagran.com

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FMBT Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportunities to farmers, gradually moving towards bigger machineries as the business grows.

The technology packages are explained below: Unit on custom hiring of agricultural equipment: The meliness of opera ons has assumed greater significant in obtaining op mal yields from different crops, which has been possible by way of mechaniza on. For instance, the sowing of wheat is done up to the first fortnight of November. A delay beyond this period by every one week leads to about 5‐10% decrease in the yield. This is also correct in the case of other crops and for other farm opera ons like hoeing, irriga on, harves ng, threshing and marke ng which needs to be performed at appropriate me otherwise the yield and farm income is affected adversely. The quality and precision of the opera ons are equally significant for realizing higher yields. Opera ons like land leveling, irriga on, sowing/plan ng, fer lizer applica on, plant protec on, harves ng, threshing and post‐harvest opera ons require precision to increase the efficiency of the inputs and reduce the losses. For example, sowing of the required quan ty of seed at proper depth and uniform applica on of given dose of fer lizer can only be possible with the use of proper mechanical devices. When such opera ons are performed through tradi onal methods, their efficiency is reduced. Higher produc vity of land and labour is another factor, highligh ng the need of

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farm mechaniza on. Not only the output per hour is more, the total labour requirement is also reduced. The custom hiring is a cri cal factor in promo ng farm mechaniza on across the country. The size of the Indian farms is very small and the agricultural equipment and machinery is very costly for small farmers to aﬀord. Hence, there is an ever increasing demand for agricultural equipment on custom hiring basis just to ensure availability of agricultural machines at right me and at a reasonable cost. Economic analysis has revealed this to be an a rac ve op on for se ng up of a business enterprise by perspec ve entrepreneurs. This model focus on custom hiring of machineries namely tractor with a c c e s s o r i e s , p o w e r l l e rs w i t h accessories, seed cum fer lizer drills, weeders, pumps sets, sprayers, translators, threshers and combined harvesters, preferably managed by Agriculture Engineers. This model involves ini al heavy investment, which Agri‐entrepreneurs can mobilize through loans. This center can be managed with mechanic, driver and few skilled laborers. The machinery is rented for a unit me or areas. This will help the farmers to cover come the problem of labor shortage and also lead towards precision farming avoiding me and money loss. This Centre can also take up the sale of farm machinery star ng with smaller ones like sprayers

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In total, custom hiring centers prevent the loss of crop due to labor shortage and helping carrying to the scien ﬁc prac ces for a charge. Some agribusiness companies are also trying to promote their machineries in partnership with custom hiring centers. Like, the company can park a combine harvester with an Agri‐entrepreneur for a season; the company also provides a driver and mechanic. The Agri‐ entrepreneur may provide business in his service area using his contact with the farmers the Agri‐entrepreneur will get commission charges for his facilita ng work. This win‐win‐win formula provides business to company, popularize the machinery, provide instant income to Agri‐entrepreneur without any investment and be er services to farmers. Similarly, Agri‐entrepreneur can use the exis ng machineries available with one set of farmers. i.e. owners for custom hiring purpose with another set of farmers i.e. users. For facilita ng this interface, some part of service charge goes to Agri‐entrepreneur and rest to the owner of the machinery. Here, Agri‐ entrepreneur can start the custom hiring business without any investment beneﬁ ng self, owners and users (both are farmers.) this also facilitates op mum use of machineries, which already possessed by farmers. Around 175 youths were trained in collabora on with the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, to set up the custom hiring units of agricultural machinery. About half of them have ini ated their enterprise and loan has been sanc oned to them. A target of training 200 more poten al entrepreneurs has been set during this year. Agricultural implement manufacturing Unit:‐Non – availability of quality inputs in me in rural areas is a serious bo leneck in agriculture development. Such manufacturing units which are established by trained agriculture graduates not only ensure mely supply of quality inputs but also generate employment in rural areas. www.krishijagran.com

Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportunities FMBT Infrastructure required for such units could be in small scale and technology required is simple for the understanding o f a n A g r i ‐ e n t r e p r e n e u r. W i t h increasing number of agricultural equipment and tractor operated machines, repair and maintenance of such machines can become a viable unit. A model rural workshop for local unemployed youth is proposed as Business incuba on unit for training and suppor ng small enterprises in rural areas genera ng employment. With global demand for food expected to increase by 70 percent by 2050, the role of the machinery manufacturers is changing , and machinery is becoming an integral part of the all‐encompassing solu on to increase produc vity. According to NSDC report the agricultural machinery market size in India is es mated worth 37,000 crores and compound annual growth rate as 12.3%. In comparison to Punjab and Haryana, Madhya Pradesh is at a rela vely early stage in adop ng modern agricultural machinery. Out of 108800 of total micro, small and medium enterprises, 2480 are engaged in agricultural machinery manufactur‐ ing in MP. There is enormous scope for new entrepreneurs for producing high capacity, precision equipment for latest techniques of farming. Improvements in manufacturing techniques, workman‐ship and overall produc on methods is essen ally required to be adopted by manufacturers for Quality up‐grada on of agricultural machinery being manufactured. There is lot of scope for entrepreneurship in the manufacturing of cri cal components as well. Considering the prevailing scenario, it is necessary to use modern equipment in agriculture and to use modem science and technology to re‐ invent agriculture. Modern day equipment and high capacity machines suitable for custom hiring purpose and conserva on agriculture like rotavator, laser land levelers, Zero‐ ll drill, raised bed planter, inclined plate planters, potato planters, sugarcane planters, self‐propelled reapers and straw management equipment like straw www.krishijagran.com

