‘Uber for Tractors’: Government to Launch New App to Help Farmers Rent Costly Equipment

The center and agriculture ministry have decided to launch a new revolutionary app which will help the rural farmers to access cutting-edge technology in an affordable price at their doorsteps. With this new mobile application, farmers can book and hire all the expensive agricultural equipment which is beyond the reach for any average small farmers.

Keeping in mind the popular app ‘Uber’, the government named it ‘Uber for Tractors’ which aims to reach and connect among the grass root level people and farmers as Uber connects to cabs.

“We want farmers to have affordable access to cutting-edge technology at their doorsteps,” says an Agriculture Ministry official. “There are now more than 38,000 custom hiring centers (CHCs) across the country, which rent out 2.5 lakh pieces of farm equipment every year. By the end of the month, we plan to launch a new mobile app to efficiently connect farmers with these CHCs, just like Uber connects you to cabs”, he added.

The CHC app is already open for registrations by the farmers, societies, and entrepreneurs. So far, almost 26,800 CHCs have registered to offer more than one lakh pieces of equipment for hire. Once the app is officially launched, farmers who want to avail this facility and hire equipment, can register using their names, addresses, and mobile numbers, and then punch in their requirements.

“Say, I need a rotovator with the tractor for one acre of land. The app will show me the CHCs which have the equipment available within five, 20 and 50 km of my location, with their rates,” said the official. He further explained, “I can then call the CHC or just use the app to book the equipment at a specific time and location, and it will turn up just like an Uber”.

The App offers Ratings and Feedback-

There is also a rating system in the app which will register feedback from both the CHC and the farmers, allowing customers to make informed decisions. This app will also create an invaluable database for policy-makers, who can track the use and cost of equipment.

The system would also help to track the usage of new technology that the government wants to promote, such as the Happy Seeder that aims to prevent stubble burning that causes air pollution or solar dryers that can help farmers process and preserve their produce. “We have already done very successful demo runs in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab,” said the ministry.