TAFE offers free rental for 16,500 tractors to small farmers in Tamil Nadu

TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment), the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer and a member of the Amalgamations Group, has announced its free tractor rental scheme to support small farmers of Tamil Nadu during this ongoing cropping season.

This free tractor rental scheme is in addition to TAFE’s earlier contribution of oxygen concentrators, procurement of oxygen cylinders and support to the planned mass immunisation program. The total outlay towards all of TAFE’s contributions to Covid relief is Rs 15 crore.

The free tractor rental scheme would cover around 120,000 acres and will benefit an estimated 50,000 farmers. It will be available from May 2021 through July 2021 across Tamil Nadu.

TAFE is offering 16,500 Massey Ferguson and Eicher tractors and 26,800 implements on a ‘free-of-cost’ rental basis to small farmers owning 2 acres or less. Farmers can rent or hire tractors or farm implements using TAFE’s digital platform on the Tamil Nadu government’s Uzhavan app or the toll-free helpline 1800-4200-100. The scheme will be implemented with the support of the Agriculture Department of Tamil Nadu and their district officials.

This year's free rental initiative is over four times bigger than the one TAFE had introduced in April 2020, when it offered 4,400 tractors and 10,500 implements on a free of cost rental basis. 

Commenting on the initiative, TAFE’s chairman and Managing Director Mallika Srinivasan said, “With the encouragement and support of the Tamil Nadu government, TAFE is happy to offer free-of-cost rental services to the small and marginal farmers of Tamil Nadu. TAFE will offer its Massey Ferguson and Eicher tractors along with farm implements to support the small and marginal farmers through this critical time and crucial cropping season.”