Year : 2022, Volume : 12, Issue : 2
First page : ( 128) Last page : ( 135)
Print ISSN : 2229-3744. Online ISSN : 2250-0499. Published online : 2022  07.
Article DOI : 10.5958/2250-0499.2022.00063.5

Farm mechanization in rice production: A review

Nandhakumar S^*, Saranraj T

ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, TNAU, Vellore632104Tamil Nadu, India

^*Email for correspondence: snktnau@gmail.com

Online Published on 07 May, 2022.

Received:  12  October,  2021; Accepted:  19  December,  2021.

Abstract

Indian agriculture is dominated by small farm holders. With an average holding size of just 1.08 hectares (in 2015-16) and 86 per cent of holdings being of less than 2 hectares in size, Indian agriculture transformed the country from functioning ‘ship-to-mouth’ during the mid-1960s to being a net exporter of agri-produce today. This would not have been possible without the onset of the Green Revolution post-1965 which resulted in increased food grain production and productivity. Among various inputs such as seeds, irrigation and fertilizers, the productivity of farms also depends greatly on the availability and judicious use of farm power by the farmers. Between the mid-20^th century and 2013-14, India witnessed a tremendous shift away from traditional agriculture processes to mechanized processes. Today 88 per cent of the total farm power comes from tractors, diesel engine pump sets, electric pump sets and power tillers. Additionally India has emerged as the largest manufacturer of tractors in the world followed by the USA and China. But how has farm mechanization especially the use of tractors evolved in India over time? What were the key drivers of the demand for tractors? And how efficiently are the tractors being used in terms of usage by number of hours/year? Given the high cost of tractors, it is also interesting to see how far they have penetrated the small and marginal holdings viz the issues of inclusiveness and financial viability and sustainability. These are some of the key questions that are addressed in this study.

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Keywords

Farm mechanization, Rice, Systemic rice intensification, Equipment.

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