National Agricultural Engineering Research Center (NAERC), Khumaltar organized a residential training on Agricultural Mechanization for the youth farmers of the Terai region of Nepal at the National Wheat Research Program, Bhirahawa from Falgun 19 to 25, 2080 (2-9 March 2025). The main objective of the training was to build the capacity of the tractor drivers to operate and maintain tractors and use modern agricultural mechanization technologies used in rice, wheat, potato, and maize cultivation. In addition, it was aimed at enhancing their capacity to transform their informal agricultural machinery hire service into a professional custom hire centre to provide improved agricultural mechanization services to the farmers in their area. Altogether, 21 farmers (most of them are tractor drivers) from four provinces and 14 Terai districts participated in the training.
During the training, theoretical as well as intensive hands-on practical classes on the operation and maintenance of tractors, mechanization technologies (from land preparation, sowing, inter culture, harvesting, and threshing to post-harvest operations) for rice, wheat, maize and potato cultivation for the terai region of Nepal were covered. During the training, the field visit programs were also organized to the model lead farmer’s field involved in rice, wheat, maize and potato to facilitate farmer-to-farmer training on mechanization technologies. Training on the repair and maintenance of a four-wheeled tractor was conducted at Manigram Auto-club, Siddarthnagar, Bhairahawa. Similarly, the repair and maintenance of the power tiller was completed at Astadeep Agro Engineering, Butwal. Repair and maintenance of mini tillers including diesel and petrol engines was conducted at Nepal Trade Host Pvt. Ltd. Butwal. Combine harvester is the most demanded machine in Nepal but operation and maintenance is one of the major constraints. So detailed training on this equipment was covered. Participants got theoretical as well as practical knowledge of new technology such as Super seeders, seed drills, reversible M.B plough, laser land leveler, straw balers, water management machines and technologies. Similarly, the farmers also visited the agricultural machinery market at Butwal and Bhairahawa to learn about commercially available modern agricultural machinery on agricultural mechanization in the Terai region of Nepal. Custom hiring center managed by cooperatives (Nawadurga Swabalamban Multipurpose Cooperative Sanstha Limited). In addition, the farmers were trained on safety issues in agricultural mechanization, custom hiring service management and the Nepal Government’s program on agricultural mechanization promotion in the Terai region of Nepal.
The chief guest of the inauguration session Shiv Prasad Aryal, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Rupandehi inaugurated the training on 2nd March 2025 and wished the successful organization of the training to contribute to the mechanization of agriculture in the Terai region of Nepal. Hari Kharel, Central executive committee member of the Nepal Agricultural Machinery Entrepreneurs Association (NAMEA) highlighted the importance of this kind of training program in agricultural mechanization and expressed his grand success remarks. Similarly, the chief guest of the concluding ceremony Province Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, Lumbini province, distributed the certificates and repair maintenance toolsets to the participating farmers and expressed his belief that participating farmers would make a great contribution to the future of the country by reducing cost of production in agriculture. Both programs were organized under the chairmanship of Dr Roshan Basnet, Coordinator of NWRP. Engineer Chhabi Dangi, PMAMP, PIU, Rupandehi also kept his remarks on importance of training and contribution to the modernization of Nepalese agriculture. Similarly, Dr Shreemat Shrestha, principal scientist of the National Agricultural Engineering Research Center, Khumaltar welcomed the guests and participating farmers in both sessions and elaborated on the objectives and knowledge & skills imparted during this training program. After the inaugural and concluding session, the guests (various stakeholders of mechanization in the terai region research, extension, testing, private sector, lead farmers etc.) also visited the workshop to observe the various mechanization technologies in rice, wheat, maize, and potato cultivation and acquainted with the potential benefits of the adoption of these technologies. The training was coordinated by Mr. Ganga Ram Bhandari, Scientist S2 of the NAERC, Khumaltar.
