Project 001.2 (completed)
Purchase of HTV-001 for Prabhavi Foundation
What will my donation go towards?
Purchasing a novel paddy harvester from local manufacturer located in Uhana, Sri Lanka and to donate the harvester to the Prabhavi Foundation to hire to local farmers as an income generating mechanism for the Foundation's library and resource centre.
Who was the project partnered with?
The Prabhavi Foundation is a certified charity under Sri Lankan legislation and has over 100 active members. It is based in the small village of Weranketagoda that has a population of approximately 2500.
Prabhavi Foundation has recently completed the re-development of an unused government building to be used as a community library and computer-learning centre. Around one thousand families including thousands of school children will benefit from the resource centre as the village is situated 17 km away from the closest library.
Revenue derived from the hire and leasing of the harvester will be used for purchasing library books and upgrading computers for the Resource Centre.
What is an HTV-001?
HTV-001 is a novel mobile power-driven agricultural machine that can be used to harvest rice paddies, then beat harvested plants in order to separate the seeds from the rest of the plant and collect separated paddy seed into sacks. It is the first machine ever to be manufactured which can be coupled to a hand tractor for combine harvesting of paddy fields.
The advantages of the HTV-001 include:
- locally made and serviced
- lower capital expenditure than conventional harvesters
- easily employed to harvest in very small plots
- unique device that sprays the rice storks evenly across the paddy field during cultivation which insures organic matter is spread across the field
Who implemented the project?
The HTV was manufactured at a Technofarm Industries located in Weranketagoda. The owner of Technofarm, Kumarasiri Mohotti was met by Ben Cole, Stephanie and Richard Moore and was very keen to produce his second HTV-001.
The overall management of the project will occur between Ben Cole and Ajith Karunarathne – the President of Prabhavi Foundation. The Prabhavi Foundation has allocated a committee to manage the rental of the HTV-001 and intends to hire a local to operate and maintain the harvester.
What was 001’s financial support?
The cost of the HTV-001 is R130, 000, which is approximately US$1300.
Who is evaluating the project?
Regular email and phone contact will be maintained between Ben and Ajith throughout the project. At the completion of the first paddy season, the Prabhavi Foundation will produce a 3 page report summarising the use of the harvester, mechanical concerns and revenue generated and its use for the Prabhavi Foundation.