Use of machines taking away jobs, say farm workers

Farms workers in Tamil Nadu are alleging that increase in the usage of the agricultural machinery is taking away their jobs.

The Tamil Nadu government's decision to provide financial assistance to farmers opting for mechanical transplantation for paddy cultivation to increase crop yield and bring down cultivation cost is resulting in job loss for farm workers, particularly women.

To encourage farmers in six Cauvery delta districts including Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam to take up paddy cultivation using ground water sources, the government announced a Rs 56.92 crore package including financial assistance of Rs 4,000 per acre for farmers using machine transplantation of paddy.

However, the farm workers say that they would be forced go jobless if the machines were used for transplantation. The Cauvery delta district, known as "rice bowl of Tamil Nadu", is home to 15 lakh farm workers, mainly Dalits, depending on agriculture for their livelihood.

"While drought hit farm workers were pinning their hopes on the Kuruvai crop season, the government's decision to provide subsidy for using machines for paddy plantation will take away their jobs," A Lasar, state president of All India Agricultural Workers Union said. He demanded that the government provide subsidy to the farmers to engage farm workers so that it would be a win-win situation for both the farmers and the worker as well.

Dr V Ravi, Director, Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute in Aduthurai, Thanjavur said that paddy transplanters are being used due to the shortage of labour. It also helps bring down the cost of cultivation. "If we delay transplantation of saplings due to labour shortage, it will affect the crop yield," he said.

Using machines for transplantation instead of labourers have several advantages, he said, adding that the machines would help to plant seedlings during the right time period, maintain optimum plant population.

"Farmers using machines for plantation will be able to get 30 to 40 per cent more paddy yield compared to the manual plantation. The machines also help reduce the cost of cultivation in terms of savings in labour costs," he noted.

Another agronomist dismissed the union's complaint that workers would go jobless if the machines were used for sowing. "I don't think using machines will affect farm workers. Machines are not suitable for all kinds of land in terms of holding size. Hence there is enough lands available to provide jobs for workers," he said.