No farm hands,Punjab looks to mechanical help

In an attempt to combat the problem of shrinking farm labour availability,the worse of which is felt during the paddy season...

In an attempt to combat the problem of shrinking farm labour availability,the worse of which is felt during the paddy season,the Punjab Government has cleared the names of eight firms that would provide 700 paddy transplanters to farmers this kharif season. The decision to this effect was taken during a recent meeting that was chaired by Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh.

The government has also announced a subsidy of 50 per cent or Rs 1.5 lakh,whichever is less on the cost of each transplanter. The state Government has been provided a sum of Rs 7 crore for this subsidy by the Centre under the National Food Mission. The average cost of a transplanter,depending upon its capacity and technology,varies from Rs 1.45 lakh to Rs 16 lakh.

Punjab used to receive a major share of its migrant labour for transplanting paddy from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. However,the recent attacks on the migrant labours coupled with the fact that Bihar had assured employment to its people under NREGA witnessed a sharp fall in the arrival of this labour to the state. The use of transplanters have been strongly recommended by both the Punjab Farmers Commission as well Punjab Agricultural University.

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Gurinder Singh,a farmer from Moga,says,The state does not allow us to transplant paddy before June 1,and with the entire state transplanting paddy in one go,the problem of procuring labour for the task was immense last year. We had to pay the labour contractor anything between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 per acre for transplanting paddy. This was double than the previous season.

Director,Agriculture,Balwinder Singh,said,We had launched a few transplanters in selected villages last paddy season and felt they could be introduced in a big way this season. On an average,a transplanter can transplant paddy on 10 acres in a day.

Farmers are being trained to use transplanters in various training camps that are being organised statewide. The Election Commission has allowed us to set up these camps provided no politician is invited there, added Singh.

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