Tractor Subsidy In Uttaranchal

Tractors Subsidy in Uttaranchal

Scope of Farm Mechanization:

Mechanization is essential for timeliness in field operations and precision in placement of costly inputs to increase productivity, reduce unit cost of production and drudgery in farm operations as well as conservation of natural resources. For intensification of agriculture farm power availability need to be increased from the present level of about 0.60 kW/ha to about 2.0 kW/ha in by 2020. Equipment and power units suitable for hill agriculture, agro-processing and rural living needs to be selected, tested, adapted and introduced in the region. Power units like extra light power tillers, hill-side tractors, and efficient power operated tools and implements for horticultural crops should be procured and evaluated for adoption. For efficiency and economy in tillage and sowing/ planting/transplanting operations, large scale adoption of rotavators, conservation tillage technologies (zero till drills, strip till drills, roto-till-drills, till-plant machines, raised bed planters, ridger seeder etc.) and promotion of precision drills, planters and transplanters need to be given high priorities.

Pattern of Assistance

Tractor - @ 25% of the cost limited to Rs.45,000/- tractors up to 40 HP
Power Tiller - @ 40 % of the cost, limited to Rs.45000/- Power tiller 8BHP & above/@ 40 % of the cost, limited to Rs.25000/- Light weight Power tiller below 8BHP for hilly regions Power driven equipment (Tractor/Power Tiller operated) Intended inclusion of all tractor and power tiller driven conventional equipment/implement - i. @ 25 % of the cost, limited to Rs.10000/- for essential tractor driven implements viz. MB/Disc plough, harrow, cultivator, seed cum fertilizer drill./ii. @ 25 % of the cost, limited to Rs.10000/- for a set of power driven implements i.e. harrow cultivator and seed drill.
Power operated protection equipment - @ 25% of the cost limited to Rs. 2000/-
Tractor mounted protection equipment - @ 25% of the cost limited to Rs. 4000/-

Government Schemes

Government-sponsored agriculture support schemes to encourage mechanization of agriculture, it seems, has failed to make an impact at the grassroots level in Pilibhit district.

A central government scheme launched in coordination with the state government to facilitate farmers to buy agricultural machinery by offering attractive subsidy has few takers in the district. A mere 1.94% of the total number of farmers in the district registered online to avail the benefits of this scheme. Ironically, the government has neither assigned targets under this scheme for the current financial year nor has it made any allocation of funds even as farm machinery is urgently needed with farmers preparing their fields for paddy cultivation.

Where the majority of small and medium farmers say they are unaware about the scheme, the authorities of agriculture department say they could not give publicity to the scheme as no funds were allocated for the purpose.

Under this scheme, government has enlisted 20 heads of agricultural machinery which mainly include tractor, harrow, rotavator, seed drill, irrigation pump set, cultivator, laser land leveler, sprinkler set, rain gun, thresher, power weeder, drum seeder and solar pump.

The amount of subsidy varies from Rs 4,000 to Rs 1.50 lakh depending on the type of machinery and its original selling price.

But of the 20 types of farm machinery, the agriculture department of Pilibhit district has been allowed to provide subsidy to farmers for only 7 types of machinery.— rotavator, irrigation pump set, manually operated chopper for green fodder, laser land leveler, sprinkler set, solar pump and farm machinery bank.

After announcing the highest support price for sugarcane in the country, the Uttarakhand Agriculture Ministry is facilitating a subsidy of Rs 70,000 on every tractor purchased by farmers.

Announcing this, Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said Uttarakhand was the first state in the country to provide a subsidy on tractors to such a great extent. He reminded that this subsidy was due to the deal struck between his ministry and the Mahindra company.

He further held that as an initiative towards protecting agricultural land in the state, Raipur in Dehradun, Pokhra in Pauri and Kotbagh in Nainital would be developed as Special Agricultural Zones. He said his ministry had been laying emphasis on the protection of the fast-shrinking agricultural land.