Farmers Movement Archive

Farmer invents new machine for transplantation of paddy

Phagwara, June 7Though the Covid epidemic has made life bitter for all, it has forced courageous farmers to do something new and look for new opportunities.At a time when everyone is thinking about the problem of labour, the enterprising farmer Jagtar Singh Jagga of Nano Mallian village in the district surprised everyone by inventing a new machine for sowing seeds on mats for a paddy transplanter machine. This machine is being liked by farmers.Gursimran Singh, Jagtar Singh and Varinder Singh of Chakoki village in Block Dhilwan, realising the shortage of labour, decided to do something new and together in the first year of planting paddy on their own and other farmers’ rent.Thought of a new experience. Leaving behind the idea of going abroad, these youngsters, who had planted 100 acres of cheese in Raghbir Singh’s fields in the first year alone, struggled with new methods till late at night with their comrades. Gradually, they mastered the intricacies of this technique.Under the guidance of Gursimran, these impossibilities were made possible by adhering to the principle of ‘need is the mother of invention’. Sowing and rearing seeds for such a large area in the first year itself is not an easy task, which is highly commendable.The department of agriculture, had for a long time been encouraging the farmers to plant paddy with the help of machine, the foundation of which was laid by the Secretary, Agriculture, and Farmers, Welfare, Punjab.It was kept by Kahan Singh Pannu, who is now starting to get bored and these young men are the obvious proof of this. These farmers have proved that Punjabi youth can do anything.Chief Agriculture Officer Nazar Singh said with the planting of paddy by machine, the shortage of labour could be reduced. He said efforts had been made to solve this problem by mechanizing paddy sowing in the district and so far about 65 paddy transplanters and 121 drills for direct sowing had been provided in the district on subsidy basis.Paddy sowing is likely to be mechanized in an area of one thousand hectares. He said many enterprising farmers of Kapurthala district were supporting each other which was expected to yield good results.

The Tribune

2020-06-08