Pilathara: Faced with an escalating crisis after the construction of field bunds was excluded from the rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGS), farmers in Cheruthazham panchayat have embraced a novel solution to keep paddy cultivation afloat. To safeguard nearly 500 acres across 13 collective paddy clusters in the panchayat, the Arrathil Padasekhara Samithi took the initiative to deploy a new piece of machinery to build earthen bunds.

Following recent revisions to scheme guidelines, utilising employment guarantee labour for constructing field ridges became unfeasible, prompting local farmers to look for alternatives. Backed by the local Krishi Bhavan, their innovative experiment has turned out to be a resounding success.

The field trial at the Arrathil polder showcased a tractor-mounted implement known as a ‘Ridge Plaster.’ The equipment makes raising field bunds remarkably effortless and, with minor adjustments, can also be adapted to carve out primary irrigation channels. If adopted widely across the region, it promises immense relief to paddy growers struggling with labour shortages.

The machine also qualifies for government support under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) scheme, which offers a 50 percent subsidy for individual farmers and up to 80 percent for farmer collectives.

Panchayat President Sanoop Mohan inaugurated the first phase of the mechanised bund construction at Arrathil. Agricultural Officer Jayarajan Nair, alongside K K V Lakshmanan, M V Soumya, T V Sadanandan, K P V Govindan, and Rameshan Perool, addressed the gathering.