Now, farmers at Gurupura hobli can hire farm equipment

Farmers in  Gurpura hobli of Dakshina Kannada will be able to hire farm equipment on rent as the Department of Agriculture in association with SKDRDP has opened custom hiring centre, at  Kondodi in Edapadavu. 

District-in-Charge Minister Ramanath Rai inaugurated the centre. Speaking on the occasion, he said that at a time when farmers face acute shortage of labourers, the use of machinery will help in increasing yield. 

MLA Mohiuddin Bava said that the centre would be of great help to the farmers in getting yield. ZP President Asha Thimmappa Gowda, and others were present.

“Farmers growing paddy should register their names with the centre before commencement of farming activities. The staff from the centre will visit the field and complete the process of planting or harvesting on a particular day. The farmers will have to pay rent for the machineries used. The farmers of Edapadavu, Gurpura, Ganjimutt, Kuppepadavu will be benefited. There are 12 machineries at the centre,” said an official. 

The machines available are combined harvester, transplanter, paddy crusher, tiller, grass cutter, stirring type cultivator, power tiller, power cono weeder sprayer, pepper decorticator and arecanut dehusker. 

With the help of combined harvester, six to eight kg of paddy can be harvested per hour. The transplanter machine can transplant paddy seedlings on 2.5 acre land per hour. Paddy crusher will help in crushing the paddy, said Assistant Agriculture Director Anees Selvam.

He said that the state government has already selected 186 hoblis to start the centre in association with the NGOs. Under the scheme, 75 per cent of the fund will be borne by the State government and 25 per cent by the NGO. The centre has already been opened at Puttur, Uppinangady and Panemangalur.