Faced with the relentless unavailability of agricultural labourers for crucial sowing operations, Raju Varokar, a determined farmer from Akola district in Maharashtra, made a bold decision: to end his reliance on human labour and embrace cutting-edge technology. In a groundbreaking move, Varokar turned to German innovation, employing a driverless tractor powered by GPS Connect software to plant soyabeans.
The villagers of Umri, along with farmers from across the State, watched in awe as this remarkable technology took root. Videos of the driverless tractor quickly went viral on social media, capturing the imagination of Maharashtra’s farming community.
Varokar and his family claim to be the pioneers of this German technology in Maharashtra. With excitement and optimism, they have called on their fellow farmers to adopt this revolutionary method. “This technology ensures perfectly straight-line planting and comes at a cost of just ₹4.5 to 5 lakh,” they proclaimed, urging others to seize this opportunity.
Speaking to the media, Raju Varokar explained the brilliance of this innovation: “With this technology, there’s no need for a driver to operate the tractor in the field. The planting is flawlessly straight. It uses a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) device with German engineering. The device is placed on one side of the field and connects to the tractor through GPS Connect.” The family learned about this technology when they searched on Google how they could carry out sowing operations without labourers.
Cost reduction
Farmers worldwide are now turning to RTK technology, which allows agricultural vehicles to operate with unparalleled accuracy. This technological leap ensures that farming operations are more precise and significantly more efficient.
“The output will increase, and the costs associated with time and effort will be dramatically reduced,” Raju asserted passionately. He emphasised the need for government support to help farmers embrace this technology on a larger scale.
Mechanisation of agriculture
Impact evaluation studies in India have revealed the transformative power of mechanisation in agriculture. Reports indicate a staggering 17.9 per cent increase in productivity and a 14.1 per cent improvement in seed germination. Mechanisation also slashes operational time by nearly one-third, reduces the seed rate by 11 per cent, cuts down weed instances by 26.6 per cent, decreases diesel consumption by 22.4 per cent, and lowers fertiliser requirements by 12.7 per cent.
With 263.1 million agricultural workers in the country, according to the 2011 Census, including 118.8 million cultivators and 144.3 million agricultural laborers, the government’s estimates suggest that mechanisation could reduce labor needs by 30 percent once fully adopted.