Annual Report 2009-2010 - Department of Agriculture & Co-operation

Annual Report 2009-2010
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12.1 For the promotion of agricultural
mechanisation, the strategy and programmes of
the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation
have been directed towards the promotion of
eco-friendly and selective agricultural equipment.
The aim is to optimally and efficiently utilise the
different sources of human, animal, and
mechanical/electrical power; increasing the
productivity of land and labour; seeds, fertilizers,
pesticides, and irrigation water; improving the
quality of farm operations by promoting
equipment with appropriate technology, thereby
reducing the cost of production and the drudgery
associated with various agricultural operations.
As a result of the different programmes
implemented by the Government of India over
the years, the total farm power availability is
estimated to have increased from 0.295 kW/ha
in 1971-72 to 1.502 kW/ha in 2005-06.
12.2 As a result of the joint efforts made by
the Government and the private sector, the level
of mechanisation has been increasing steadily
12
Mechanisation and
Technology
over the years. This is evident from the sale of
tractors and power tillers, taken as indicators of
the adoption of mechanised means of farming
during the last five years, as given in Table 12.1
below:
Table 12.1: Year wise sale of tractors and
power tillers
Year Tractors Power Tillers
Sale (Nos.) Sale (Nos.)
2004-05 2,47,531 17,481
2005-06 2,96,080 22,303
2006-07 3,52,835 24,791
2007-08 3,46,501 26,135
2008-09 3,42,836 35,294
2009-10 (till 2,39,789 18,375
November 2009)
12.3 Training of Farmers and Technicians: The
Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes
(FMTTIs) located at Budni (Madhya Pradesh),