DK to get six more farm kits hiring centres

If everything goes well as per the plan of the agriculture department, then Dakshina Kannada district will get six more custom hiring centres to rent out farm equipment to farmers, besides the existing five centres, during 2015-16.

The agriculture department has proposed to set up centres in Moodbidri, Surathkal in Mangaluru, Vittal in Bantwal taluk, Kadaba in Puttur taluk, Sullia in Sullia taluk and Kokkada in Belthangady taluk.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Agriculture department Joint Director Kempe Gowda said “the centres will come up after the approval from the State government. At the same time, tender has been invited at the state-level to fix a NGO who will manage the centre. The government was yet to decide which NGO would have to manage the centres to be opened this year.”

At present, five centres which were opened last year were managed by Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP). The centres are at Panja in Sullia taluk, Uppinangady in Puttur taluk, Panemangaluru in Bantwal taluk, Kuvettu in Belthangady taluk and Gurupura in Mangaluru taluk.

“Depending on the demand from farmers of the region for farm equipment, the already existing centres will be equipped with additional equipment to cater to the needs of the farmers this year. Initially, the NGO will have to purchase equipment worth Rs 50 lakh per centre. While the State government would give Rs 37.50 lakh to each centre as subsidy. In the second year, the NGO will have to purchase equipment worth Rs 25 lakh and the government will provide Rs 12.50 lakh subsidy to each centre. From the third year, the government will not give any subsidy,” he said.

The setting of six more units will help farmers to avail the farm equipment within a short distance. Farmer Chittaranjan said that the existing centres have big paddy harvester which is not of much useful to farmers in Dakshina Kannada as several farmers have small land holdings where they cultivate paddy.