Farm Mechanization Strategy for Promotion of Animal Drawn Improved Farm Equipment in Nagaland State of India

Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Nagaland. Principal crops include rice, corn, millets, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds and sugarcane. It provides livelihood to around 70% population of the state. It has total cultivable are of 721,924 hectares out of which 70% is in the hilly region (up to 2,500) meters and the rest 30% is in the foot hills symbolizing as the rice bowl of the state. Rice is the staple food for most of the people and occupies about 70% of the total cultivated area contributing to about 75% of total food grain output in the state. About 90% land of the state belongs to individuals and the land is divided into small sizes and scattered in different locations. The total livestock were 1.41 million in the Nagaland state of the country. The package of improved equipment can reduce the human drudgery and there will be savings of input under animal based farming system both under terrace farming and jhum cultivation. The cost of package of improved equipment for jhum cultivation was US$ 291.06. Under terrace farming without rice, the pack age cost of equipment was worked out as $ 783.70 under animal based farming in hills in Nagaland. The equipment package for rainfed rice cultivation in hills was estimated as $ 1,165.227. The requirement of total packages (14,256 no.) will cost $ 9.99 million for mechanizing 5% cultivated area in the hill state under animal based farming system through selective mechanization. The total benefits from adoption of improved equipment package in 5% of cultivated area were estimated as $ 6.76 million.