Hyderabad, Jun 18 (FN Agency) Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES), part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group and the world’s largest manufacturer of tractors by volumes, on Thursday launched a new range of rice transplanters in Telangana and claiming that it will improve the productivity and income potential of rice farmer in the state. Designed by Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery of Japan, the specialize rice transplanter machine, to transplant paddy seedlings into paddy fields, to ensure uniform transplanting which helps to increase yield and it is labour and time saving as compared to manual transplanting, the company also claimed in a release here.
The new technology can help farmers overcome issues related to labour shortage especially during these difficult times. Launching the Mahindra PlantingMaster Paddy 4RO, India’s first 4-row ride-on type rice transplanter, the company said the new rice transplanters of Japanese technology offer state-of-the-art features, quality and ease of operation. The company had previously introduced the Mahindra MP461 walk-behind rice transplanter and is customized to the specific needs of Indian rice farmers. Priced at Rs. 7.5 lakhs, the Mahindra PlantingMaster Paddy 4RO ride -on type transplanter is the only affordable product of its kind in the country and it is best suited for farmers with larger holdings and rental entrepreneurs and comes with sophisticated features such as 4-wheel drive technology, power steering, smile U-turn – 180 degree turning radius, and a host of features for driver comfort and convenience, the company also claimed.
For smaller farms, Mahindra offers the Mahindra MP461 rice transplanter a walk behind model priced at Rs. 2.8 lakhs. Commenting on the importance of mechanisation in rice farming, Hemant Sikka, President – Mahindra Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, inspite of India being the second largest rice producing country in the world, our rice cultivation continues to be under-mechanised. While mechanisation in land preparation and rice harvesting is widespread, less than 1 percent of rice transplanting is mechanised. Mechanisation of rice transplanting will allow timeliness and speed of operations, lower cost of cultivation and increased yields, said Hemanth.
With the introduction of our new portfolio of rice transplanters, with our partners Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery , we want to enable income growth for millions of Indian rice farmers, including in Telangana, where farmers are also experiencing challenges related to labour shortage due to COVID, Hemanth added. Talking about the launch of the Mahindra PlantingMaster Paddy 4RO, Kairas Vakharia, Senior Vice President, Farm Machinery, M&M Ltd, said the farmers in Telangana, who have tried this new technology last season, reported a growth in crop yields of 10 percent and more. Besides service and spares, Mahindra and its network of dealers also offer training to farmers on paddy nursery preparation and transplanter operation and maintenance.