Changing dynamics of agricultural mechanization in India

Abstract

Mechanization of agriculture is an essential input in a globalised economic environment. Besides reducing drudgery, mechanisation enhances productivity and reduces cost of cultivation. Besides, utilisation efficiency of other inputs, safety of the agricultural worker, improvements in the quality and value addition of the produce can also be improved. Mechanisation can enable the farmers to raise a second crop in order to utilise the inputs efficiently. Farmers who have access to improved agricultural tools and powered technologies can shift from subsistence farming to more market-oriented farming, making the agricultural sector more attractive to rural youth. Sustainable mechanization is applied to agricultural land preparation, supports timely seeding and planting, weed control, integrated pest management, precise fertilizer application, harvesting, preparation for storage, and value addition operations along the food supply chain in terms of on-farm processing, transport and marketing.