Interesting structural transformation is taking place in rural India in the last few decades, facilitate by wide spreads mechanization, largely tractor use. The share of agricultural workers and draft animals have come down from 64 percent in1971-72 to 14 percent in 2009-10 whereas that of mechanical power has gone up during the same period (Singh et al, 2011). Tractors use had, in most cases, displaced 2-3 pair of bullocks (Mishra 1990, Binswanger 1978).

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Whether Draft Animals are Disappearing from
Rural India: Macro and Micro Level Analysis
Madhusudan Bhattarai, VD Duche and Cynthia Bantilan
VILLAGE DYNAMICS IN SOUTH ASIA
1. Introduction
• Interesting structural transformation is taking place in rural India in the last
few decades, facilitate by wide spreads mechanization, largely tractor use.
• The share of agricultural workers and draft animals have come down from
64 percent in1971-72 to 14 percent in 2009-10 whereas that of mechanical
power has gone up during the same period (Singh et al, 2011).
• Tractors use had, in most cases, displaced 2-3 pair of bullocks (Mishra 1990,
Binswanger 1978).
2. Objectives
• To analyze trends of tractor and draft animals use in India.
• To assess changes on a wages and Mechanization pattern in India.
3. Methodology and Data
• Secondary data were collected from Livestock Census and farm
Implement survey, Govt. of India (1972, 1987, 2003 and 2007).
• Primary data (2001-2014) was collected from three VDSA villages using
Focus Group Discussion.
4. Result and Discussions
This study present national and village level changes on draft animal power
and tractor use.
4.1 Animate and mechanical power at all-India level
After the green revolution the animate power use in agriculture has
declined and the mechanical power use has raised (Fig. 1). In four decade,
the animate power has decreased from 92% to 15% and mechanical power
has increased from 8 to 84%.
Fig. 1. Animate and Mechanical power scenario in India (Singh et al, 2010).
Fig. 2. Trends of tractor in India (Singh et al 2011).
4.2 Trends of tractor use in India
First time tractor was imported in India in early 1950. Its production was
began in 1961-62. The trends of tractor over a period of time give in Fig.2
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Draft animals
Numbers
Fig. 6. Average numbers of tractors in VDSA
villages.
Fig. 5. Average numbers of draft
animals in VDSA villages.
4.5 Draft animals and tractor uses in VDSA villages
Within the short span of 15 years, draft animal uses in Kharif (Rainy)
season has declined 75% (Fig. 7).
Increased rural wages has lead to reduction of draft animals (Fig. 8).
Difference between male and female wage rate has increased in the
recent past.
4.3 Density of draft animal and tractors in India
A diverse pattern of mechanization has emerged (Fig. 3). Wheat-growing
northern regions have a higher concentration of tractors than other
regions (Singh 2010).
The Kerala and Punjab have less density of draft animals.
371.28
732.40
481.38
455.80
416.88
286.11
274.60
256.39
90.92
82.79
54.00
6.17
0.00 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00 700.00 800.00
India
West Bengal
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Uttar Pradesh
Gujarat
Haryana
Tamil Nadu
Punjab
Kerala
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Tractors
Numbers
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Punjab
4
5
10
12
17
18
19
36
44
74
113
25
Density of Tractor (Tractors/1000 ha)
Fig.3. Density of tractors by state
in 2007.
Fig.4. Density of draft animals by state
in 2007.
4.4 Numbers of Draft animals and tractor in VDSA villages
Interestingly, numbers of draft animals have been sharply declining and
tractors has been increasing at all India level. Village level findings are also
support this.
Fig. 8. Average of real agricultural wage
rate of three villages (2009-10 constant `.).
Fig.7. Percentage use of draft animals and
tractor in Kharif and Rabi season in village.
5. Conclusion and Implications
• Draft animals are vanishing from many places in rural India. Tractors
have taken place the role of draft animal for ploughing, largely in places
with better access to rural roads and infrastructure.
• Draft animals are shifted to more interior place where business
operation of tractor is not economically viable.
• Need to encourage custom hiring/ Entrepreneurship development for
hiring services of tractor and other farm machinery in rural area.
• Need more R & D on development for a low cost, low HP tractor.
• Institutional credit for tractor uses need to be simplified.
• The liberalized diesel markets may enhance availability of diesel in rural
India. Replacing tractor to penetrate interior rural India as well.
• Increased tractor use is also facilitating reverse tenancy in rural India.
References
Binswanger H. (1978) The economics of tractor in South Asia: An
analytical Review. Agriculture Development Council, New York.
Singh S, Singh RS and Singh SP. (2010). Farm Power Availability and
Agriculture Production Scenario in India. Agricultural Engineering Today,
34(1), 9-20.
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, India
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1960-61 1965-66 1970-71 1975-76 1980-81 1985-86 1990-91 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06
Animate Mechanical
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
1960-61 1965-66 1970-71 1975-76 1980-81 1985-86 1990-91 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06 2009-10
Tractorsinthousand
371.28
732.40
481.38
455.80
416.88
286.11
274.60
256.39
90.92
82.79
54.00
6.17
0.00 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00 700.00 800.00
India
West Bengal
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Uttar Pradesh
Gujarat
Haryana
Tamil Nadu
Punjab
Kerala
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Tractors
Numbers
0
20
40
60
80
100
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Use of tractor (%) in Kharif season for agriculture
Use of tractor (%) in Rabi season for agriculture
Use of working animals (%) in Kharif season for agriculture
Percentage
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Male
Female
RS/Day
0
20
40
60
80
100
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Use of tractor (%) in Kharif season for agriculture
Use of tractor (%) in Rabi season for agriculture
Use of working animals (%) in Kharif season for agriculture
Percentage
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Male
Female
RS/Day