Companies like Star International have been selling different types of cultivators and attachments to cater to farmers in the country.
The company is currently selling Nichino and Rato brands of cultivators.[break]
Sindhu Ratna Tuladhar, proprietor of Star International, said the demand for cultivators has increased lately due mainly to shortage of manpower for farm works.
Nichino is a Taiwanese brand that uses either Mitsubishi or Subaru Robin engine. Star International has been selling five different models of Nichino cultivators -- 850S, 650S, 650N, 308A and 308 E. Rato, however, is a Chinese brand. The company is selling only one model - GR 8007 - of Rato cultivators in Nepal.
Nichino cultivators are priced in range of Rs 65,000 to Rs 195,000. However, farmers have to buy attachments separately depending on the purpose. Attachments are available in range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
Similarly, Rato cultivators that use Honda engine cost Rs 28,500.
These cultivators are used to prepare seedbed for floriculture, horticulture and plantation of various types of crops.
“These cultivators are very easy to operate and are the best option at a time when manpower for farm works is not easily available and most of the family members of every household are migrating to foreign land,” said Tuladhar.
Rato cultivators can till 1.5 ropani (1 ropani = 5476 sq.ft) of land in one hour consuming just one liter of petrol. Similarly, Nichino cultivators can till nine ropanis of land in an hour consuming 1.6 liters if petrol.
“Farmers mostly prefer Rato cultivators because they are cheaper,” Tuladhar said, adding that Nichino cultivators are purchased in bulk by National Agricultural Research and Service Centre (NARSC).
Star International sold around 200 units of Rato cultivators over the past three months.
Along with cultivators, the company also sells Japanese brush cutter, Robin water pumps and garden sprayer among others. The brush cutter is available at Rs 42,000, Robin water pumps of 2-inch and 3-inch are priced Rs 40,000 and Rs 44,000 respectively, the Chinese pumps of 2-inch and 3-inch cost Rs 13,000 and Rs 14,500 respectively.
Similarly Japanese garden sprayers that are used for spraying pesticides are priced in range of Rs 8,000 to Rs 145,000.
Besides farming tools, the company also sells bikes imported from China and Taiwan.
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