A unique tractor and farm equipment rental platform of TAFE was launched in Odisha on Wednesday by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to help farmers in the state.
Christened as 'JFarm Services', the initiative is a unique effort and a CSR initiative of Tractors and Farm Equipment's (TAFE's) vision of cultivating the world to enrich the lives of farmers across India.
This JFarm Services, launched jointly with Odisha's Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment as part of TAFE's CSR initiative, aims to facilitate the hiring of tractors and modern farm machinery to farmers free of cost, said a TAFE official.
Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & CEO - TAFE, said India is a land of small farms and almost 85 per cent of them have no access to farm mechanisation which has the potential to improve their yields and income. JFarm Services allows both farmers offering their tractors and farm equipment on rent, and smaller farmers seeking this service benefit directly from the JFarm Services app.
"It is our aim to touch the lives of millions of farmers across the country as we progress towards the vision of doubling farm income by 2022," she said.
Noting that about 91.8 per cent of the landholdings by area in Odisha are with small and marginal farmers who have limited or no access to agriculture mechanisation, she said JFarm Services aims to increase easy access to farm mechanisation through rental of tractors and farm equipment.
The JFarm Services App will connect tractor owners and Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) operated by tractors and equipment owners directly to farmers seeking farm mechanisation solutions, thereby facilitating a fair and transparent rental process.
JFarm Services offers the farmers and renters a wide range of prospects for hiring and renting of farm equipment and connects them directly to negotiate and fulfil their respective requirement.
T R Kesavan, President & COO, Product Strategy & Corporate Relations - TAFE, said: "TAFE through JFarm Services has collaborated with Government of Odisha in making farm mechanisation available to small and marginal farmers through the shared economy model, to create sustainable agricultural productivity and growth for the state."
With an initial pilot roll-out covering large states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar, JFarm Services has directly benefited and impacted around 65,000 users resulting in about 125,000 orders, adding up to about 300,000 hours in hired farm machinery usage, he added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
