Nellore: District Collector Himanshu Shukla has directed the officials to ensure promotion of farm mechanisation for making cultivation profitable.

He inaugurated one-day workshop on farm mechanisation organised by agriculture department at Tikkana Pranganam in the Collectorate here on Saturday.

Addressing at the workshop, Collector Shukla noted that it is necessary for farmers to adopt farm mechanisation, which would give maximum profits with low investments, since 70 percent people depend on cultivation. He instructed agriculture department to design a comprehensive long term plan of action for the purpose.

Stating that the government is offering subsidies for 60 kinds of farm mechanisation instruments, he directed the officials to conduct village-level awareness camps to motivate farmers to adopt farm mechanisation procedures to escape from labour burden.

He said, as part of this programme officials should prepare the list of ‘Champion Farmers’, who secured profits with low investments and less water management procedures at village-level.

The Collector urged bankers to give loans liberally to farmers to purchase farm mechanisation instruments either as groups or individuals. District Agriculture Officer P Satyavani, Fisheries Joint Director Santhi, Horticulture Deputy Director Subbareddy, bankers, farmers from different mandals were present.