Coronavirus lockdown | TAFE expands free tractor rental scheme to Rajasthan, UP to help marginal farmers

The scheme is going to be for a period of 90 days ranging from April 6, TAFE Chairman and director Mallika Srinivasan said.

Farm equipment major TAFE is expanding its free tractor rental scheme to Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to assist small and marginal farmers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The company, which on April 2 announced the scheme to assist small farmers in Tamil Nadu, said it'll offer a complete of around 14,000 tractors and 62,000 implements rent-free within the two states for 90 days.

TAFE Chairman and director Mallika Srinivasan told PTI that the step has been taken to mitigate the impact of coronavirus pandemic on small and marginal farmers and therefore the company would bear the value of renting the tractors and implements.

"We had an honest monsoon and therefore the water level was good. The prospects for the Rabi crop were looking excellent. At that point, the unfortunate thing has come and hit us.

"So, from our side, what we are attempting to do could be a measure to support at this very crucial juncture, where they (farmers) need to have an honest income from their current crop and be doing timely preparation for subsequent crop," she said.

From April 6, TAFE will start during a small way in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, she said.

Sharing the size of the initiative within the two states, she said in Rajasthan the corporate would have about 11,000 and 50,000 implements covering over 20 key districts, and in Uttar Pradesh about 3,000 tractors and 12,000 implements in over 20 districts.

The scheme is going to be for a period of 90 days ranging from April 6, Srinivasan said.

Already in Tamil Nadu, the corporate is offering 4,400 tractors and over 15,000 implements across 30 districts rent-free for 90 days, ranging from April 1.

Srinivasan also expressed gratitude to the governments of the three states for his or her support in making the scheme happen considering the restrictions thanks to the continued lockdown.

The scheme is being offered through its JFarm Services platform on the Uzhavan App for Massey Ferguson tractor and Eicher tractor brands.

JFarm Services is an initiative by TAFE to extend quick access to farm mechanization solutions through the rental of tractors and farm equipment for little and enormous farms, localized weather forecasts, latest mandi prices, agri-news alerts and advisory.