Farm mechanisation for food security: A big challenge facing India is food security for a population that is growing at about 0.8% every year, while the availability of arable land remains finite at approximately 154 million hectares. The United Nations estimates that India’s population may stabilise around the 2060s at about 1.7 billion. The situation calls for an urgent increase in agricultural production and productivity, particularly of diverse and nutritious crops, through intensive yet sustainable farming practices.
Large-scale farm mechanisation is essential for enhancing crop yields, improving production quality, reducing post-harvest losses, and utilising land more efficiently through multiple cropping. Mechanisation also improves resource efficiency, particularly in reducing water consumption, and enhances climate resilience by enabling faster farming during unpredictable weather conditions. Additionally, mechanisation encourages youth participation in agriculture and promotes sustainability by enhancing soil health and overall farm efficiency.
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A comprehensive approach to small-scale farming
A holistic approach is necessary to support small-scale agriculture, with farm mechanisation as a key component. Improving water management is critical, as agriculture consumes 80% of India’s depleting water resources. Indian agriculture also uses two to three times more water than leading agricultural nations to produce similar outputs. Efficient water use and conservation techniques need to be prioritised. Additionally, sustainable farming practices such as crop diversification, intercropping, integrated farming systems, seed treatment, improved seed varieties, soil remediation, zero tillage, direct-seeded rice, crop protection, farm ponds, and micro-irrigation should be encouraged among smallholder farmers.
Small and marginal holdings, those up to 2 hectares, constitute 86.08% of total holdings and account for 46.94% of the total operated area, according to the Agriculture Census 2015-16. These farmers produce approximately 60% of India’s total food grains and over half of the country’s fruits and vegetables. Mechanising this large segment of farmers is crucial for sustainable agricultural growth. While large farmers are typically early adopters of modern technology, the real impact of mechanisation can only be realised when small and marginal farmers have access to these advancements.
Rural women play a crucial role in Indian agriculture, performing 70% of the major agricultural tasks manually. Research by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) shows that women’s participation in major crop production is 75%, in horticulture 79%, in post-harvest work 51%, and in animal husbandry and fisheries 95%. Gender-specific mechanisation efforts must be prioritised to improve efficiency and reduce drudgery for women farmers.
The state of farm mechanisation
As of 2022, approximately 47% of agricultural activities in India were mechanised to some extent, primarily in land preparation using tractors. While mechanisation is more common among large farmers, about 44% of small farmers use limited machinery, such as tractors, diesel or electric pump sets, and power tillers. However, many small farmers still rely on manual tools and animal-drawn implements. Achieving 75-80% mechanisation—comparable with most developed agricultural nations—may take another 25 years.
Currently, about 80% of farm machines in India run on diesel, while the rest use electricity. Efforts are underway to promote more sustainable energy sources for farm mechanisation, including government schemes, subsidies, research and development, private sector involvement, and increasing farmer awareness.
Farm machinery availability across different farm sizes varies. Approximately 30-50% of farm machines can be used on both large and small farms. Large farmers own higher-capacity and more powerful machines, such as high-horsepower tractors, while smaller models, including compact tractors, are available for small farmers. However, there remains a significant shortage of smaller, versatile, multi-purpose machines designed for manoeuvrability and energy efficiency.
Smallholder farmers often use locally developed farm tools, sometimes referred to as ‘jugaad’ innovations. However, these are generally unsuitable for mass production and need redesigning to meet safety and efficiency standards. Large-scale manufacturing requires an organised supply chain and adherence to safety regulations.
For small farmers, mechanisation largely operates on a rental model, focused on tractors, tractor-mounted equipment, and other farm machinery. However, small and marginal farmers struggle to access rental machinery due to limited institutional credit and a mismatch between available machinery and their specific needs.
Multi-stakeholder approach for mechanisation
While the government plays a crucial role in investment and outreach, private companies, farmer groups, community-based organisations, and civil society organisations are key drivers for the sustained adoption of farm machinery among small farmers.
Individual ownership of farm machinery is often uneconomical for small farmers. Formal associations or farmer collectives enable resource pooling, collective machinery purchases, and rental sharing. These associations also help in transferring technology and improving supply chains by facilitating access to credit for equipment purchases.
Mechanisation delivery models
Farm machinery for small farmers can be made accessible through various methods. These include subsidy-based purchases supported by both central and state government schemes, financial institutions providing credit and loans for machinery acquisition, and rental models implemented through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), Farm Machinery Banks, agricultural cooperatives, and self-help groups (SHGs). Private sector initiatives and CSO and CSR programs also play a significant role in promoting modern agricultural practices. CSOs, in particular, contribute by training farmers in advanced digital agricultural technologies, such as drone-based pesticide spraying, which is more efficient than manual application.
Beyond making farm machinery accessible, other essential efforts for successful mechanisation include awareness creation by Krishi Vigyan Kendras and CSOs to educate small farmers on available schemes and services. Farmers also require training on operating and maintaining machinery, a role primarily played by private sector manufacturers. Strengthening farmer associations and research & policy support from think tanks like NITI Aayog, ICAR, and agricultural universities is crucial for driving improvements in mechanisation.
Government initiatives: SMAM and RKVY
Recognising the unique needs of small and marginal farmers, the Indian government launched the Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) under the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET) in 2015. SMAM had three key components: subsidies for individual farmers and farmer collectives to purchase agricultural machinery (with an additional 10% subsidy for women beneficiaries), support for setting up Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) to encourage shared use of machinery, and the establishment of hi-tech hubs for training, testing, and demonstrating advanced farm equipment. More than INR 5,000 crores were allocated under SMAM, which was later merged into the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in 2023 to further support state agricultural programs.
Feeding India’s growing population requires a shift from labour-intensive to technology driven mechanised agriculture, particularly for small and marginal farmers. Beyond replacing manual labour, farm mechanisation optimises resources, enhances productivity, reduces drudgery (especially for women), and fosters rural entrepreneurship opportunities.
Strengthening credit access, incentivising machinery purchases through farmer collectives, expanding rural infrastructure and service networks, and focusing on research and development for compact, affordable, multi-functional farm machinery are critical steps. By embracing a multi-stakeholder approach, India can ensure food security while enhancing the livelihoods of its farmers, paving the way for a more sustainable agricultural future.
The authors work with SM Sehgal Foundation, Gurugram.