Mangaluru: The agriculture sector in India has seen a severe drop in labour availability over the last decade. With the shift in trend, it is now more important than ever to adopt and adapt to innovations and technologies to overcome these problems in the agricultural sector.
Former Lt. Army Officer Gajanana Vaze, also a farmer from Mundaje village in Belthangady Taluk, has built a ropeway to transfer his harvest to his home. The simple and innovative technique has become incredibly useful to many as the agricultural sector’s labour need persists.
Speaking to NewsKarnataka Vaze said, “I worked as a high school Science teacher for 25 years and was a former territorial army officer. In 2005, I voluntarily resigned from my position as a teacher and entered into the agricultural field and looked after my ancestral property. In 2008, I travelled to Israel with a group of 23 farmers to learn about the scientific way of agriculture.”
He further said that “I am a tech-savvy man who used to do a lot of study on things and then modify and use whatever valuable information I find into my agriculture farming here. One of the items I made, for example, is an arecanut picker.”
When asked about why he decided to come up with the ropeway he said, “The arecanut at my place was ready to be harvested and there was a labour shortage. I needed to transport it to my house somehow but I couldn’t find labourers. I couldn’t do it myself as I have severe back pain. So, at the time, I decided to develop a simple method for transporting the crop and came up with ropeway installation. My friend Gajanana, a retired ACF officer, assisted me, and we planned and discussed how it could be achieved together. The harvest is moved from the ground to the first floor of my house.”
The cost of installation depends on the landscape. “It cost me merely Rs. 2000. A farmer came to see me a few days ago and collected all of the information on the ropeway, which he plans to install in Bantwal,” he said.
Vaze said that his family has always been incredibly supportive of his innovative ideas. The ropeway installation has received a lot of positive feedback. It has become popular and many people are visiting my place to see it, he added.
Farmers are uncertain thinking that they won’t be able to do something. “What I’m trying to say is that when one door closes, a thousand others open. It’s up to you to find out which door is open and suitable for you. You should not be disheartened; there are various ways to simplify things and make farming profitable,” said Vaze.
