Tractor and farm equipment maker John Deere India will be looking at replicating its PPP venture with Gujarat Government to increase productivity of farmers through supply of tractors and farm equipment in other States.

“We will be evaluating the success of the scheme launched in Gujarat, about three months ago, before beginning dialogues with other State Governments to launch the scheme,” Mr Ghuman Narinder, the company's Vice-President (Sales & Marketing), told press persons here on Wednesday.

He, along with a team of officials from the company, was here in connection with the launch of John Deere's new 60 HP tractors in Andhra Pradesh.

Under the Gujarat PPP model, the State Government would have to buy some 530 tractors with a set of farm equipment from the company, which will be provided to self-help groups consisting of tribal farmers. Deere will train and provide support to the farmers through a network of Agriculture Implement Resource centres to be set up by the company, while farmers will only have to bear the operating and maintenance costs of the equipment initially.

Deere is in the process of transforming from a company that manufactures tractors to one that provides broader crop solutions. It manufactures farm equipment in the grain harvesting, post harvesting, trash management and minor irrigation segments.

The company, which produces about 50,000 units at its Pune facility, is setting up a new manufacturing facility of similar capacity at a cost of $100 million, which is expected to be ready by 2012-13. “While the new facility will feed the domestic market, we will also be ramping up our exports from India. Last year, we exported to some 15,000 units from our Pune facility,” Mr Narinder said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW