Another Punjab farm innovation in Rajasthan

New Wheat Harvesting Machine at work at Salarpur village

12 April 2012: Another farm innovation from Punjab has reached the fields of northern Rajasthan, as the wheat cultivation in the state of Alwar speeds up. The highly cost effective and rather unsophisticated attachment for a tractor cuts the wheat plant the crop at an ideal height for Indian farmers. The old machines with western designs that have an inbuilt thrashers, only removes the grain-containing head of the plant while leaving the dried stem standing. These stems have been traditionally used as a valuable cattle fodder in rural India. Used for the first time in this harvesting session in Alwar, the new machine as seen in the video brings the best of both worlds – speed, no-wastage and cost efficience.

The operator charges ` 850 (US$ 17) for harvesting one bigha (quarter of a hectare) land. The price includes the fuel, rent of the machine and the labour of the operator. Through the traditional method the harvesting of one bigha requires 10 man hours costing ` 3,500 (US$ 70). However this machine does not replaces the labour completely as the bundles of the fallen crop is still made by hand to be put later in a thrasher. This requires five man hours that cost `1,750, thus bringing the total harvesting cost with the use of this machine to around `2,600 (US$ 52) and saving `1,000 (US$ 20) for the farmer.

Cultivation of wheat in one bigha land in Alwar district of Rajasthan:

Cost of new machine                                    : ` 850    (US$ 17)

Cost of supplementary labour required         : ` 1,750 (US$ 35)

Total cost with the use of machine................: ` 2,600 (US$ 52)

Cost through traditional means (10man-hours): ` 3,500  (US$70)

Savings..................................................: ` 900 (US$ 18) or 25%