Status of Farm Power in India, Sources of Farm Power
The agricultural sector plays a significant role in the Indian economy, contributing to 15-20 percent of India’s total gross domestic product (GDP). The sector is driven by the availability and access to farm power which comes from two main sources – human labor and mechanization. Farm power constitutes an essential input for increased productivity, improved quality of produce and reduction in labor intensity. It is with this backdrop that this article aims to look at the status of farm power in India and its various sources.
Overview of Farm Power in India
Agricultural mechanization or farm power has been an integral part of Indian agriculture for centuries, with the use of animal-driven carts as well as bullocks and horses being common since ancient times. With advances in technology, modern farming equipment such as tractors, combine harvesters and threshers have come into use. In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in the level of mechanization among farmers across India due to various reasons such as increased labor costs, availability of better quality inputs and improved access to credit facilities from commercial banks and other financial institutions.
Despite this progress however, there is still much room for improvement when it comes to farm power utilization in India. According to a report by the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD), only 22 percent of land holdings had access to mechanical power compared to 66 percent which relied on human labor alone while 12 percent relied on both sources combined. This indicates that while mechanized operations are becoming more prevalent they are far from being adopted universally yet(1). Further studies also reveal that most states lag behind when it comes to mechanical supplantation over manual operations indicating a need for greater awareness about the benefits associated with farm power adoption(2).
Sources Of Farm Power In India
There are two main sources from which agricultural mechanization can be derived – human labor and machine/mechanical operation:
Human Labor: Traditionally, human labor has been the primary source of farm power in India. According to a report by NABARD, 66 percent of land holdings in India still rely on human labor alone for agricultural operations(3). This is due to various factors such as availability of cheap and abundant manual labor, lack of awareness about mechanization and limited access to credit facilities from commercial banks for purchasing farm machinery.
Machine/Mechanical Operation: The use of machines or mechanical equipment for agricultural operations is becoming increasingly popular among farmers across India due to various reasons such as improved quality of produce, reduced labor intensity and increased productivity. Various types of machines are used for different farming activities such as tractors for tillage operations, combine harvesters for harvesting crops and threshers for post-harvesting activities. These machines can be powered either by diesel or electricity depending upon their type and size. In addition, there are also other sources such as solar energy which are being explored as potential alternatives (4).
Conclusion
Farm power plays an important role in increasing agricultural productivity and improving the overall quality of produce in India. However, there is still much room for improvement when it comes to its utilization with only 22 percent land holdings having access to mechanical power compared to 66 percent relying solely on human labor alone while 12 percent rely on both sources combined indicating that mechanized operations have yet not been adopted universally yet(5). There are two main sources from which farm power can be derived – human labor and machine.
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