Seeking to spread the knowledge of farm mechanization for improving agricultural production, India’s second largest tractor company TAFE has embarked on a national training program called ‘Cultivating India’, in line with their corporate philosophy of ‘Cultivating the World’.
TAFE has drawn up a detailed training module under which agri-scientists and officials of agricultural departments of various states are given a hands-on training at the company’s agricultural research centre J Farm. Established by TAFE in the memory of the founder of Amalgamations Group, Mr. S. Anatharamakrishnan, in 1964, J Farm specializes in adaptive research to help the farmers maximize their productivity and income. Supporting farmers in Tamil Nadu with farm management and best farming practices and supplying them quality seeds for cultivation, the company has now decided to spread the movement pan-India.
Dr. K Srinivasan, Senior Chief Agri-Economist, TAFE, added that, “The first batch of trainees from Meghalaya Agriculture Department recently completed a five-day program on farming practices and suitable farm machinery, use of tractors and its applications with suitable implements for hilly terrain and terrace farming along with familiarization to implements such as mould board plough, rotary tiller, cultivator, leveler, cage wheel, seed drill, thresher, sprayer, reaper and furrow maker.
The officials from the Meghalaya Agriculture Department were benefited with the on-field demonstration of the latest technology for cultivation of rice, vegetables, select fruit crops and use of vermicomposting farmyard manure. These officials will now in turn train farmers in their home state.”
TAFE will invite agriculture officers from various Indian states and agriculture universities from across the country in batches, and impart specialized training to them.
The company recently launched a pilot project to train women farmers in tractor driving, usage of implements and farm management.
“Such an exercise cannot be carried out by a private endeavor, but needs the support and partnership of the departments of agriculture at the central and state levels, as well as the leading agricultural research institutes in various states. We are confident that with this approach, the North Eastern states will be able to improve farm productivity significantly, and also open up new employment opportunities, as a result of improved rural economies,” added Mr. T R Kesavan, COO – Product Strategy and Corporate Relations, TAFE.