Farm Machinery: Online Aggregation Method for Farm Machinery

Karnataka farmers will soon be able to hire farm machinery using their mobile phones, just like urban residents book taxis. This online aggregation method for farm machinery is to help tackle shortage of labour and to ensure optimum use of equipment owned by farmers. T.N. Prakash Kammaradi is working on this innovative system.

Chairman of the Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission, T.N. Prakash Kammaradi said that, farm machinery owned by some farmers can be made readily available on rent to those who do not own them, especially in the wake of mechanisation becoming a key factor that can reduce cost of labour.

Mr. Kammaradi informed that, “Once the system is ready, we want those farmers who are willing to rent out their machinery to register with the online aggregation system. We are also in consultation with a few startups to make the best possible system that will suit the requirements of different regions.” The commission firstly did a survey in the State of the major farm machinery available with farmers.

Labour accounts for 38 to 40 percent of the total production cost for most of the prominent crops and on the other side, farm mechanisation for certain crops, including ragi, has shown that it is possible to increase revenues by reducing production cost. And it is not economically feasible for small farmers to own machinery, big farmers who own them do not need them round the clock. Big farmers are keen on renting out their costly machinery.

This system will encourage rich farmers to buy farm machinery and register it for hire as an investment option, so this would help fight shortage of farm equipment.

While the UAS-Raichur has been commissioned to study the pros and cons of custom-hiring of farm machinery. In a bid to have an in-depth understanding of the issue, the commission has also enlisted the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru to assess the requirement of different farm machinery by farmers.

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/