reapers and straw balers can be taken up. Soy product based unit: With g ro w i n g h e a l t h a w a r e n e s s a n d increasing demand for foods like diabe c‐free and cholesterol‐free, everyone is looking at health foods and neutralceu cals. Therefore, the future of soybean is very bright. Soybean can make signiﬁcant nutri onal contribu on if typical tradi onal foods are supplemented with properly processed soybean in combina on with cereals. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals. CIAE, Bhopal has developed a number of soy based food products, which have excellent poten al to be successful enterprises. These products have good acceptance and their ready availability in the market would help

combat protein‐calorie malnutri on. Three soy‐food based business viz, produc on of full fat soy flour, soy milk and soy paneer are financially viable ventures. A modest investment of Rs. 50,000 to 3 lakhs can fetch annual profit of Rs. 1 lakh to 3 lakh per year. The Soybean Processing and U liza on Centre (SPU) at CIAE Bhopal started training ac vity in December, 1995 for upcoming entrepreneurs for making available nutri ous soy products to the popula on of different states. So far, more than 1000 persons have been trained and over 210 co age scale enterprises have been established in different states by our trainees and variety of soy products like soy milk, soy paneer, full‐fat‐soy flour, soy nuts, soy for fied biscuits are made available to popula on of different states including

Table: Compara ve protein cost for selected food sources in India Protein source

Cost of food items, Rs/kg

Soybean (FFSF)

20.0

40.0

50.0

Pulses (Splits/dal)

35.0

25.0

170.0

Groundnut (kernel)

30.0

25.0

130.0

Egg

30.0

16.0

180.0

Milk

12.0

4.0

300.0

Fish

60.0

16.0

360.0

Meat 90.0

16.0

540.0

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Protein content, % Cost of protein, Rs/kg

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FMBT Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportunities those where soybean produc on is negligible. Agro‐ Processing Centre: Agro processing could be defined as set of techno economic ac vi es carried out for conserva on and handling of agricultural produce and to make it usable as food, feed, fibre, fuel or industrial raw material. Hence, the agro‐processing industry is regarded as the sunrise sector of developing economy. Properly developed, agro‐ processing sector would not only encourage rural entrepreneurship but also can make the Na on a major player at the global level for marke ng and supply of processed food, feed and a wide range of other plant and animal products. CIAE has an agro‐processing centre which is presently operated by CIAE and products such as wheat flour, maize flour, dal, gram flour etc. are sold through ATIC. Efforts need to be made to adopt this model of agro‐processing centre in various loca ons as business enterprise. Live‐ stock feed produc on plant: The farmers now realize that maintaining of quality animals with proper feeding and management are vital. The feed requirement becomes essen al pre‐ requisite to sustain the animal culture and even to make culture profitable. The recommenda on of correct amounts of feed with balanced ingredients pertaining to different life stages of animal reared under large scale produc on systems are very important for the formula on of cost

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effec ve feeds. The types of feed for aquaculture/ avian culture/ ovine and bovine etc. can help in mul plica on of nutri onally rich and cost effec ve much desired animal products at local level. The feed plant established at CIAE, Bhopal with produc on capacity 1.5 q/h for ca le, 1.2 q/h for poultry and 1.0 q/h for aquaculture with cost incurred Rs. 25.0 lakhs, is a techno‐ economically viable unit. There is very good scope for new entrepreneur to manufacture nutri onally balanced and cost effec ve animal feed. Sale price depends on the economic status of the consumers, the product aimed at. Low cost facilitates wide range of consumers. All efforts have to be made to keep produc on cost at minimum with selec on of appropriate formula on, processing condi ons and

