Daijiworld Media Network - Shahdol
Shahdol, May 3: The custom hiring scheme, launched under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) by the Modi-led Central government, is proving to be a game-changer for small and marginal farmers in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, boosting productivity and creating rural employment.
Farmers are being provided modern agricultural machinery at subsidised rates, with the government offering up to 40% subsidy and 3% interest rebate on machinery purchases. This enables farmers not only to use these tools on their own fields but also to rent them out, generating additional income.
The scheme is open to unemployed rural youth aged 18-40 who have passed Class 12. According to R K Pyasi, Assistant Agricultural Engineer in Shahdol, applications are accepted through the agriculture directorate’s online portal, and selections are made via lottery.
“Selected candidates undergo five-day training in Bhopal or Budhni to learn machinery operation and maintenance. After physical verification, they receive the subsidy,” Pyasi said. Core equipment includes tractors, cultivators, rotavators, ploughs, and threshers, while optional tools like happy seeders, super seeders, reapers, and harvesters are also available.
So far, 52 Custom Hiring Centres have been established in Shahdol. Applications are invited annually from villages that do not yet have one, aiming for community-wide benefits and timely mechanised farming.
Seema Baiga of Nargi village shared: “I heard about the scheme on the radio, applied online, and was selected through the lottery. After training, I purchased a tractor, cultivator, and plough, receiving a subsidy of Rs 6.86 lac. This has improved my yield and rental income.”
Neeraj Singh Parmar from Dulhara village also benefited. “I learned about the scheme from a news report and applied. I am eligible for Rs 8 lac subsidy. Earlier, farming was tough without machines, but now everything is done on time and rental income adds to earnings.”
Both farmers expressed gratitude to PM Modi’s government for launching a scheme that not only enhances farm productivity but also strengthens rural livelihoods through entrepreneurship.