Harvesters News : Kuttanad farmers’ soon get own harvesting machines

Paddy farmers’ societies in Keralas, Kuttanad and neighbouring areas will soon get harvesting machines of their own. The government is offering the machines to these societies which cultivate paddy in at least 50 hectares.

Only forty-five machines are with the societies. An expert committee would select the societies that were managed efficiently, a senior official of the Department of Agriculture told.

The machines, which substituted manpower have become an essential tool of farm operations in Kuttanad. Sowing and harvesting machines have made a sea change in farming, especially from the sector is facing a labour shortage.

The process of removing paddy from the stalks continued to be done by labourers. The new harvesters combined the work of reaping and separating the paddy from stalks, thus putting curtains down on the labourers’ role at the harvesting stage.