Tribune News Service
Vijay C Roy
Chandigarh, October 7
Despite horticulture output contributing around 30% to the agriculture GDP, one of the biggest deterrents to the growth of horticulture in India is the lack of adequate mechanisation in the crop care stage, which primarily involves weeding and spraying. Currently, there is an intense involvement of manual and animal labour in this segment in the absence of mechanisation solution in this sector.
Mechanisation in horticulture can act as the biggest asset for farmers as the use of machines not only improves the output and quality but also saves the labour cost during weeding.
According to horticulture experts, there is a tremendous scope for enhancing the productivity of horticulture produce in India which is imperative to cater to the country’s estimated demand of 650 MT of fruits and vegetables by the year 2050.
As far as mechanisation in the horticulture sector is concerned, very few players are operating in this segment and mainly concentrating on manual equipment. There are also few players who are manufacturing machines where the operator has to walk behind it.
According to experts, the adoption of walk-behind machines such as power tiller or power weeder has been low because it isn’t very user-friendly, causes operator fatigue and has safety concerns. Also, there is no suitable mechanisation solution which could operate within the narrow row spaces of horticulture crops.
Realising the opportunity, Mohali-based Swaraj Tractors, a part of the Mahindra Group, has introduced Code, a multi-purpose ride-on machine, to suit the specific needs of horticulture farming.
The company claims that it is the narrowest and the lightest ride-on prime mover ever made, which eliminates the dependency on labour or animal power for carrying out inter-row operations. The farmer can perform crop care operations while enjoying the comfort and safety of a ride-on machine.
“We are trying to bring new solutions in the area of horticulture where currently there is not much mechanisation. With the help of mechanisation, more land could be cultivated which could lead to increase in farmers’ income,” said Harish Chavan, CEO-Swaraj Division, M&M Ltd.
The company has witnessed significant demand for its machines in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it has launched initially and adopted in various horticulture crops such as areca nut, coconut, mango, pomegranate, dragon fruit and flowers.
#Agriculture
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