Farmers are often considered to be only involved with growing crops. But not M Selvaraj, a farmer from Krishnagiri, in Tamil Nadu, in India. He is an inspiration for his farming community. The agricultural tools developed by him are helping his peers in reducing labour and farming costs.
The 59-year-old owns 2.75 acres at Sesurajapuram village in Anchetti taluk. In his picturesque farm, he mainly cultivates crops such as groundnut, tomato and millets. But what sets him apart from his peers is his keen interest in developing tools either through discarded scrap or waste materials.
Having started farming as a teenager, Selvaraj initially began experimenting with different farm equipment. Soon, he was fashioning simple farm machinery, with parts drawn from other farm machines and household articles. After much trial and error, Selvaraj now boasts of an array of innovative equipment, including for sowing, ploughing, weeding, and bed formation. Made using cycle tyres, blades, wooden sticks etc., they can be bought for as little as Rs 500.
“A person from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, had a look at these equipment and requested me to make them for him as well. Similarly, for all farmers who are eager, I’m ready to make them,” he says. He keeps developing new equipment regularly. “It’s a vision I have. I will come up with new developments. I have many ideas, but we cannot say them before putting it into action. After I have worked them out, I’ll inform,” says Selvaraj, when asked about his upcoming innovations..
An innovative farmer at heart, Selvaraj’s crops surely are a happy lot.