Delta farmers expect the Tamil Nadu government to present its maiden Agriculture Budget with focus on farm mechanisation activities in such a manner that all sections of the farming community stands to benefit.
Stating that the steep increase in labour cost in view of non-availability of adequate farm hands and as well as the agriculture engineering department’s capricious assistance in taking up mechanised farming activities over the years have forced them to look for latest farm equipment to cut down the cost of cultivation, they said that at the same time the sale price of such equipment have resulted in a situation wherein only affluent section of Delta farmers could be able to venture into such activities.
For instance, the cost of power tillers, rice transplanting machines, combined harvesting machines and other machines that were approved for purchase under the Central government sponsored Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM) aimed to establish custom hiring farm machinery banks in appropriate locations require investments in lakhs of rupees which could be affordable for the affluent farmers only, they pointed out.
The Tamil Nadu government should chalk out schemes and allot necessary funds to ensure that even medium and small farmers were also able to carry on the agriculture activities using their own farm equipment, pleaded progressive farmers such as G. Srinivasan of Ganapathi Agraharam and S.Rajendran of Okkanadu Kizhaiyur in Thanjavur district.
