Context: The agricultural department rolled out battery-operated handheld machines for picking up the cotton in 3 districts.

More about news:

• The machinery would be rolled out in Muktsar, Bathinda and Mansa districts.
• The benefits of the machine are: The machine would cut labour costs and human drudgery.
• The input costs incurred on cotton picking would also get cut.
• The speed of cotton picking increases.
• The quantity of trash generated during cotton harvesting also reduced from 3 to 5 per cent to only 1 percent.
• The machine costs ₹ 7000, which can be made available to the prospective farmers through the Cooperative system.
• Renting of machinery could also be done.
• Businesses through corporate social responsibility can also contribute in this regard.