India has set an ambitious target to achieve 75% farm mechanisation by 2047, a significant increase from the current level of 47%. This initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity and support small and marginal farmers.
According to Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Ramnath Thakur, the current mechanisation levels across various farming operations are:
- Seed-bed preparation: 70%
- Sowing/planting/transplanting: 40%
- Weeding and interculture: 32%
- Harvesting and threshing: 34%
These figures result in an overall average mechanisation level of 47%.
The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing (2022-23) has emphasised the importance of increasing mechanisation to 75% by 2047. The adoption of mechanisation varies across states due to factors such as socio-economic conditions, geographical features, types of crops grown, and availability of irrigation facilities.
To promote farm mechanisation, especially among small and marginal farmers, the government has been implementing the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) since 2014-15. This centrally sponsored scheme provides financial assistance to farmers for purchasing agricultural machinery and equipment. Additionally, the scheme supports the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and village-level Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs), enabling farmers to rent equipment as needed.
The government also aims to promote ‘custom hiring centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small land holdings and the high cost of individual ownership of machines.
Despite these efforts, challenges such as small and fragmented land holdings, diverse soil conditions, and high machinery costs persist. To address these issues, the Department of Agriculture has commissioned a study titled ‘Assessment of Status of Farm Mechanisation and Custom Hiring in India’ for 2024-25, conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
