Balers reign Kuttanad fields

ALAPPUZHA: As the mechanised harvesting progresses in Kuttanadan fields, farmers largely depend on rakes and balers to move 14-15 inch stalk (straw) remains thanks to high demand from neighbouring states. Machines had slowly replaced sickles and hands over the years, as farmhands started dwindling. Rakes and balers arrived four years ago helping large-scale farmers in a faster straw collection from reaped polders.

"Though unviable for small-timers, they made straws, once burnt in the paddy fields, valuable," principal agricultural officer A.G. Abdul Kareem said. "There are no places in the area to make haystacks. Buyers are mostly dairy farmers and biomass power plants." They bind at least 500 bundles of 20-25 kg a day, each fetching Rs 45 for its owner. Powered by a 35 HP tractor, the rake costing around Rs 4 lakh has arms or spring tines to pick reaped straws and arrange them in neat lines with a three-feet gap. The baler attached to a heavier 55 HP tractor, priced at Rs 2.5 lakh, helps compress them into compact 25-30 kg rectangular bundles and twine.

Farmers say it takes typically 35-40 minutes to cover an acre giving 25-27 quintals of straw. "This is a seasonal business. So we charge Rs 45 to bale a bundle in a minute," said Paul Mathew of Kalangara near Edathua who bought pair four years ago. The running cost is Rs 10 a bunch, including diesel and labour, and the rest is the operator's profit. An entrepreneur who bales 20,000 quintals can make roughly Rs 6 lakh and recover the entire investment. "It all depends on how many bundles you make. Many people do 700 quintals a day working dawn to dusk. I did some 30,000 quintals last year," he said.