Kundapur: Adversity Inspires Farmer to Turn Inventor
Daijiworld Media Network—Kundapur (RD/CN)
Kundapur, Jul 27: Forty-five-year-old Chandra Acharya, a farmer residing at Beejady, near here, is the inventor of a unique implement.
He has designed a plough and yoke to be pulled by a pair of men so as to till his paddy field when faced with an acute shortage of oxen and buffaloes. Unavailability of rental tillers which are heavily booked during the monsoon, is another factor which led to this unique invention.
Chandra Acharya has 1.5 acres of farmland and had faced shortage of labour during the monsoon last year. It was very difficult to get farm hands to undertake necessary tasks such as paddy cultivation, plant saplings, etc.
During his spare time, Acharya designed a plough and yoke that can be pulled by two men instead of oxen or buffaloes. His background as an expert blacksmith and welder enabled him to come up with this innovative design.
Acharya began to plough a small patch of paddy field with the help of his comrades Shekar Madivala and Raju Marakala, who held the yoke on either side and pulled along. They completed the tilling in four and a half hours and began planting the saplings. The three of them plan to similarly plough the rest of the farmland owned by Acharya.
“It is difficult to get farm hands; even if one is willing to pay more wages. I have gone through immense trouble to find labourers and oxen. I have realized that if I wait to get farm hands, I will not be able to undertake farming at all,” said Acharya.
Acharya is not in a position to rear any oxen or buffaloes as he has a small holding. The rental tillers in the neighbourhood are booked through the season.