Farm Mechanisation

Introduction

It is well known that a country’s growth and development is dependent on various factors such as infrastructure, democracy, etc., but the most significant of them all is agriculture. This is because as long as all citizens are able to eat, all other components of development can be carried out effectively. However, when we talk about farming, it takes a great deal of effort more than one can imagine. It takes ploughing the fields, sowing the seeds, using fertilizers, and irrigating the fields. In India, a large number of farmers are facing financial hardships in order to produce crops. Therefore, the government of the country can consider helping ease their burden while providing them with farm mechanisation systems. This will streamline the farming process and reduce the cost.

What is Farm Mechanisation?

Using machines for farming is a process called farm mechanisation, which reduces the burden on farmers such as time consumed, financial loss, etc. And also increases the production of the crops they want to grow. Mechanisation in farming simply refers to replacing the traditional methods of growing crops with machines instead of humans and animals.

The farm mechanisation movement in India has been one of the most significant events in the last few years in terms of socio-economic development. Among the main reasons for the dramatic increase in sales of tractors – which are four times higher than those recorded in the European and US markets – is the impressive increase in volume. 

Mechanisation of agriculture  leads to increased productivity, better use of resources, reduced working hours, and improved living conditions for rural residents. It is imperative that this shift be directed, integrated into a development policy, and transformed into a functional development model.

Steps Taken For Farm Mechanisation

We know that the Government of India and its institutions are taking steps to ensure the mechanisation of Indian agriculture, as well as the status of farm mechanisation for different crops, farm power availability, farm machinery manufacturing, and sale. In order to achieve success in farm mechanisation, it must be planned according to the specific needs of agriculture and evaluated based on the results achieved under various conditions. Agriculture mechanisation has experienced many dynamic phases throughout its history. At times, these phases have been beneficial to farmers and at other times, they have not been.

Since specialised machinery and equipment have become available for sowing, harvesting, and irrigational activities, they have transformed how average farmers work and reduced their burden. As mechanisation of agriculture takes hold across the country, farmers are increasingly able to access machinery without owning it. In the coming years, digital technology, which is being promoted on a massive scale by the government, will become more important in agriculture. New technologies will provide farmers with new equipment and services that will address typical challenges, such as small landholdings and low investment amounts when starting a farm. It is worth noting, however, that the pace of this change will be determined by the collaboration between the different agricultural sectors to provide an appropriate policy framework, schemes, financing system, and technology that are appropriate to the diverse climatic and environmental conditions.

Adaptation of Farm Mechanisation

Despite the high demand for agricultural machines, Indian farmers opted not to purchase these machines in the early stages. The demand for high-powered machines and oversized equipment was significantly higher in many other countries than in India. This type of mechanisation enabled farmers to quickly become familiar with a wide range of technologies, but it also led to negative impacts on the environment, and a restricted ability to adapt mechanical components to changing market demands and crop trends. However, mechanisation which is tailored to the particular needs of agricultural enterprises and in compliance with a specific development model is both economical and environmentally beneficial. These strategic choices are dominated by knowledge of both agriculture and farm mechanization.

DBT Farm Mechanisation

Governments in India have implemented a number of government schemes to assist farmers and make farming easier for them by mechanizing it. In addition, the Direct Benefit Scheme (DBT) is another scheme that enables farmers to receive direct benefits from a variety of agriculture schemes and is an attempt to modify the way subsidies are transferred by the Government of India on 1 January 2013. DBT farm mechanisation, which comes under the Department of Agriculture, was set up by the Government of India to benefit farmers with different agricultural subsidies from a single source. This program transfers subsidies directly to the beneficiaries through their bank accounts. Direct Benefit Transfer provides Indian Farmers with easy access to all the government’s agricultural programs.

Conclusion

Farm mechanisation has aided in increasing crop production and profitability in agriculture by reducing time spent on farm operations, increasing utilisation efficiency of costly inputs such as seeds, chemicals,reducing available input losses,improving precision in metering and placement of inputs, fertilisers, and especially irrigation, lowering product unit costs, and enhancing profitability and competitiveness in the cost of operation. In this article, we also discussed the steps taken for the ensuring the mechanisation of farms in India and also about the DBT farm mechanisation and how it helps the farmers of India to avail the direct benefits of various schemes. Hence, we can say that farm mechanisation has been really important in the farming sector.