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infrastructure facili es. Further, the mul purpose plant provides opportuni es to u lize alternate local materials, viz. agro industrial byproducts to develop specific feed. It is also fit to encourage animal based entrepreneurship in rural areas. Therefore the feed mill design should be such as to encourage integrate aquaculture ac vi es with other livestock enterprises and also with food industries may eventually be found s i g n i fi ca nt l y h i g h f ro m te c h n o ‐ economic feasibility point of view. Such plant are recommended in areas which are ascertained best suitable for mul cultural ac vi es, wherein assured supply of inputs, such as con nuous water availability, seed and raw ingredients as feed stuffs are primarily ensured. Bio‐mass based brique ng and power genera on: The biomass gasifica on technology is developed for conversion of brique es of crop residues into gaseous fuel i.e. producer gas to run gas (producer gas) engine based electric genera ng set. The developed technology consumes 1.2‐ 1.3 kg brique es for produc on of one unit of electricity. The developed technology is available in the power range of 20 to 100 kW capaci es. The raw materials used for produc on of brique es for genera on of producer gas are stalks of such crops as soybean, pigeon pea, co on, mustard, and sunflower, groundnut shell etc. www.krishijagran.com

Entrepreneurship Development and Business Opportunities FMBT The country has produc on of all types of biomass of around 1000 million tone per annum. Agriculture and forestry are the two major producers of biomass. Large quan es of crop residues are burnt in the field a er harvest, which creates environmental problems and also results in loss of soil organic ma er. Biomass gasifica on offers a vast poten al to convert surplus crop residues into fuel which can generate electricity in a decentralized mode at low cost as compared to large thermal power plants. The decentralized biomass based power plants would provide assured power at rural level for various agro‐industrial ac vi es. The enhanced industrial and produc on ac vity would lead to higher farm income and be er rural life. CIAE, Bhopal has developed and demonstrated the technology for conversion of crop residues into electricity by establishing fuel supply chain, feed stock prepara on for gasifica on and conversion of crop residues into gaseous fuel for electricity genera on in different capaci es (20‐ 100kW)at two villages; Mana (soybean growing area) for supply of electricity for water pumping sta ons in Raisen and Udaipura (pigeon pea growing area) for energizing various opera ons of Dall Mill. The biomass based power plants established in the villages are being run by local youth a er receiving training at CIAE, Bhopal. The cost of biomass collec on is about Rs 500 per tonne and transporta on cost varies from Rs 600‐ 800 per tone for lead distance of about 10 km. Any biomass can be used for gasifica on provided it is in uniform s h a p e a n d s i ze to h ave p ro p e r flowability in gasifier reactor. The exis ng brique ng technology has been adopted a er grinding of crop residue into smaller par cles. The die u s e d i n co m m e rc i a l b r i q u e n g technology, suitable for saw dust, has been modified to produce the brique es from crop residue. The brique ng plants are available in different capaci es ranging from 500 to 1500kg/h. The produc on cost of brique es varies from Rs 600 to 800 per tone. The brique ng of surplus crop www.krishijagran.com

markets. Properly developed, agro‐ processing sector through use of me and cost eﬀec ve technologies can make India a major player at the global level for marke ng and supply of processed food, feed and a wide range of other plant and animal products.

residue has also emerged as one of the agro enterprises to replace the coal and wood used as fuel for boilers and furnaces in various industries. The details of brique ng of crop residues are given below: Cost of Biomass:

Rs. 1000‐1500 per tonne

Cost of Brique ng Machine:

Rs. 12‐14 lakhs

Capacity of Plant:

500‐1000 kg/h

Cost of brique e:

Rs. 1600‐ 2300 per tone

Market price of brique es:

Rs.3500‐4000 per tone

The economic feasibility of power genera on from brique es of crop residues indicates that the cost of electricity genera on is at par with the cost of electricity from grid. The cost for produc on of one unit of electricity at present is Rs 6.0 whereas the cost of electricity from diesel electricity genera ng set is Rs 16.0 per kw. Concluding Remarks Agricultural mechaniza on is now regarded as the sunrise sector of the Indian economy. This is so as adop on of Agricultural engineering technolo‐ gies lead to enhanced agricultural mechaniza on, agro‐produce process‐ ing and value addi on, genera on of energy and power using agricultural and bio wastes. In addi on, these technologies have large poten al for growth and likely socio economic impact speciﬁcally on employment and income genera on at local and regional level. It further ac vates, sideways linkages, which are derived from the use of by‐products or the waste products as fuel, paper pulp or manure / fer lizer. It encourages use of modern equipment / advanced machinery, packaging materials and intermediate goods to give boost to economy by tapping both domes c as well as export 2015 JUNE

Innova ons in agriculture sector are essen al for sustainable agricultural growth to meet the challenge of reduc on in produc on cost and human drudger y and to ensure protec on of natural resources. The innova ons and technologies need to be effec vely managed to derive the maximum benefit from them. The onus of accelera ng innova ons and commercializa on of agricultural engineering technologies lies with the ins tute. Promo on of green fuel producing industries to generate market of solid bio‐fuels for various applica ons is also required. There is a need to encourage establishment of biomass based power plants including brique ng of crop residue by extending the tax benefit and subsidy on capital investment. The promo on of these ac vi es would result in reduc on of field burning and savings in fossil fuel by re p l a c i n g co a l b y b r i q u e e s i n industries. The concept of Public –Private –Partnership (PPP) mode should be promoted so that useful and relevant technologies developed by R&D ins tute reach to the end user in effec ve manner through involvement of private sector at an affordable cost. Capacity building of interested, poten al and budding entrepreneurs through business incuba on is essen al so that business enterprises are set up based on agricultural engineering technologies leading to income and employment genera on.

