Date:27/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/27/stories/2008072751160300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Increased use of modern farm implements stressed

Staff Reporter

10 such units will be introduced in the district this year

Kakinada: Collector Gopalakrishna Dwivedi advocated increased use of modern equipment in agricultural fields, asserting that modernization would not have any adverse impact on farmers and workers. Rather, higher yields could be achieved with less investment and faster than the conventional means of doing agriculture.

Inaugurating a `rice transplanter’ at the Agriculture Department’s Seed Multiplication and Adoptive Research Farm in Samalkot on Saturday, Mr. Dwivedi said 10 such modern farm implements would be introduced in the district this year. Every mandal would have one of these equipment in the due course.

A rice transplanter made with Japanese technology costs Rs 12.5 lakhs on which a subsidy of 50 per cent would be given. A combined harvester of Korean make costs Rs 21 lakhs. A decision is yet to be taken on the subsidy component for it. A group of farmers and scientists would be sent to Tamil Nadu to study how that State achieved impressive results in the agriculture sector through modernization.

Joint Director of Agriculture T Nandaiah, assistant director Subba Rao and others were present.