CSIR- CMERI develops compact & affordable tractor for farmers

CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR- CMERI) has developed a compact, affordable and easily maneuverable tractor of low horsepower range to meet the requirement of the marginal and small farmers, with support from the SEED Division of DST. These tractors will be supplied to farmers through different state government tenders at subsidised rates.

They have promoted the technology among several existing SHG’s, and efforts were made to create new SHG's particularly for this technology. CSIR- CMERI is also discussing licensing it to local companies for large scale manufacturing, so that the benefits can reach the local farmers.

The tractor has been developed with a 9 hp diesel engine with 8 forward and 2 reverse speeds, PTO with 6 splines @540 rpm. The total weight of the tractor is around 450kg, having front and rear wheel sizes of 4.5-10 and 6-16 respectively. The wheelbase, ground clearance, and turning radius are 1200 mm, 255mm, and 1.75m respectively.

It can help speed up farming, finishing it in a few hours in comparison to several days that the bullock cart needs and also reduces capital and maintenance cost of farmers.

Hence, the affordable compact tractor could replace the bullock driven plough for small and marginal farmers.

This newly developed compact, affordable and easily maneuverable tractor catering for small and marginal farmers could help them increase agricultural productivity while keeping the cost low. An MSME has planned to set up a manufacturing plant for mass production of tractors for supply to farmers, according to Government sources.

The technology was demonstrated to various manufacturers recently. A Ranchi based MSME has shown interest in manufacturing it by setting up a plant for mass production of the tractor. They plan to supply the developed tractor to farmers through different state government tenders at subsidised rates.

Marginal and small farmers comprise over 80 per cent of cultivators in India. A large population of them still depend on bullock driven farming in which operational costs, maintenance costs and poor returns pose a challenge. Though power tillers are replacing bullock driven plough, they are cumbersome to operate. Tractors on the other hand are unsuitable for small farmers and unaffordable for most small farmers.

According to Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA) (TMA's) data in May 2024, total tractor sales, including exports, stood at 91,757 units (8,809 exports), while production stood at 89,154 units. Both sales and production gradually increased from January 2024. Beginning of the year total sales stood at 62,774 units, while production stood at 74,895 units.