U R Badegaonkar, P. C. Bargale MB Tamhnkar, P. P. Ambalkar Technology Transfer Division Central Ins tute of Agricultural Engineering Bhopal, MP, India Email: udayrb65@yahoo.co.in

AGRICULTURE WORLD

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FMBT KAMCO : Best Friend of Farmers

KAMCO

Best Friend of Farmers

KAMCO PROVIDING FARM MECHANIZATION SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE LABOUR COST IN AGRICULTURE

n present scenario, the advent of new machinery and equipments has resulted in increased level of mechanized farming. Over the years, tremendous development has been no ced in the ﬁeld of agriculture resulted in higher produc vity of the land. On seeing the development, a Kerala based Farm Machinery oriented Company namely Kerala Agro Machinery Corpora on Ltd. (KAMCO) fully owned undertaking of the Government of Kerala introduced the concept of mechanized farming and caters farming requirements of small and marginal farmers. It is established in 1973 with the vision of providing equipments and machinery to the farmers to enjoy mechanized farming. It’s main objec ve is to bring in s m a l l a n d m e d i u m A g r i c u l t u ra l Machines and Implements to the market to help farmers to reduce drudgery of manual labour in agriculture. The quality standard of each and every product has been tested and cer ﬁed by competent authori es. K A M CO's product range includes Power Tiller, Power Reaper, Tractor,

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Rotavator, Power Weeder, Brush cu er and accessories and Implements. KAMCO products remain No. 1 in Quality in the market for over the last four decades. This successful company maintains its standard by strong efforts and unique strategy for marke ng. It serves the agro‐machinery market worldwide. KAMCO organizes various training programmes to guide farmers and keep them abreast with newer farming techniques. Five Manufacturing Units K A M C O is Manufacturing agricultural machinery especifically Power Tillers, Power Reapers, Tractors, Power weeders and Brush Cu ers. It has five units located in Athani and Kalamassery in Ernakulam district, Kanjikode in Palakkad District, Mala in Thrissur district. Power llers are produced at Athani & Palakkad units where as Engine for Power Tiller are produced at Kalamassery unit, Power Reapers and Power weeders at Mala. The fi h unit for manufacturing tractors is also setup at Athani, near Nedumbassery Interna onal Airport.

AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

KAMCO have their own Metrology, Calibra on and Engine Test Lab. Marke ng Network The Company has more than 100 dealers all over India. KAMCO Products are eligible for subsidy in almost all states under various schemes funded by state and central governments. KAMCO is expor ng its machineries to countries like Iran , Srilanka, Hai , Nigeria, Mali etc .KAMCO is planning to expand the dealership network further to increase its reach. Products The products of K A M C O are farmer's best friends as they meet best quality and emission standards. Its products are stylish, fuel eﬃcient, compact and easy to maneuver. KAMCO has machines and a achments for land prepara on‐ Tilling, Ploughing, Puddling, Leveling, Ridging, Weed and bush removal, Spraying, Pumping, Hulling, Transporta on, Harves ng etc. KAMCO Machines guarantee Best Value for your money. Here's a list of few products of KAMCO: www.krishijagran.com

KAMCO : Best Friend of Farmers FMBT

KAMCO BARBIERI GARDEN TILLER 830 OIWER WEEDER

KAMCO TeraTRAC 4W TRACTOR

Brush Cu er KBC300

Model: KMB200, 9 HP

Model: SUPER DI: 12.2 HP

Rotavator ‐ RotoTRAC1000

KAMCO POWER REAPER

www.kamcoindia.com www.krishijagran.com

2015 JUNE

AGRICULTURE WORLD

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FMBT Farm Mechanization beyond Tractors

FARM MECHANIZATION

beyond TRACTORS

“

For adoption of higher level of technology to perform complex operations within time constraints and with comfort and dignity to the operators, mechanical power becomes essential. Thus, the extent of use of mechanical power serves as an indicator of acceptance of higher level of technology on farms.

ndia is a country with various landforms ranging from lo y mountains to ravine, deltas, high al tude forest of Himalayas, sprawling grasslands of Indo‐Gange c plains, peninsular plateaus of South East and South West India and many other geological forma ons. The climate of India is full of extremi es and most prone to rainfall varia ons, either deﬁcit or excess, par cularly when it coincides with suscep ble/cri cal crop growth stages. Due to presence of a wide range of geological and clima c

