Small farmers get free rental tractor from TAFE as COVID relief

CHENNAI, 26 MAY 2021: Chennai-based Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) has announced a free tractor rental scheme to support small farmers of the state during this critical cropping season, amid the second wave of Covid-19.

This free tractor rental scheme is in addition to its earlier contribution of oxygen concentrators, procurement of oxygen cylinders, and support to the planned mass immunization programme. The total outlay towards all of TAFE’s contributions to Covid relief now stood at Rs 15 crore, the company said.

The free tractor rental scheme would cover around 1.2 lakh acre and will benefit around 50,000 farmers. It will be available from May 2021 through July 2021 across Tamil Nadu. TAFE will offer its 16,500 Massey Ferguson and Eicher tractors and 26,800 implements on a ‘free-of-cost’ rental basis to small farmers owning two-acre or less. Farmers can rent or hire tractors or farm implements using TAFE’s digital platform on the Tamil Nadu government’s Uzhavan app or the toll-free helpline number 1800-4200-100. The scheme will be implemented with the support of the Agriculture Department of Tamil Nadu and its district officials.

JFarm Services is an initiative by TAFE to increase easy access to farm mechanization solutions through the rental of tractors and farm equipment for small and large farms, localized weather forecast, latest mandi prices, agri-news alerts, and advisory. Small and marginal farmers, who hold about 85% of the landholdings in India may not be able to afford ownership of tractors or implements. JFarm Services bridges this gap by connecting these farmers with tractor and equipment owners through its Farmer-2-Farmer platform.