Introduction
Tractors are multi-purpose vehicles used for
agricultural and commercial purposes. Farmers purchase the vehicles primarily
for agricultural purpose. However, they are also used for commercial purposes.
Taking into consideration the short period for which tractors can be deployed
in agricultural operations, it is not economically viable for farmers to use
them solely for farming. Pre-independence, tractors were mainly used for land
reclamation. Currently, they are extensively used in farming operations and for
transportation purposes in rural areas. Tractors are also used in specified
segments such as airports for hauling luggage.
Agricultural usage
Land reclamation
In the 1950s and early 1960s, tractors were mainly
used for reclamation and developing of cultivable land. However, currently, the
usage of tractors for land reclamation is negligible.
Farming operations
In farming operations, tractors are used
for the preparation of the seedbed, irrigation and harvesting. The main
advantage of using tractors is the reduced time taken for the preparation of
the seedbed and the facilitation of deeper irrigation. Traditionally, family
members carried out the first two activities, while the latter was carried out
by hired or permanent labour. However, with the rise in the number of nuclear families
and the shortage of rural labour, tractors are increasingly being used for all
farming activities.
Typically, a farmer would use a tractor for
farming for around 15 days in a year, depending on the cropping intensity and
soil conditions. In addition, a tractor is used for 2-3 days for tilling and
the preparation of the seedbed. However, this could vary with soil conditions.
It is used for another 8-10 days for harvesting and other operations such as
threshing, and 1-2 days for transporting the produce to the marketplace. The
proportion of use increases in case of multiple crops.
Custom hiring
A farmer uses his tractor for 2-3 days for tilling
his farm. For the rest of the tilling season, he rents his tractor on an hourly
basis to other farmers who do not own tractors. Typically, in a village with a
population of 1,000 persons, 4-5 farmers own tractors and lend it to other
farmers. During the non-peak season, farmers also rent tractors to rural
contractors for commercial use.
Power source
Farmers require power for conducting agricultural
operations. In most states, there is an acute shortage of power, which affects
farming activities. Tractors are the
main source of power in country farms, providing 60-70 per cent of the power
requirement of a mechanised farm, while the remaining is provided by labourers,
draught animals, pump-sets and generators. The
power requirement increases, especially during tilling and the preparation of
land. Tractors are also used as a source of power for operating agricultural
implements.
Power could be in the form of mobile power for
tilling, harvesting and cultivation, or stationery power for operating
bore-wells, threshing and fuel-grinding. Tractors replace human power required
for tilling, harvesting and cultivation by providing mobile power. They also
provide stationery power through the use of the power takeoff (PTO) shaft.
Tractors are provided with a spare PTO shaft, which can be attached to any
motor or gear for running the required equipment. Hence, a motor for operating
a bore-well, a thresher or any other machine can be easily operated using a
tractor.
Table 3: Tractors - horsepower output for various farm inputs
|
|
HP
|
|
Human
|
0.1
|
|
Bullock
|
0.4
|
|
Electric
motor
|
6.0
|
|
Power crusher
and thresher
|
6.0
|
|
Diesel engine
|
7.0
|
|
Power tiller
|
7.0
|
|
Tractor
|
35.0
|
|
Source:
CRISIL Research
|
|
Commercial usage
Rural transportation
Tractors are extensively used in the
transportation of passengers and goods such as fodder and food grains from
rural areas to the nearest marketplace. This includes transportation of the
produce from the farm to the marketplace for sale. The farmer attaches a
trailer to the tractor for transporting passengers and goods.
Rural construction and road-building
Tractors are also used in the transportation of
soil, stones and construction equipment by contractors undertaking rural work
contracts such as canal-building, construction of dams and rural roads.
Clearing
Tractors are also used in jungle/patch clearing.
However, this is a marginal activity for most farmers.
Urban usage
In recent years, airlines, hotels and resorts are
using tractors in the 40 HP and above segment for hauling luggage. However, the
proportion of such usage is very low.
In developed countries, lower HP tractors are used
in gardening, horticulture and hobby farming. However, in India
In future, tractors are expected to continue to be
used largely for agricultural, rural construction and transportation purposes
in the country. In urban areas, tractor usage is expected to remain low due to
the abundant availability of low-cost manpower.
