Sustainable and inclusive farm mechanization

Small farmers often have limited access to farm machines owing to high costs. A sustainable mechanization model that enhances productivity while ensuring environmental, social and economic balance is therefore necessary. Mahashakthi Foundation’s sustainable farm mechanization initiative has succeeded in providing access to farm machinery, while reducing the drudgery.

The local agro-ecological and social realities in Bhuban and Kankadahad blocks of Dhenkanal district include small and fragmented holdings, rice-based systems, and women’s playing a major role in farming. Small farmers with fragmented land holdings face numerous problems in crop cultivation, which includes labour shortages. Rising labour costs create the need for use of small-scale, affordable equipment suitable to local conditions. Mahashakthi Foundation, an NGO working since 2004, in around 17 districts of Odissa, providing sustainable livelihood solutions, tried to address this problem through sustainable mechanization.

Sustainable farm mechanisation

Based on field experience, the broad principles for sustainable mechanization are:

• Use of equipment that suits fragmented farms, women-friendly tools while reducing drudgery, support conservation practices
• Adoption of sustainable energy solutions - low-fuel, LPG/CNG and solar-powered implements to reduce emissions and operational costs
• Strengthening local institutional mechanisms through expanding Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), Farmer Producer Groups, and SHG cooperatives for equipment sharing and training
• Creating local maintenance and repair networks to ensure affordability and long-term sustainability of farm mechanization processes

Institutional models for mechanisation

Moving ahead, Mahashakthi Foundation promoted the institutional and business models drawing from its own field practices such as engaging service provider networks established under the HDFC-FRDP programme; establishing community-managed Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) and SHG managed tool-banks, Public–private partnerships (PPP) are fostered for linking schemes, suppliers and service networks.

Implementation process

The implementation of farm mechanization typically is followed in four phases with an implementation roadmap of 12-24 months - Phase 1: Needs assessment & planning (0–3 months); Phase 2: Demonstration & capacity building (4–9 months); Phase 3: Establish CHCs and finance linkages (10–18 months) and Phase 4: Scale and monitor (19–24 months). The basic principles of the implementation include safeguarding environmental and social factors; promotion of soil conservation; water management; air pollution reduction; equitable access to marginal farmers and women; health and safety training with PPE and safe storage.

1. a) Engaging service provider networks

One of the earlier and most significant initiatives in Kakadahad block is the promotion of Mechanised Direct Seeded Rice (DSR). This involved engaging service providers who use Tractors and Seed Drills to sow paddy directly, instead of the labor-intensive practice of manual transplanting. During Kharif 2025, Mahashakti Foundation facilitated large-scale promotion of Mechanised DSR in Bhuban and Kankadahad block. A total of 267 farmers across 23 villages adopted the practice for the first time, covering nearly 482 acres. The Foundation organized 8 village-level demonstrations, 3 hands-on training sessions and a block-level orientation involving service providers. Farmers showing interest practiced DSR methods resulting in reduced labour demand, quicker sowing and cost savings of ₹4,000–₹5,000 per acre. The technology is gradually spreading to surrounding areas.

Table 1: Types of farm equipment

1. b) Community managed Custom Hiring Centers

Generally, owing to high initial investment costs, farmers find it difficult to purchase large equipment, such as tractors, combined harvesters, and expensive seed drills.  Table 1 presents indicative figures of costs of diverse equipment. They vary considerably depending on factors such as brand, features, subsidy availability, region, and model. For example, a tractor-mounted zero-till seed drill, which is the most common modern replacement for large-scale sowing, is significantly more expensive than a push-type manual seeder.

Some small farmers prefer low horse power, small scale machinery such as, Power Tiller, Power Weeder, small pump sets, suitable for their fragmented and smaller land holdings, and easier to purchase, maintain and operate. Many of the higher-cost modern machines—such as tractors, seed drills, and power reapers—are typically accessed by small farmers through Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) or by jointly purchasing them with farmer groups.

In Bhuban and Kankadahad blocks, two Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) have been established at Makuakateni and Darjani villages supported by partial contribution from communities. Each CHC is equipped with a power tiller, a multi-crop seed drill, a cono weeder, a sprayer set (battery operated) and a paddy thresher, while individual farmers were supported with some hand tools. Mahashakti Foundation mobilized farmer groups, facilitated training on safe operation, and coordinated procurement with vendors. The capital investments were made by HDFC-FRDP (70%) and the communities (30%). The Foundation has been overseeing maintenance protocols and rental record keeping.

1. c) Small-tool banks

Mahashakti Foundation also supports small-tool mechanization initiatives through CSR support from HDFC‑FRDP. It provides small tools like two prank shovel, hand weeder, garden rake, manual ridger etc. along with some small farm gadgets like NPK soil sensor, Pin prob design with LCD digital display, 3 in 1 soil moisture light and pH probe, 6 in 1 soil moisture meter, pH, light, moisture meter, soil fertility tester, digital soil moisture and Brix refractometer with ATC. Mahashakti Foundation has provided hand weeders, garden rakes, ridgers, and soil-testing gadgets (to 26 SHGs, 14 Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and 9 Producer Groups). These tools are maintained under a community lending mechanism, where members borrow tools through a simple register system and contribute a nominal ₹10–₹30 per use towards maintenance. During 2024, this system generated ₹38,500, which the groups used for minor repairs and replacement of worn-out equipment.

Conclusion

The sustainable mechanization model promoted in Bhuban and Kankadahad currently involves 500 farmers, with small-scale tools distributed across 60 villages. They are supported by CHC-based services ensuring low-cost access to farm equipment, supporting youth employment and reducing drudgery for women farmers. While CHC machinery is operated by trained youth, small tools are managed through SHGs/PGs. Thus the initiative has encouraged institutional ownership and ensured equitable access to farm machinery. 

References

Kangude, S. (2024). Farm mechanisation driven by women farmers. LEISA India, March 2024, Volume 26, Issue 1, titled "Farm women Breaking barriers," pg-6Khondoker Abdul Mottaleb, Timothy J. Krupnik, Olaf Erenstein. Factors associated with small-scale agricultural machinery adoption in Bangladesh: Census findings. Journal of Rural Studies, 46, 155-168, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.06.012.

Ashutosh Pal 
Mahashakti Foundation, Plot No,:05,
2nd Floor I Dharma Vihar, Lane-02,
Khandagiri,
Bhubaneswar-751030, Odisha
E-mail: ashutoshpal@mahashaktiinida.org