Manufacturing Process of Indigenous Farm Tools and Implements in Meghalaya

Abstract

Farm equipment being used in Meghalaya are mostly hand tools of traditional type, made of wood and steel. Manufacturing of these tools is concentrated at a few places in the state. One such place (Mylliem near Shillong) was surveyed to study the status of manufacturing of indigenous farm tools from the point of view of structural organisation, production facilities, marketing, etc. Data were analysed for pattern of ownership and workforce, fabrication shop and machinery, products and processes, marketing and finance, etc. Most of the shops (90%) are owned by individuals, the rest are partnerships among family members. The total workforce consists of five to seven labourers, mainly on contract basis and a few from among the family members. Fabrication shops are made of wooden piers with GI sheet roof and clay flooring. The various tools and equipment used for fabrication include ordinary hearth with bellow blower, hammers, anvils, quenching troughs, etc. These are basically the forging workshops where light forging of spade, bill hooks (dao), knives, etc. is done to fabricate them using rejected broken leaf springs and angle iron as raw material and coke as fuel. Implements are sold in the weekly market at nearby Shillong. Capital is mostly raised through self-financing and/or personal borrowings from friends and relatives. Training in modem methods of manufacturing and credit facilities would help them improve product quality and profit