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”

condi ons, Indian agriculture is diverse and complex with both irrigated and dry land areas, capable of producing most of the food and hor cultural crops of the world. India has an es mated 142 million ha cul vated area of which about 57 Million ha (40%) is irrigated and remaining 85 Million ha (60%) is rain‐fed. The cropping intensity remains stagnant at 1.35 which could be increased with increase in irriga on and mechaniza on par cularly in the eastern part of India. With increasing level of industrializa on, crea on of

AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

special economic zones, urbaniza on and development of housing sector there is possibility of decline in the arable land. Rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, and millet are the five main cereals grown in India. Along with these pulses, oilseeds, co on, jute, sugarcane, and potato are the other major crops. Pulses include mainly gram (chickpea) and pigeon pea and oilseeds include mainly groundnut, mustard and rapeseeds, soybean, and sunflower. Indian agricultural implement market is experiencing an unpreceden‐ ted growth. The significant decline in the availability of labour for farm ac vi es owing to their migra on to industrial areas and government support to the farmers in the form of high subsidies has given strong boost to the agricultural implement market in India. The Indian agriculture sector has www.krishijagran.com

Farm Mechanization beyond Tractors FMBT witnessed a considerable decline in the use of human and animal power for agricultural ac vi es in recent years. This has paved a way for range of agricultural equipment that has been introduced in the market. For instance, land development, llage and seedbed prepara on which earlier used the power of animal driven implements now u lize the power of tractor/power ller through tractor/power ller driven implements. Similarly, the irriga on of farmland has become widely automated by the use of diesel and electric motors and pumps. In FY'2011, the agricultural equipment market of India was es mated at 812,269 units by sales which grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.3% during FY'2006 ‐ FY'2011. The high demand for key segments such as tractors, power llers, threshers, combine harvesters and rotavators have been mainly responsible in driving this growth. The easy availability of credit from banking ins tu ons as well as Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the country has encouraged Indian farmers to buy agricultural machinery on credit.

During the past four decades a large number of farm tools, implements and machines have been developed for different farm operations such as land levelling, seed bed preparation, sowing and planting, weeding and hoeing, plant protection, harvesting, threshing, de-husking, decorticating, etc. The rate of growth, however in animal operated machinery has remained low as compared to tractor or power operated machinery. STATUS OF FARM POWER IN INDIA While the popula on of agricultural workers as percentage of rural popula on has gone down from about 69.4% in 1951 to about 55% in 2012 but in absolute terms, due to increase in overall popula on, the

number of agricultural workers available in rural areas has increased from 131.1 million in 1960‐61 to 272 million in 2013‐14 and thereby registered an annual compound growth rate of 1.38% during the last 53 years (Table 1). These agricultural workers are engaged in diﬀerent farm opera ons and depend on agriculture for their livelihood, even when they are not fully employed throughout the year. Due to too much involvement of labour in diﬀerent farm opera ons, the cost of produc on of most of the crops in our country is quite high as compared to developed countries. Human power availability for agriculture had been 0.043 kW/ha in 1960‐61 and reached to 0.096 kW/ha in 2013‐14 registered an annual compound growth rate of 1.53% (Fig. 1). Share of agricultural workers in total power availability in 1960‐61 was

Table 1: Popula on of Farm power sources in India Year Agricultural Workers 1960‐61 1970‐71 1980‐81 1990‐91 2000‐01 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13 2013‐14 CAGR, % 1960‐61 to 1990‐91 1991‐92 to 2013‐14 1960‐61 to 2013‐14

131.10 125.70 148.00 185.30 234.10 263.00 266.08* 269.20* 272.00* 1.16 1.54 1.38

Popula on of farm power sources, million Draught Tractors Power Tillers Diesel Electric Motors animals Engines 80.4 0.037 0 0.23 0.20 82.6 0.168 0.0096 1.70 1.60 73.4 0.531 0.0162 2.88 3.35 70.9 1.192 0.0323 4.80 8.07 60.3 2.531 0.1147 5.90 13.25 53.5 4.207 0.3213 8.20 16.50 53.0 4.553 0.3621 8.30 16.70 52.8 4.858 0.4021 8.35 16.80 52.0 5.237 0.4409 8.45 17.00 ‐0.42 ‐1.33 ‐0.82

12.27 6.65 9.79

6.25 12.03 9.30

10.66 2.50 7.04

13.12 3.29 8.74

(CAGR = Compound Annual Growth Rate) *Es mated Source: Singh (2013); Singh et al. (2010); Singh et al. (2009); Live Stock Census; Agricultural Census 2011; Tractor Manufacturers' Associa on (TMA); Power Tiller Manufacturers' Associa on (PTMA) www.krishijagran.com

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FMBT Farm Mechanization beyond Tractors and 1970. The power availability further reduced to 0.200 kW/ha in 1980, 0.162 kW/ha in 2000 and 0.14 kW/ha by 2013‐ 14 (Fig. 1).

