Farmers picking kapas from cotton fields by hand is a familiar sight for anyone associated with the textile industry. This process requires a lot of human effort, while also being a time-consuming one. All that is set to change now, thanks to the SIMA Cotton Development & Research Association (SIMA CD & RA), an affiliate of the Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), recently launching a battery-powered, handheld kapas plucking machine. The machine was launched by Mr. Prem Malik, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), at a function held in Coimbatore on June 12.
Going into the details about the development and features of the machine, Mr. C.K. Narayanasaami, Chairman, SIMA CD & RA, observed stated: “SIMA CD & RA had been making numerous attempts for a cotton picking machine to suit Indian cotton crop conditions (4 to 5 pickings in a season) as there is acute shortage of labour for the purpose. Initially we developed a machine jointly with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University which cost Rs. 1 lakh per machine. Since the technology was not suitable, the project was dropped. Later on we tried some Chinese make-hand picking machine, which was giving very high trash content (9 to 11%), and so we dropped promoting such machines.”
Elaborating further, he said that after a detailed discussion among the committee members and also industry experts, SIMA CD & RA approached Point Industries, a sister concern of Sharp Pumps Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore, to design and develop a kapas plucking machine in a cost-effective manner. After intense R&D work, Point Industries has come out with its proposal of manufacturing and assembling the equipment indigenously.
Mr. Narayanasaami sounded confident when he said that the machine would be widely accepted in the market. “We are confident that we would be in a position to sell a sizable number of these machines”.
According to him, with the support of Point Industries, the price of the kapas plucking machine with all necessary accessories, including taxes and agent commission has been fixed at Rs. 9,900 each.
He disclosed that the Association has requested the State Government to provide a subsidy of Rs. 5,000 per machine and a cut in VAT on the machine to five per cent from the present 14.5 per cent. At the same time, it has urged CITI to take up the issue with the Central Government to provide subsidy for the machine for the benefit of farmers.
The machine is provided with a cotton collection bag and a 12 V rechargeable battery. With manual picking a labourer is able to pick 13 to 15 kg of kapas per day at a daily wage of Rs. 230-250. This way the cost works out to Rs. 15-18 per kg of kapas that is plucked.
Explaining how the machine ensures enormous savings, Mr. Narayanasaami said: “Currently a farmer spends 35% to 45% of kapas cost for picking. With the new machine, the cost of picking is reduced to less than 7% of the kapas price. Assuming that a farmer spends Rs. 18 per kg, he would be in a position to recover the machine cost of Rs. 9,900 with 6 quintals of kapas picking.”
The Deputy Chairman of SIMA CD & RA, Mr. D. Lakshminaryana, observed that the Association is extremely happy over the customer response to the machine and hoped that farmers would start using it in large numbers.