Srinagar, Oct 15 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir is set to add 2,113 agricultural machinery and equipment units under a Rs 13.76 crore plan for 2026–27, with the government placing major emphasis on tractors, power tillers and shared machinery facilities to reduce farmers' dependence on traditional farming methods.

The plan, approved on Thursday by a State Level Sanctioning Committee chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, earmarks Rs 11.16 crore for machinery distribution, accounting for over 81 per cent of the total outlay.

Among the proposed equipment are 172 tractors, including 95 four-wheel-drive and 77 two-wheel-drive units, along with 184 power tillers.

The plan also provides for two combine harvesters, ten reaper-cum-binders and 470 irrigation pumps, besides specialised equipment for horticulture.

A major component is the establishment of 38 machinery-sharing facilities, comprising 22 Custom Hiring Centres and 16 Farm Machinery Banks.

These facilities are intended to allow farmers to hire tractors and other costly equipment instead of purchasing them individually, an arrangement particularly relevant to small landholders.

The government has allocated Rs 88 lakh for Custom Hiring Centres and Rs 1.28 crore for Farm Machinery Banks.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The revised plan distributes Rs 9.60 crore to the agriculture sector and Rs 4.16 crore to horticulture.

Kashmir division has been allocated Rs 7.20 crore across the two sectors, while Jammu division will receive Rs 6.56 crore.

The programme also proposes ten Kisan drones for use through Custom Hiring Centres, with eight earmarked for Jammu and two for Kashmir.

Under district-specific allocations for aspirational districts, Kishtwar has been earmarked Rs 92.45 lakh and Baramulla Rs 26.17 lakh.

The plan includes Rs 1.47 crore under the Tribal Sub-Plan and Rs 1.12 crore under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan.

During the meeting, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo stressed that farm mechanisation should be accompanied by improved irrigation infrastructure.

He directed the Agriculture Production Department to prioritise interventions under irrigation schemes, including drip irrigation and command area development, to improve agricultural productivity.

The approved programme sets machinery distribution and infrastructure targets for the current financial year. Its impact will depend on the timely delivery of equipment and the availability of hiring facilities to farmers across Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)