This 60-year old’s invention to help farmers climb trees has caught Anand Mahindra's attention
Ganapathi Bhat has invented a ‘bike’ to help farmers in states like Karnataka, TN, Kerala, and Andhra address the issue of acute labour shortage
Agriculture is undoubtedly one of the largest sectors in India. Any innovation in this sector, be it organic farming that enhances the quality of crops or some machinery that would help on the field, is a boon for farmers.
Similarly, climbing trees is one of the tasks that is carried out with great difficulty. Labourers working in the agri sector find it extremely difficult to climb trees in order to spray pesticides or pluck coconuts.
To address this issue, a 60-year-old resident of Karnataka has developed a climbing machine called Areca Bike. Hailing from Komale village, Bantwal taluk, Karnataka, Ganapathi Bhat’s bike is made from hydraulic drum brakes, hand gear, a double chain, and a safety belt.
According to Ganapathi, with just one litre of petrol, a farmer can climb 90 trees. And the bikes are now selling like hotcakes. In the past seven months, he claims to have sold nearly 1,000 bikes. The machine has come in handy for farmers to address the acute shortage of labourers in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.
Ganpathi Bhat (Image: Indian Express)
Speaking to Edex Live about his sales, Ganapathi said, “I have sold over 380 bikes in Kerala and Tamil Nadu alone. In Karnataka, the demand is high in places like Shivamogga, Thirtahalli, Agumbe, and Sirsi, where the areca nut growers themselves work in the fields and depend less on labourers. In Dakshina Kannada, there is not much demand as the availability of labourers is not a big issue.”
The bike, which weighs 28 kg, is powered by a two-stroke engine and costs Rs 75,000, including GST. According to Ganapathi, he has received more than 100 orders, and the product is undergoing improvisation to make it easier to assemble, and the cost will come down as well.
A farmer can scale 30 metres in just 30 seconds with ease with the help of the machine. Ganapathi, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics, Chemistry, and Maths, designed and assembled the bike by himself.
Such was the bike’s craze that Chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra lauded Ganapathi’s invention. Now, he has also been approached by companies from Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand to set up a manufacturing unit for the bike.
Ganapathi says, “I wish to partner with an organisation that would help me share the technology with the farmers to benefit them. I do not wish to seek royalties for such a venture. But I want to make sure that this product reaches as many farmers as possible, so that, in some way, it helps in the development of the overall agricultural scenario of the country”, reports The News Minute.
(Edited by Javed Gaihlot)
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