TAFE, one of the leading tractor manufacturers in the country, through its free tractor rental scheme, enabled about 64,000 small and marginal farmers in Tamil Nadu to continue farming operations during the second wave of the COVID outbreak in over 1.03 lakh acres in an uninterrupted manner.
TAFE free tractor rental scheme under its JFarm services platform received an overwhelming response from the farming community. Within 60 days, over 1.55 lakh hours of free tractor and farm implement rental services were provided, cultivating over 1,03,000 acres, it said in a release.
TAFE offered 19,000 Massey Ferguson and Eicher tractors and 33,500 implements on a “free-of-cost” rental basis to small farmers owning two acres or less. Against the estimated coverage of 50,000 farmers in Tamil Nadu, the scheme covered 64,000 farmers. High-demand implements like cultivator, disc plough, duck-foot cultivator and rotary tiller were widely used by the farmers under the scheme.
This CSR initiative by TAFE was aimed to rescue the farming community from the economic implications of COVID-19, and mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus threat on farming operations of small and marginal farmers during the critical rabi harvest and kharif preparation season.
“We have been given an opportunity to serve the small and marginal farmers at this critical juncture, and at the same time, play a role in enhancing the revenue of farmers through a direct benefit system, which has been welcomed by both, the renter farmer and the small farmers,” said Mallika Srinivasan, CMD.
State Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said, “The TAFE JFarm Services free tractor rental scheme played a key role in helping small and marginal farmers continue farming operations during the second wave of the COVID outbreak. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare’s initiative to partner with TAFE helped in providing timely support and benefited around 64,000 farmers and cultivated over 1,03,000 acres.”
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