Farmers in most parts of Trashigang still use the traditional method to plough their fields. Unlike in the west, farmers rarely use power tillers. They say they find it expensive to own a power tiller or to hire it from those who have one. But in Rongthung village this year, the roaring sound of power tillers has overtaken the songs of men coaxing the oxen to plough the filed.
The Regional Agriculture Machinery Center in Khangma has made the farmer’s job much easier by hiring out its farm machinery.
A farmers group has hired power tillers from the Regional Agriculture Machinery Centre to plough their fields. The Centre, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, is allowing the farmers to hire different types of farming machines, based on feasibility at a very low rate.
The Center is providing the power tillers along with fuel and operator for just Nu. 1,400 per day. Normally to plough an acre of field, it requires four oxen and four men and costs Nu. 3,000 to 4,000. The farmers, therefore, are happy with the initiative and the hiring rates.
“For an ox we have to pay Nu. 250 and 500 for two. With power tiller we don’t need many people so it has a big difference,” says one of the farmers, Dendup.
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“There are a lot of difference,” says Pezang, “because with the traditional way we have extra work. With the power tiller it consumes less work and less money as well. And this initiative has benefited us extremely.”
Even though farmers are benefiting, the hiring agency, the Regional Agriculture Machinery Centre is running in loss. The hiring system has also resulted in manpower shortage in the office.
“For us, it is a total loss because for the operator we have to pay Nu. 500 and the price of the fuel is so expensive and moreover we have to pay the daily allowance for the staff that is on supervision.
“So that way, 70 percent loss has been on us. Nevertheless we the ministry has started this initiative for the benefit of the people,” says Leki Dung, Manager, Regional Agriculture Machinery Centre.
The hiring system was initiated to mitigate labour shortage and optimise land utilisation. The initiative is also expected to generate rural employment and enhance farmers’ income. Most importantly, the system is initiated for the poor farmers to gain access to farm machinery.
The machinery centre in Khangma first started hiring its farm machinery in Bangtar under Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag in 2011. The ministry has plans to privatise the service in the future.
