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Journalism of Courage
Shortage of farm labour has pushed the Department of Agriculture in Punjab to launch a multi-pronged mechanisation programme for its farmers. It has already spent Rs 25 crore in the first phase of the programme,which began last year,by setting up 803 Agriculture Machinery Service Centres AMSC across the state. The department plans to spend another Rs 10 crore this year to set up another 300 such centres.
Balwinder Singh Sidhu,Director,Department of Agriculture,says: Our agriculture is facing a new set of challenges. We need to cut down on input costs,conserve our resources,diversify and keep in mind the dwindling availability of manual labour,which,till recently,was abundant in Punjab. Paddy is one crop where manual labour is needed the most.
The department has planned to set up 1482 AMSCs each for a cluster of 10 villages. At present,825 AMSCs are operational. The amount sanctioned for AMSCs is Rs 26.65 crore. Each centre is required to have at least a tractor,a laser leveller,a happy seeder,a zero tiller and a rotavator. We have also introduced 449 paddy transplanters,which will cut down heavily on the need for manual labour, said Sidhu.
Dr M S Gill,Director Extension,Punjab Agricultural University,said: PAU is working on making machines that will cut down on labour and cost. Like a transplanter can transplant paddy in six acres in a day,which,otherwise,needs 60 people. Then,we have developed cotton,maize and sugarcane weeders. Cotton picking is another area where labour is involved. At present,we are working on machines which will pick only the fruited balls and not touch the green balls, added Dr Gill.
