Farm Power Sources, their Availability and Future Requirements to Sustain Agricultural Production

Thesis Overview

<p> <b>1. INTRODUCTION&nbsp;</b></p><p>Power is needed on the farm for operating different tools, implements and during various farm operations. While mobile power is used for doing different field jobs, the stationary power is used for lifting water and operating irrigation equipment; operating threshers, shellers/decorticators, cleaners, graders and for other post harvest operations. The mobile farm power comes from human, draught animals, power tillers, tractors and self propelled machines, where as the stationary power is obtained from oil engines (diesel, petrol, kerosene) and electric motors. Availability of adequate farm power is very crucial for timely farm operations for increasing production and productivity and handling the crop produce to reduce losses. With the increase in intensity of cropping the turn around time is drastically reduced and it is not possible to harvest and thresh the standing crop, on one hand, and prepare seed bed and do timely sowing operations of subsequent crop, on the other hand, in the limited time available, unless adequate farm power is available. Similarly for precision farming, increasing area under irrigation, conservation tillage, straw management and diversification in agriculture, more power is required for water lifting and precision placement/application of agricultural inputs—seed, fertilizer, irrigation water, plant protection chemicals etc and meeting the requirements of diversified agriculture. There has been close nexus between farm power availability and increased productivity.&nbsp;</p><p>Those states where availability of farm power is more have, in general, higher productivity as compared to others as shown in Table&nbsp;</p><p>1. The variations in the trend of productivity in few states are because of the variations in crops grown and the rainfall pattern in those states. The trend of average farm power availability and food grain production in India is shown in Figure 1. <br></p><p> 2. SOURCES OF FARM POWER&nbsp;</p><p>The different sources of power available on the farm for doing various mobile and stationary operations are as under: Mobile Power 1. Human (men, women, children)&nbsp;</p><p>2. Draught animals (bullocks, buffaloes, camels, horses and ponies, mules and donkeys)&nbsp;</p><p>3. Tractors&nbsp;</p><p>4. Power tillers&nbsp;</p><p>5. Self propelled machines (combines, dozers, reapers, sprayers etc.)&nbsp;</p><p>Stationary Power 1. Diesel/oil engines (for pump sets, threshers, sprayers and other stationary operations)&nbsp;</p><p>2. Electric motors (for pump sets, threshers, sprayers and other stationary operations)&nbsp;</p><p>2.1 Human Power The average power availability, in sustained working, from a male agricultural worker is considered as 60 watts (0.06 kW) while for a female worker it is considered as 48 watts (0.048 kW) and for child worker as 30 watts <br></p><p> Table 2. Time Series Population of Agricultural Workers (in millions)&nbsp;</p><p><u>Sl. No.    Type of worker   1951   1961   1971  1981   1991   2001&nbsp;</u></p><p>1     Total Population    361.1   439.2   548.9  685.2  846.3  1027.0&nbsp;</p><p>     (Annual growth rate%) (1.25)   (1.96)   (2.22)  (2.20)  (2.14)  (1.93)&nbsp;</p><p>2      Rural Population   298.6   360.3   439.0  523.9  628.7  741.7&nbsp;</p><p>     (% of total population) (82.7)   (82.0)   (80.1)  (76.7)  (74.3)  (72.22)&nbsp;</p><p>3     Cultivators       69.9   99.6   78.2   92.5  110.7   127.6&nbsp;</p><p>     (% of total workers)  (49.9)   (52.8)   (43.4)  (37.8)  (35.2)  (31.7)&nbsp;</p><p>4     Agricultural Labourers  27.3   31.5    47.5  55.5   74.6   107.5&nbsp;</p><p>     (% of total workers)   (19.5)  (16.7)   (26.3)  (22.7)  (23.8)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (26.7)&nbsp;</p><p>5     Agricultural Workers   97.2  131.1\   125.7  148.0  185.3   235.1 (3+4)&nbsp;</p><p>     (% of Total Workers)   (69.4)  (69.5)  (69.8)  (60.5)  (59.0)   (58.4)&nbsp;</p><p>6     Other Workers     42.8   57.6   54.7   96.6  128.8   167.4&nbsp;</p><p>     (% of Total Workers)  (30.6)  (30.5)   (30.)   (39.5)  (41.0)  (41.6)&nbsp;</p><p>7     Total Main Workers  (5+6) 140.0 188.4  180.4  244.6  314.1  402.5&nbsp;</p><p>  <u>   (% of Total Workers)  (100.0)  (100.0)  (100.0)  (100.0)&nbsp; &nbsp;(100.0)&nbsp; (100.0)&nbsp;</u></p><p>Source: Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, 2002. <br></p><p> (0.030 kW), which are 80% and 50% respectively, compared to male worker. The time series population of agricultural workers during the period 1951 to 2001 is given in Table 2. While the population of agricultural workers as percentage of rural population has gone down from about 69.4% in 1951 to about 58.4% in 2001 but in absolute terms, due to increase in overall population, the number of agricultural workers available in rural areas has increased from about 97.2 million numbers in 1951 to about 235.1 million numbers in 2001. These agricultural workers are engaged in different farm operations and depend on agriculture for their livelihood, even when they are not fully employed throughout the year. Due to too much involvement of labour in different farm operations, the cost of production of most of the crops in our country is quite high as compared to developed countries. 2.2 Draught Animal Power Draught animals, particularly bullocks, are still the predominant source of mobile power on about 60% of the cultivated area consisting of about 85 million ha. They are very versatile and dependable source of power and are used in sun and rain under muddy and rough field conditions. They are born and reared in the village system and maintained on the feed and fodder available locally. They are ideal for rural transport where proper roads are not available. They reduce dependence on mechanical sources of power and save scarce petroleum products. Their dung and urine are also used as indirect source of energy—farmyard manure, biogas. They also help in maintaining ecological balance. Under Indian conditions where majority of the people are vegetarian and even amongst non-vegetarians, majority of them don’t eat beef, draught animals as byproduct of milch animals, will continue to be available for draught purposes in future also. About 4-5 decades back most of the farm operations, water lifting, rural transport, oil extraction, sugarcane crushing, chaff cutting etc, were being done using draught animals only. But with the modernization of <br></p>