Empowering farmers throughcustom hiring centers

Abstract

Agricultural mechanisation is one of the solutions to increase efficiency of the farms especially in times of labour scarcity. Despite tremendous advancements, mechanisation levels are still only 40–45% in India. This is primarily because of fragmented landholdings and higher cost of modern machineries, which prevents the small and marginal farmers from owning it. Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) have become a viable way to abridge the affordability gap by renting out farm machineries. It emphasises how they contribute to inclusive mechanisation, increase farm profitability, and reduce cultivation cost. However, their potential is still limited by issues like uneven regional distribution, high rental cost, low farmer awareness, and a lack of machinery during peak season. Additionally,
there are still knowledge gaps in the areas like equitable access for marginalised groups, long-term environmental impacts, and gender inclusion. This article provides details of CHCs working, their advantages and challenges in their implementation with special context to Bihar state.