Farmers educated on mechanised paddy plantation

A team of agricultural scientists and officials were in Talakad on Saturday to host an awareness programme to farmers on innovative farm technologies.

Hundreds of farmers from across the region thronged farmer Papanna’s land outside Talakad here to see for themselves the techniques used in mechanised paddy cultivation.

As top scientists from Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), Central Institute of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and Raichur interacted with the farmers, the ryots were given tips on the efficient utilisation of modern technology.

A ten-member labourers team were able to finish the transplantation of paddy at about 10 hectares of land in about 30 minutes. “Mechanised technology saves time and energy. It also helps farmer to cut agricultural cost in the days of shortage of labour availability,” an official said.

Talking to reporters, Dr U Jaikumaran, professor and head, Agricultural Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University said that the university introduced a green army called Food Security Army to bring back the youth who had lost interest in agriculture.

The 2500 member green army was able to rope in young people, including qualified youngsters to return to farming using modern technology. The concept has not only been successful for paddy cultivation but has also been implemented in horticulture crops, he said.