Design & Development of Mini Paddy Harvester

The ultimate aim of agriculture or farming in India is not only limited to growing of crops but is also associated with the economic growth of farmers and labours. Small scale farmers frequently face the problem of labour shortage or are unable to afford the wages to be paid. These problems prevent the fiscal growth of farmers and ultimately hamper the development of their farmland and family. Efficient, effective, cheap and productive techniques are needed to strengthen the farming community. This project is focussed on developing a machine which addresses labour problems faced by small scale farmers. The newly developed mini paddy harvester, can harvest up to two rows of paddy at a time. The components of the machine comprise of a petrol engine of 2hp, pulley, a belt drive, a collecting mechanism and a cutter. The crop is being harvested by a scissoring type of motion. The power from the engine is provided to the cutter through slider crank mechanism and driven by a pulley arrangement a collecting mechanism is provided to the cutter to collect the harvested crop. The assembled mini paddy harvester has been tested for its working and found to be working satisfactorily. It makes the harvesting process faster and safer, hence reduces the time required to harvest. This newly designed mini paddy harvester will ultimately reduce the cost of harvesting by 53.33%.