BHAKTAPUR, Oct 29: Farmers of Bhaktapur have harvested paddy for the first time using a machine. The harvesting machine, named ‘Mini Command’, has helped farmers take a relief from hard manual labor harvesting the major staple crop.
Farmers suffer as paddy production cost rises, price falls
“The machine is a boon for farmers. I harvested paddy grown on more than 22 ropanis of farmland using the machine. It took just an hour to harvest paddy grown on 2 ropanis,” said Shyamkrishna Gosai, a farmer from Milibako of Changunarayan municipality, Bhaktapur, adding that the performance of the machine was equal to the manual work done by half a dozen people.
The machine, provided for test by National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Lalitpur, was brought in Bhaktapur by local Siddhi Agricultural Co-operative Society Limited.
However, there is only a limited number of farmers using the machine. “Only a few farmers got to use the machine this year since only one machine is available for a weeklong test period,” said Punyaram Dumaru, president of the co-operative. The machine has been provided free of cost for the farmers. The farmers however have to pay for fuel and machine operator, according to Dumaru.
