Launch of Women-led Agri-machines Custom Hiring Centres by ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar

10th February 2023

Rural women are major stakeholders in the growth of the agricultural sector of New India. Agriculture Mechanization is an essential input to modern agriculture to increase productivity and for making judicious use of other inputs like seeds, fertilizers, chemicals & pesticides and natural resources like water, soil nutrients etc. besides reducing the human drudgery and cost of cultivation. Custom Hiring Centres make farm machinery and equipments available to women, small and marginal farmers in the production catchment.

To enhance the efficiency of field operations, two women SHG-led Custom Hiring Centres were launched by ICAR- Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar under SCSP on today.

Two Scheduled Caste women farmers' based SHG named Maa Mangla Sanchya Samit, Olikona, Nimapada and Subhashree Swayam Sahayak Gosti, Gualigorada, Satyabadi in Puri district of Odisha were the key stakeholders. The major tools and equipment given were seed treatment drum, drum seeder, cono weeder, paddy thresher cum winnower, ground nut decorticator and maize sheller.

Dr. Mridula Devi, Director, ICAR-CIWA,  in the inaugural address stated that Custom Hiring Centres, will not only enhance the field skills but also will reduce the drudgery of farm women in seed treatment, sowing, weeding, harvesting and post-harvest operations of crops. She also highlighted the importance of millets in diets for nutrition and health, and urged them to prepare and sell millet-based products in entrepreneurship mode.

The programme was attended by a total of 150 farm women at two locations.

(Source: ICAR- Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar)