Custom Hiring center (CHC) is a centre which supplies farm implements to small and marginal farmers at nominal rates on hire. This enables the small and marginal farmers to take up farm operations on time. CHC is established to reduce the drudgery in farming, reduce cost of labour and increase the productivity and yield of the crop. Proper rules and regulation has been made by the Village Organization.
The centre is under the control of Village Organization. Livelihoods sub-committee and Livelihoods Cadres also support the Village Organization for proper functioning of the centre. 72 Custom Hiring Centres were already set up under MKSP in four resource block namely Serchhip, East Lungdar, Thingdawl and Bilkhawthlir block.
Objectives :
- Reduce the drudgery of women by the supply of women-friendly mechanical equipment.
- To make available various farm machinery / equipments to small and marginal women farmers mobilized under MzSRLM.
- To improve mechanization in villages with low farm power availability.
- Ensuring equipment availability in an entrepreneurship mode with an articulated business plan, so that it is operated sustainably.
Funding :
Funding for the establishment of CHC may be sourced either from MKSP fund or “Infrastructure and Marketing Support Fund for Livelihoods” [mentioned in the framework of DAY-NRLM (Page no.27)], which seeks to ensure that the infrastructure needs for the major livelihoods activities of the poor are met with. For operationalization of the CHCs, all help must be extended by the block level livelihood teams to the VO livelihood sub-committee and the VO at every step.
The mission develops community procurement guideline for procurement of tools. For drudgery reduction of women under MKSP, the project create following implements bank
- Brush-cutter/Chainsaw wood cutter use in slashing of tiny plants, grasses, small bamboo
- Knapsack sprayer for spraying concoction and decoction in plantation crops
- Water pump for collecting water from natural water-falls/stream
