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Agricultural
Database
National
Agriculture Policy:
Agricultural
Mechanization :
The serious scarcity of
draft power necessitates the use of mechanical power for agricultural
production activities. The government has, therefore, attached special
importance to agricultural mechanization. To encourage the use of machines
in agriculture, testing and standardization restrictions have already been
withdrawn in the free market distribution system. As a result, the use of
agricultural machinery has increased significantly and immense potential
is created for further increase. In order to accelerate the current trend
of agricultural mechanization, various facilities including exemption of
import duties on agricultural machinery have been provided and the same
will continue.
The following steps will be
taken to promote agricultural mechanization:
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The type of agricultural
machines or the level of mechanization needed in any region depends on
the socio-economic condition of the people, number and quality of
draft animals and availability of agricultural labor in that region.
Measures will be taken to collect and publicize these information
through the mass media in order to attract private investment in this
sector.
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In order to gradually
reduce dependence on draft power, efforts will be made to grow
farmers’ interest on mechanization as well as to provide credit
facilities. To achieve this goal, information relating to increasing
potential demand for and profitable investment in agricultural
machinery will be publicized through the mass media so that the
private sector can play an active role in creating a competitive
market.
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Despite increasing use
of mechanical power in agriculture, the use of animal power will
continue in future depending on the socio-economic conditions of the
farmers in different regions. Therefore, improved ‘power delivery
system’ (meaning delivery of energy from the shoulder of the draft
power to the agricultural implement) will be evolved through research
so that the scarce draft power can be utilized more efficiently.
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Production and import of
agricultural machines will be specially encouraged so that the farmers
can procure machines from the market according to their choice and
convenience. Machinery workshops and industries engaged in
agricultural mechanization activities will be provided with
appropriate taxes/duties facilities for the import of necessary raw
materials. This is expected to keep the machine prices within the
purchasing capacity of the farmers.
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To speed up the process
of agricultural mechanization both producers and users of machines
will be provided with necessary credit supports.
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Use of machines, which
are usually expensive, is not often affordable by the individual
farmers. In order to popularize mechanization in addition to the use
of draft power, farmers will be motivated in purchasing or taking
lease of agricultural machines through the cooperatives. Formation of
such self-motivated cooperatives will be encouraged and necessary
supports will be extended to mechanized cultivation based on
cooperatives.
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