Rentals for private paddy harvesters may come down as diesel price falls

Farmers negotiating with private operators, while SKDRDP may deploy more harvesters to trigger reduction

The demand for reduction in private operators paddy harvesting machines rental in Udupi district is likely to materialise with nearly ₹20 reduction in diesel price, deployment of 45 more machines by Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project and unity among farmers.

While the government had fixed rental at ₹1,800 per hour for machines being rented out from its farmer service centres under the Yantradhara scheme, private operators were charging up to ₹2,500 an hour. However, only eight machines were available under the Yantradhara scheme across the district.

A day before, farmers organised a protest in Brahmavar demanding, among other things, an increase in minimum support price for paddy to ₹2,500 a qunital and reduction in rental for private harvesters.