14.7% reduced to 4.66% in 2013‐14 (Fig. 2). Time series trend suggests that share of power from agricultural workers to total power available will further reduced in near future. Draught animals, par cularly bullocks, are s ll the predominant source of mobile power on about 60% of the cul vated area consis ng of about 85 million ha. They are very versa le and dependable source of power and are used in sun and rain under muddy and rough ﬁeld condi ons. They are born and reared in the village system and maintained on the feed and fodder available locally. They are ideal for rural transport where proper roads are not available. They reduce dependence on mechanical sources of power and save scarce petroleum products. Their dung and urine are also used as indirect source of energy‐farmyard manure and biogas. They also help in maintaining ecological balance. Under Indian condi ons where majority of the people are vegetarian and even amongst non‐vegetarians, majority of them don't eat beef, draught animals as by‐product of milch animals; will con nue to be available for draught purposes in future also. About 4‐5 decades back most of the farm o p e ra o n s , w a t e r l i i n g , r u ra l transport, oil extrac on, sugarcane crushing, chaﬀ cu ng etc, were being

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done using draught animals only. But with the moderniza on of agriculture, development of concrete roads connec ng village and availability of electricity, most of the jobs earlier being done using draught animals, except ﬁeld opera ons, are now being done using other convenient and cheaper op ons i.e. electricity and diesel. Over the years the annual use of draught animals is going down. While earlier a pair of animals was being used for about 1200‐1800 hours annually, their average annual use has now come down to about 300‐500 hour only, that too for llage, sowing, weeding and rural transport. This declining trend of draught power was more visible especially in those states where the demand of tractors and power llers has gone high. It has been observed that on an average a tractor is replacing about 5 pairs and power ller about 2 pairs of animals. Draught animal popula on, mainly derived from bovines, was 80.40 million in 1960‐61 and reduced to 52 million by 2013‐14 with a nega ve annual compound growth rate of ‐0.82% during the period of 53 years (Table 1). Share of draught animal power was 78% of the total farm power in 1960‐61 reduced to 7% only in 2013‐14 (Fig. 2). Draught animal power availability in India decreased from 0.229 to 0.224 kW/ha between 1960

AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

For mee ng the increased demand of mobile power for mely farm opera ons and increased intensity of cropping (Table 2), addi onal power is available mainly from tractors and power llers. Self‐propelled reapers and combines also provide mobile p o w e r s p e c i a l l y fo r h a r v e s n g opera ons. India presently is the largest manufacturer of tractor in the world. There are more than 20 manufacturers of tractors in the country producing about 60 models of tractors in diﬀerent hp ranges. Tractor popula on in India has grown from 0.037 million in 1960‐ 61 to 5.237 million units in the year 2013‐14 at an annual compound growth rate of about 10 per cent (Table 1). Farm power availability from tractor has consequently increased from 0.007 kW/ha in 1960 to 0.218 kW/ha in 1990 at an annual compound growth rate of 12.14%. The growth rate in the next decade decreased to 8%. Farm power availability in the year 2000 was 0.47 kW/ha, reaching to 0.97 kW/ha in 2013‐ 14 at an overall growth rate of 9.80% during the last 53 years (Fig. 1). Power ller, or two‐wheel tractor, came in India with import of two units from Japan in 1961.There are mainly 2 manufacturers of power llers in the country producing about 6 models in the range of 5.97‐8.95 kW (8‐12 hp). In addi on to them there are many others who are impor ng power llers and selling in the country. Contribu on of tractors and power llers was only 2.54% of the total farm power in 1960‐ 61 increased to about 50% in 2013‐14 (Fig. 2). Sale of tractors and power llers has constantly increased during last 10 years with some excep ons (Fig. 3). Sta onary power sources in agriculture comprise of diesel engines and electric motors used for irriga on equipment, opera ng threshers and other sta onar y machines. The popula ons of these prime movers have increased tremendously since the www.krishijagran.com

Farm Mechanization beyond Tractors FMBT green revolu on. Diesel engine popula on in the country increased about 37 mes between 1960‐61 and 2013‐14 (Table 1), while the annual compound growth rate had been 10.66% during the period 1960‐61 to 1990‐91, with increased availability of electricity it reduced to 7.04% during the period of 1990‐91 to 2013‐14. Farm power from diesel engines increased from 0.009 kW/ha in 1960‐61 to 0.247 kW/ha in 2000‐01 and 0.335 kW/ha in 2013‐14, registered an annual compound growth rate of about 7% during the last 53 years (Fig. 1). The rural electriﬁca on programme launched by the Government of India in the mid‐six es u n d e r t a ke n t h r o u g h t h e R u r a l Electriﬁca on Corpora on has helped in making available electricity to 18.5 per cent villages in 1970‐71 and increased to about 100% villages by 2004‐05 (Singh et al., 2015). Preferen al supply to rural sector at subsidized price has led to rapid increase in use of electric motors in the agricultural sector. Electric motor popula on thus increased 85 mes between 1960‐61 and 2013‐14 at an impressive annual compound growth rate of 8.7% (Table 1). Farm power availability consequently increased exponen ally from 0.005 kW/ha to 0.445 kW/ha with an annual compound growth rate of about 8.74% during the same period (Fig. 1). Farm power

