The New Indian express 18.12.2009
Women tractor regiment on the anvil
A woman member of the Food Security Army trying her hand at a tractor at the Agricultural Research Station at Mannuthy on Thursday.
THRISSUR: In order to accelerate agricultural mechanisation, the Agricultural Research Station (ARS) of KAU at Mannuthy, is planning to constitute a `women tractor regiment’ under the Food Security Army U Jaikumaran, professor and head, of ARS told Express that 15 women from the ‘Food Security Army’ would undergo a two-day aptitude and skillchecking training for final selection for the 45-day training on operation and use of different farm equipment attached with tractor for different farm operations.
The select women would also be sent to tractor manufacturing units for a week-long training on the repair and servicing of the farm implement.
Jayakumaran said that after training, the members of women tractor regiment would be capable of taking up mechanised farming operation using tractor to earn their livelihood.
He said that ARS had a masterplan to provide Food Security Army service for total agricultural mechanisation so that farming operation would be sustained and younger generation would be motivated to adopt farm mechanisation activity as their means livelihood.