Delay in securing sanctioned loan upsets innovator-farmer in Vellore

Raja, who also serves as the TN farmers’ association (Vellore district) president, has always dreamt of making agricultural equipment farmer friendly. It was this aspiration that led him to develop a groundnut harvester, which removes shells without breaking the pod.

Impressed at his invention, district collector S A Raman recommended him a loan of Rs 10 lakh to enable Raja produce his invention commercially. “However, I was forced to visit the District Industries Centre (DIC) office more than a dozen times to enquire about the loan. The officials there made me wait on each occasion and failed to give any reasons for seeking more time,” Raja told DT Next.

Elaborating further, he said, “I told them that I was not reliant on the loan and sought the return of my documents. The officials then assured that they would disburse it in two days’ time. However, I knew that the promise would not be fulfilled and hence rejected the loan offer.”

Despite the setback, Raja continues to work on his innovations. He is now working on a commercial weeder machine.

Stating that weeders can cost anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000, he said, “I spent another Rs 15,000 to fix a wheel in front which rotates once for every five rotations of the weeding wheel.”

Asked about its significance, Raja said, “without the front wheel in the weeder, the user would experience pain in his/her shoulder after using it for 30 minutes. Thanks to my innovation, the weeder can be used for longer durations without experiencing any pain and can even be operated with one hand.” It can also be used to plough the soil to plant vegetables.

Raja is now looking forward to helping other farmers make the same changes in their machine.