Farmers modify small vehicles for use in areca plantations

For over a decade farmers in the hinterland have been modifying passenger vehicles in order to design a low-cost small vehicle that is easy to drive around in arecanut plantations.

Some progressive farmers initially tasted some success in modifying a three-wheeler autorickshaw to enhance production and productivity of agriculture. However, the three wheeler’s failure in carrying a load while driving uphill and a number of accidents forced farmers to look at them as a less practical vehicle.

The search for a farmer-friendly vehicle, which intensified in recent times due to the acute shortage of labourers, has yielded some success of sorts.

“Maruti Omni is the best vehicle for farmers,” declare farmers like T R Sureshchandra from Thottetodi in Kalmadka and Lakshminarayana Bhat A from Urwal who have altered the Omni to suit their needs.

Sureshchandra says his altered Omni can be easily driven around, requiring a road width of just seven to eight feet. Omni has reduced my labour force need by 70%.

Earlier, five to six labourers needed over an hour to shift 50 kg of arecanut to the godown. Now, with the help of Omni, the work has been reduced to 15 minutes, he said.

The vehicle, fitted with extra plates, carries upto 10 to 12 quintal of arecanut or manure. Unlike the three-wheeler autorickshaw, Omni has greater pick-up and is capable of any rough work, he says.

Lakshminarayana Bhat says Omni is the most farmer-friendly vehicle. He had once shifted 11 quintals of Areca saplings from the nursery to his areca plantation for planting.

A diploma holder in automobile engineering Purshottam B from Palthady in Kadaba taluk modified a two-wheeler, Yamaha Ray Z, into a mini-tipper.

“The three-feet long altered vehicle with four gears does the work of four labourers,” said Purshottam.

The vehicle takes little space and moves easily between trees that are three to four feet apart.

It took Purshottam four months to alter the vehicle in his modest workshop. Most of the parts needed for the vehicle were sourced from a second-hand shop.

The vehicle, with a capacity to carry load upto two quintals, can be used to carry manure or arecanut. It travels at a speed of 60 km per hour (fourth gear) and has a mileage of 30 to 35 km per litre.

The two-wheeler was priced around Rs 70,000 and Purshottam spent an additional Rs 50,000 to alter the vehicle.

“Ever since the video of my mini tipper went viral, I have been receiving orders for mini tipper from farmers,” says Purshottam, who dreams of opening his own mini tipper manufacturing unit.

Progressive farmer T R Sureshchandra says the mini tipper will be a boon to farmers with small land holdings.