Alwar farmers turn to Tonk's tractor reapers as bajra harvest races against monsoon rain Facing a labour shortage as rain looms over their ripe bajra crop, farmers in Alwar have brought in nearly 1,000 tractor-mounted reaper machines from Tonk, each clearing a bigha of field in an hour. Farmers across Alwar and Khairthal-Tijara districts in Rajasthan are racing against unpredictable weather to bring in their bajra crop before rain sets in. With the millet harvest ready across fields at the same time, the sudden surge in demand for farm labour has left many growers short-handed, delaying the movement of the crop to local mandis. To get around the bottleneck, farmers in the region have increasingly turned to machines, cutting their dependence on hired hands. Nearly 1,000 tractor reapers arrive from Tonk Around 1,000 tractor-mounted reaper machines have arrived in Alwar from Tonk district and are now working through the bajra fields. The machines are cutting harvesting time sharply while also bringing down costs. Sanjay Gurjar, who brought his tractor from Malpur in Tonk district, said close to 1,000 tractors travelled from Tonk to Alwar district and are currently engaged in harvesting bajra. He charges farmers between ₹1,300 and ₹1,500 per bigha to cut their crop quickly. One bigha an hour, doing the work of ten labourers Rajendra Chaudhary said that with the rainy season underway, farmers are rushing to finish cutting their bajra, and the tractor-mounted reaper is clearing one bigha of field in a single hour. He said hiring 10 labourers for the same job the conventional way would cost farmers around ₹10,000, whereas the machine alone gets it done faster and within a smaller budget. That is helping farmers save both money and time. A single reaper machine can harvest one bigha of land in an hour, and this speed and efficiency has considerably eased the pressure farmers were under. Not just bajra, the machine works across several crops The biggest strength of the reaper machine is that its use is not limited to bajra alone. It works just as effectively on kharif crops such as jowar, guar and sesame, as well as on rabi crops like wheat. That versatility, combined with its affordable cost, has made it increasingly popular among farmers, and demand for it looks set to keep growing. What this means for you The shift is having a direct effect on farmers' wallets and time. • Across India: Labour shortages during simultaneous harvest windows ahead of rain are a recurring problem for farmers nationwide. The growing use of reaper machines could offer a similar option to growers in other states in coming seasons. • In Alwar-Khairthal-Tijara: Farmers here now get their crop cut for ₹1,300-1,500 per bigha, against roughly ₹10,000 it would cost to hire labourers for the same field. That also buys them time to bring in the crop safely before rain arrives. • Cost relief: Using a machine instead of manual labour can save farmers thousands of rupees per bigha, easing the financial burden on small and medium growers. • Time saved: What could take hours with hired labourers is done in a single hour per bigha by the machine, cutting delays in getting the crop to the mandi. • Useful for other crops too: Farmers growing jowar, guar, sesame or wheat can use the same machine, so the benefit is not limited to a single crop. Why this happened The labour shortage stems from harvesting starting all at once and fear of impending rain. • Crop ripening together: Shifting weather meant the bajra crop across the region matured and became ready at roughly the same time, so every farmer needed labourers simultaneously, spiking demand overnight. • Fear of rain: The rush to bring in the crop before rain added further pressure on the labour supply, since a delay risked damaging the standing crop. • Limited labourers, higher demand: With only a limited pool of workers available locally, getting labourers to every field on time became difficult, which in turn delayed getting the crop to the mandi. • Machines as the fix: That is why farmers turned to the tractor-mounted reaper machines brought in from Tonk district, which complete the harvesting faster and at lower cost than hired labour. Questions & Answers 1. Why did a labour shortage hit bajra harvesting in Alwar? Shifting weather caused the crop across the region to ripen at the same time, and with rain feared, all farmers began harvesting together, suddenly spiking demand for labourers. 2. How many tractor reaper machines have reached Alwar? Around 1,000 tractor reaper machines from Tonk district in Rajasthan have arrived in Alwar. 3. How long does a reaper machine take to cut one bigha? A single reaper machine can harvest one bigha of field in about an hour. 4. How much does it cost farmers to get their crop cut by a reaper machine? Farmers pay roughly ₹1,300 to ₹1,500 per bigha for the machine's harvesting service. 5. How much did it cost to harvest with 10 labourers? Hiring 10 labourers to harvest a field the conventional way cost farmers around ₹10,000. 6. Where did Sanjay Gurjar bring his tractor from? Sanjay Gurjar brought his tractor to Alwar from Malpur in Tonk district. 7. Is the reaper machine useful only for bajra? No, it is equally effective on kharif crops like jowar, guar and sesame, as well as the rabi crop wheat. https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/tonk-se-ae-1000-traiktara-ripara-alwar-men-bajare-ki-katai-mahaja-eka-ghnte-men-eka-bigha-29468 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.