Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, has informed that around 15.23 lakh pieces of agricultural machinery and equipment have been supplied to farmers as part of the "Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization" (SMAM) scheme, which is sponsored by the Central Government.
In response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha, he clarified that the SMAM initiative, aimed at advancing agricultural mechanization across the nation, has been in operation since the fiscal year 2014-15, with its implementation carried out through the respective State governments.
Augment Yield, Income
Under the umbrella of this initiative, a significant count of 15,23,650 agricultural machinery and equipment units have been distributed directly to farmers.
Notably, the program has also led to the establishment of 43,954 custom hiring centers, hi-tech hubs, and farm machinery banks. Minister Tomar underscored the crucial relationship between agricultural mechanization and crop productivity.
He elaborated on the manifold advantages that arise from mechanization, such as the conservation of time and labour, optimization of the usage of valuable inputs, reduction in laborious tasks, mitigation of post-harvest losses, and the substantial elevation of both crop output and farm income.
The extensive benefits of adopting agricultural mechanization in India have been quantified through comprehensive research. The statistics reveal significant positive impacts across multiple dimensions, including savings in seed expenditure ranging from 15% to 20%, reduction in fertilizer costs by 15% to 20%, time savings of 20% to 30%, a substantial decrease in weed growth ranging from 20% to 40%, noteworthy labour reduction of 20% to 30%, enhancement in germination rates by 7% to 25%, augmentation of cropping intensity by 5% to 20%, and most remarkably, a notable increase in crop yields ranging from 13% to 23%.
The Union Minister's revelations underline the holistic endeavour undertaken by the government to modernize and optimize the agricultural sector, with a keen focus on enhancing productivity, reducing manual labour, and boosting farmers' economic well-being. The multifaceted impacts of these efforts encompass improved resource management, increased efficiency, and ultimately, the transformation of India's agricultural landscape.
