In a major push to mechanize farming and reduce women’s labor in agriculture, the Uttarakhand government has announced an 80% subsidy—up to ₹4 lakh—on agricultural equipment under its new Farm Machinery Bank initiative. This move is aimed at small and marginal farmers, who make up nearly 90% of the state’s farming population.
To implement the scheme, farm machinery banks will be set up at the village level and managed by groups of 8 to 10 farmers. These groups will be eligible for the subsidy and can also rent out equipment to other farmers, creating an additional source of income.
The initiative particularly targets hill districts, where most of the agricultural workforce comprises women and where buying expensive machinery is not feasible for individual farmers. By facilitating shared access to essential tools, the government aims to modernize hill agriculture and increase productivity.
According to Agriculture Director K.C. Pathak, around 10,000 farmer groups will benefit from the scheme, which has a total budget of ₹400 crore. The move is expected to bridge the gap between small farmers and modern technology, especially in Uttarakhand’s remote regions.
