Gandhinagar, Sep 19 (NationPress) The government of Gujarat has granted pre-approval orders for over 1.92 lakh farmers to procure tractors and other farming equipment.

This year, farmers can avail financial assistance up to Rs 1 lakh for tractor purchases. The state budget has allocated a whopping Rs 800 crore for tractors, which is double the allocation from the previous year, along with Rs 590.98 crore for additional machinery, significantly higher than prior budgets.

Over the last decade, the Gujarat government has aided 3.24 lakh farmers with a total of Rs 1,542 crore for tractors and 3.79 lakh farmers with Rs 1,238 crore for other machinery, contributing to more than Rs 2,780 crore in total assistance.

Agriculture is a crucial sector of India's economy, and modern equipment like tractors, rotavators, power tillers, combine harvesters, ploughs, and threshers have largely replaced traditional animal-driven methods. Although these tools ease manual labor, their high market prices can be prohibitive for many farmers.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has launched several initiatives to provide financial support to farmers of all categories for machinery acquisition. This year's budget marks the highest increase in tractor purchase allocations, aiming to assist 80,000 farmers with Rs 800 crore, doubling last year's budget.

Additionally, the funding for tractor-operated machinery, including combine harvesters, power tillers, rotavators, automatic ornis, ploughs, and threshers, is set at Rs 590.98 crore, more than twice the previous year’s allocation.

So far, pre-approval orders have been issued to approximately 76,000 farmers for tractors, with 1,16,700 farmers receiving pre-approvals for other agricultural implements. In total, pre-approvals have been granted to over 1.92 lakh farmers for the acquisition of tractors and machinery.

Since the fiscal year 2011-12, the Union government has been providing financial assistance for tractor purchases up to 40 PTO horsepower, covering 25% of the cost or Rs 45,000, and for tractors ranging from 40 to 60 PTO horsepower, 25% of the cost or Rs 60,000, whichever is lower.

From 2025-26, this support is set to increase, allowing farmers to claim 25% of the tractor cost or Rs 1 lakh, whichever amount is lower.

Through these initiatives, the Gujarat government is committed to promoting modern, mechanized farming, ensuring farmers have access to advanced tools that enhance productivity and efficiency while minimizing manual labor.