Cost effective agricultural tool made in Dinajpur
A locally manufactured harvester in Dinajpur proves to be an all-in-one device, while the cost is relatively low. Anwar Hossain, a 51-year old quack at Dakkhin Basudevpur village under Phulbari upazila, designed the machine that can harvest, thresh and pack paddy or wheat simultaneously.
The machine, which requires only a driver and an operator, can harvest at the rate of one acre per hour, cutting labour costs significantly and outperforming the imported models.
Anwar said: “An imported harvester costs at least Tk 30 lakh, whereas the one I have developed costs only Tk 7 lakh.”
Besides, the engine consumes only three litres of diesel per acre while imported ones consume around 8 litres, he said.
Local farmer Md Sirajul Islam, who rented the machine, said he used to spend Tk 6,500 per acre for harvesting paddy, but the cost had come down to around Tk 3,500 with the use of the new device.
“This machine can save both the labour cost and time,” he told The Daily Star.
Anwar, who passed the HSC in 1983 from Phulbari Government College before receiving a one-year diploma in medicine, said the idea of the harvester came when he faced problems with a Korean harvester he purchased for commercial use in 2006.
He found the harvester wasting a good amount of paddy, and it was expensive to operate. Moreover, there were difficulties in repairing it locally.
After four years of perseverance, Anwar devised his harvester in 2012.
“I used shallow machine engine, a gearbox, and specially-designed tyres from China. Other parts were manufactured in a workshop in the upazila,” he said.
Experts from Denmark, Australia and Vietnam have already visited him and praised his efforts. In the meantime, he made an improved second harvester and has been working on a third.
Atiqul Islam, professor of Hajee Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, said the huge amount of money currently spent on importing such harvesters could be saved if Anwar’s harvester is promoted.
Anwar said: “I am now trying to add a ploughing device to the harvester. If successful, this can be a very comprehensive machine.”
He has sought government help for the expansion of his project.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