availability consequently increased exponen ally from 0.005 kW/ha to 0.445 kW/ha with an annual compound growth rate of about 8.74% during the same period. For adop on of higher level of technology to perform complex opera ons within me constraints and with comfort and dignity to the operators, mechanical power becomes essen al. Thus, the extent of use of mechanical power ser ves as an indicator of acceptance of higher level of technology on farms. Over the years the shi has been towards the use of mechanical and electrical sources of power, while in 1960‐61 about 92.30%

farm power was coming from animate sources. In 2013‐14 the contribu on of animate sources of power reduced to about 11.80% and that of mechanical and electrical sources of power increased from 7.70% in 1960‐61 to about 88.20% (Fig. 4). It is apparent from Table 2 that the cropping intensity increasing with increase in per unit power availability. It was 114% with power availability of 0.32 kW/ha during 1965‐66 that increased to about 142 per cent with increase in power availability of 2.02 kW/ha in 2013‐14. Net sown area per tractor shows the reverse trend during the same period,

Table 2: Cropping intensity and power availability on Indian farms Year

Cropping intensity (%)

Food grain Power available produc vity (t/ha) (kW/ha)

Power per unit produc on(kW/t)

Net sown area per tractor (ha)

1965‐66

114.00

0.636

0.32

0.50

2162

1975‐76

120.30

0.944

0.48

0.51

487

1985‐86

126.80

1.184

0.73

0.62

174

1995‐96

130.80

1.499

1.05

0.70

2005‐06

135.90

1.715

1.49

0.87

2010‐11

140.50

1.930

1.78

0.92

2011‐12

141.50

2.079

1.87

0.90

2012‐13

140.90

2.129

1.94

0.91

2013‐14

142.00

2.111

2.02

0.96

Source: De et al. (2000); Agricultural Sta s cs at a Glance, Agricultural Census www.krishijagran.com

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FMBT Farm Mechanization beyond Tractors

250

Agricultural workers

200

Draft animals

150 Tractors & Power tillers

100

50 0

Diesel engines

19 60 -6 1 19 70 -7 19 1 80 -8 1 19 90 -9 20 1 00 -0 20 1 05 -0 20 6 09 -1 20 0 13 -1 4

Electric motors

Year

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

4.66% 22.29%

16-76%

21.70% 7.40%

49.29% 2013-14 78% 1990-91

24.10%

21.60%

14.70% 25-20%

1960-61 3.29%

1.88%

E m lec ot tri or c s

T po rac w tor er & til le r

D an raf im t al s

D en ies gi el ne

2-54% A w gric or u ke ltu rs ra l

Power sources Fig. 2: Share of diﬀerent power sources in total power availability

696523

700000

607358 590672

545109

600000 500000

293836

400000

296080 247531

300000

352835 346501 342836

200000 100000

-1 1 20 11 -1 2 20 12 -1 3 20 13 -1 4

20 10

20 09

-1 0

809

20 0

20 07 -

-0 7

20 06

20 05 -

04 -0

Power tiller sale 5500 56874

60000

51851 46100

50000

100

38794

35294

40000

30000

24791 26135

22303

17481

10000

4 -1 13

-1 3

11 -1 2

-1 1 10

-1 0

-0 9 20

07 20

-0

-0 8

-0 6 05

Mechanical share, %

40 30 20 10

Source: Singh et al. (2009); Tractor Manufacturers' Associa on (TMA); Power Tiller Manufacturers' Associa on (PTMA)

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AGRICULTURE WORLD JUNE 2015

3 20

-1

12 11 -

12 20

10 20

-1 1

-0

-9

90 19

1 19

-8

-7

-6

Year Fig. 3: Tracor and power ller sales data for last 10 years

-0 5

Animate share, %

20000

Power tiller sales (No.)

Year

India has 159.20 million hectares of operated land owned by more than 137.80 million farm holders with average land holding size of 1.16 ha, about 80% of land holdings are with small and marginal farmers, owning <1 and 1‐2 ha holdings respec vely (Ayyappan, 2015). Medium and large farm holders could use improved agricultural machinery on ownership as well as on custom hire basis. Small farm holders due to their limited resources contribute to low produc vity of land as they depend on tradi onal equipment and methods of crop cul va on. Because of the low produc vity of their lands, they also use low amount of crop inputs and do not adopt high yielding varie es of the seeds. Since semi‐medium, small and marginal farm holders own about 68% of land resources, they have important role to play in higher agricultural produc on. Mechaniza on of agriculture of small farm holders could be promoted by extending the benefits of improved agricultural machines to them through custom hire services with governmental efforts and development of entrepreneurs for providing custom services at affordable rates. The Government of India realizes the importance of agriculture to the development of the na on and hence has adopted several ini a ves and programmes for this sector's con nuous growth. Notable among them are Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY); Na onal Food Security Mission (NFSM); Na onal Hor culture Mission (NHM); Gramin Bhandaran Yojana; Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil

Share of power (%)

Tractor sales (No.)

