A modern rice transplanting machine called Paddy Ropak 637 has been tested in the Mwea irrigation scheme and is expected to become a game-changer in the crop production chain.

Once fully adopted, the new technology is set to transform rice seedlings transplanting by increasing efficiency, reducing labour and allowing the correct spacing hence maximizing the seedlings used per acre.

The Paddy Ropak 637, developed by Indian company –Shaktiman, is a specialised rice transplanter used for relocating rice seedlings onto paddy fields.

Agronomic practices like transplanting, plant spacing and good water management are skills that when put into practice by farmers, will increase rice yields in the same area of production.

Peterson Gicobi from National Irrigation Authority said the machine saves time as it takes human labour almost the whole day to transplant for an acre while the machine could accurately do it within an hour.

The equipment is loaded with seedlings at the nursery due to its flexibility and transport to the field reducing the number of seedlings damaged in human processes of transplanting.

“We have come to do a demonstration of this transplanting machine together with the company of Shaktiman. This technology is good because when you use a machine, it is time-saving. It ensures seedlings are healthy when taken to the field,” Gicobi said.

The innovation would allow farmers to set up their nurseries at places where they could keep close against pests and diseases before they transport to the field.

Kuria Wambugu, an agronomist, said currently, it requires around 15 people a day to work on farm that could be done by a single machine noting that nobody would lose their job as the group could come together, purchase the machine and start using it and get paid as a group on an hourly basis.

“When we use a machine, it only takes an hour to work on an acre, and the people can go for other works,” he said.

Paul Kihutia, one of innovators from Shaktiman company noted that the main advantage of the machine is to reduce the cost of production, pointing out that in Mwea, the average cost of transplantation in an acre with human labour can be up to Ksh14,000 compared to Ksh8000 when the machine is used.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Mutai Kipngetich