Srinagar: Come paddy harvesting season, farmers turn to technology to cut time, reduce wastage, and ease physical strain.
In both North and South Kashmir, age-old practices like manual thrashing are gradually giving way to mechanized equipment. The use of combined harvesters and threshers is enabling farmers to complete harvesting tasks more quickly and with greater precision, ensuring minimal grain losses.
“Earlier, thrashing and winnowing would take several days and many hands. Now, with modern machines, we can finish in hours without wasting any grain,” said Moqsood Ahmad Bhat, a farmer from Kupwara.
Farmers also note a sharp reduction in post-harvest losses. “We would lose a good part of our produce during manual thrashing. Now these machines grade our paddy, so we no longer need to go through time-consuming rituals like winnowing,” said Ali Mohammad Bhat, a farmer from Baramulla.
The shift has also created new avenues of rural employment, particularly for younger people investing in machinery. “I bought this machine last year. Since then, I have helped many farmers manage their harvest, and it has benefitted me as well since I get paid for providing these services,” said Irshad Ahmad Khan, a young entrepreneur.
With mechanization gaining ground, Kashmir’s farming community is steadily transitioning from labour-intensive traditions to modern practices. “For the last few years, farming has become relatively easier. We come to see new machines which have a good accuracy and saves time and efforts of farmers. We hope to see a boom in farming with the help of these machines,” said Javid Ahmad Ganie, a businessman, who deals with the sale of products used in modern farming.
Experts highlighted that such tools can boost production and lure more towards farming as a career. “The only sector which is booming and attracting great investment at global level is farming. Kashmir’s farming method has been very obsolete and tradition, which requires advancements. We are optimistic that Kashmir will witness a boom in agriculture and horticulture through the use of modern tools and machinery,” said Irshad Aziz Bhat, an Agronomist and Botanist.
Tech-savvy farmers try mechanised harvesters
