Gujarat farmers to receive major boost for tractor and farm machinery purchases

Gandhinagar, Sep 19 (IANS) The Gujarat government has issued pre-approval orders for over 1.92 lakh farmers for the purchase of tractors and other farm machinery.

Starting this year, farmers are eligible for financial assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh on tractor purchases. The state budget has allocated Rs 800 crore for tractors - double last year's provision - and Rs 590.98 crore for other machinery, more than twice the previous allocation.

Over the past decade, the Gujarat government has supported 3.24 lakh farmers with Rs 1,542 crore for tractors and 3.79 lakh farmers with Rs 1,238 crore for other machinery, amounting to a total of over Rs 2,780 crore in assistance.

Agriculture remains a key driver of India's economy, and modern machinery such as tractors, rotavators, power tillers, combine harvesters, ploughs, and threshers has largely replaced traditional animal-driven tools. While these tools reduce manual labour, high market prices have often put them out of reach for many farmers.

Under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has implemented multiple schemes to provide financial aid to farmers across all categories for machinery purchases. This year, the Gujarat budget has seen the highest-ever increase in allocations for tractor purchases, aiming to assist 80,000 farmers with Rs 800 crore - double last year's allocation.

In addition, funding for other tractor-operated machinery, including combine harvesters, power tillers, rotavators, automatic ornis, ploughs, and threshers, stands at Rs 590.98 crore, more than twice the previous year's provision.

So far, pre-approval orders for tractor purchases have been issued to around 76,000 farmers, with 1,16,700 farmers receiving pre-approvals for other farm tools. In total, the state has provided pre-approvals for over 1.92 lakh farmers for the purchase of tractors and other machinery.

Since 2011-12, the Union government has provided financial support for tractor purchases up to 40 PTO horsepower, covering 25 per cent of the tractor cost or Rs 45,000, and for tractors from 40 to 60 PTO horsepower, 25 per cent of the cost or Rs 60,000, whichever is lower.

From 2025-26, this support has been increased, allowing farmers to receive 25 per cent of the tractor cost or Rs 1 lakh, whichever is less.

With these measures, the Gujarat government continues to incentivise modern, mechanised farming, ensuring that farmers have access to advanced tools to improve productivity and efficiency while reducing manual labour.

--IANS

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