Tractor sale

AG R I C U LT U R A L M AC H I N E RY AVAILABILITY

Percentage

Fig. 1: Power available from different power sources on Indian farms

which observed 2162 ha/tractor in 1965‐66 reduced to 27 ha/tractor in 2013‐14.

Power, million kW

300

Year

Fig. 4: Animate and mechanical power scenario in Indian agriculture www.krishijagran.com

Farm Mechanization beyond Tractors FMBT Table 3: Contribu on of Agricultural Mechaniza on Beneﬁts

Value

Saving in seed

15‐20%

Saving in fer lizer

15‐20%

Saving in me

20‐30%

Reduc on in labours

20‐30%

Increase in cropping intensity

05‐20%

Higher produc vity

10‐15%

palm, and Maize (ISOPOM), and lately the Sub‐Mission on Agricultural Mechaniza on (SMAM) etc. Appropriate and selec ve mechaniza‐ on of produc on agricult‐ ure, post‐harvest management and value addi on using a proper blend of conven onal and renewable energy sources facilitates in enhancing produc vity. Es mated contribu ons of improved agricultural tools and equipment in augmen ng total food produc on of India and other relevant parameters are given in Table 3. It is evident from the table that 15‐30% saving is experienced through farm mechaniza on. During the past four decades a large number of farm tools, implements and machines have been developed for diﬀerent farm opera ons such as land levelling, seed bed prepara on, sowing and plan ng, weeding and hoeing, plant protec on, harves ng, threshing, de‐husking, decor ca ng, etc. The rate of growth, however in animal operated machinery has remained low as compared to tractor or power operated machinery.

N.M. INDUSTRIES as strong as an “OX”

N.M. INDUSTRIES as one of the renowned and leading manufacturer in the fabrica on business. A er crea ng a glory in fabrica on ﬁeld now company is in the manufacturing of Agricultural Implements under the brand name “OX”. N.M. INDUSTRIES is very much known by its subsidiary company Knitwell India Pvt Ltd, having plants in Chandigarh , Derabassi (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana) and is one of the largest and major vendor of sheet metal fabrica on and machinery component for Sonalika Tractors and New Holland Tractors with annual turnover of above Rs. 72 crores. The name and business strength that has been earned by organiza on today, is due to the professionally equipped and able staﬀ, who have a varied experience and good knowledge of serving the customers to their sa sfac on. This is further enhanced by the innova ve ideas of the management, who strive from me to me in crea ng awareness and keeping the company at par to the latest development of today's world. Equipped with High Quality Machineries & Equipments N.M. INDUSTRIES always use best quality of raw materials and sustainable engineering designs for manufacturing

innova ve implements which fulﬁll Interna onal standards. Company has never compromised to the quality of products and the services to its customers. Its state‐of‐the‐art manufacturing unit is equipped with advanced machineries, such as CNC, VMC, HMC, Ro b o c We l d i n g , L a s e r C u n g Machine, Special Purpose Machine, Shot Blas ng Machine, Shear Bending Machines, Hydraulic press, etc. , capable of execu ng bulk orders with precision. Gear‐up the farm through Rotavator Presently, company is engaged in m a n u fa c t u r i n g o f h i g h q u a l i t y Rotavator for the farmers. Its rotavator range are from 4 to 7 in size with single and mul speed gear box. Company has own infrastructure for manufacturing of Rotavators which has capacity of 1500 Rotavators/month. Features of “OX” Rotavators:‐ 1. Heavy duty gear box 2. No lump forma on in soil 3. Provide deep lled bed for plan ng 4. Saves farmer fuel, me and labour. 5. Suitable for dry and wet condi on 6. Extremely helpful in Wheat, Paddy, Sugarcane, Banana, Co on and all Vegetable cul va on. 7. Full one season warranty Upcoming “OX” Agri‐Implements At present, company is developing new agriculture implements such as Intra row Rotary weeder and Tractor mounted Binder cum Riper which will be completed by AUGUST, 2015.

Prof. Surendra Singh FNAAS, FIE, FISAE Technical Advisor, Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Associa on (AMMA)‐India; Chief Editor‐Agriculture Engineering Today (AET) Email: ssingh5119@gmail.com www.krishijagran.com

“OX”Rotavator

2015 JUNE

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