Journal Article

Assessment of Mechanization Indices: Insights from Rice-Growing Region of the Southern Asia–Pacific Region

Rath, Ipsita, Sahoo, Pradeepta Kumar, Verma, Kumudini, Pradhan, Padma Lochan, Mahapatra, Markandeya, Dash, Rama Chandra, Behera, Anup

2024

Overview

Agricultural mechanization and farm power availability are pivotal for sustainable production, especially in developing countries where small land holder farmers lack access to necessary machinery. This study aims to evaluate the degree of agricultural mechanization across small, medium, and large-scale farms in the South Asia–Pacific coastal regions, characterized by tropical monsoon climates, where rice cultivation is predominant. The investigation focuses on the period leading up to 2021–2022, employing Pareto analysis, descriptive statistics, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering techniques. Data collection encompassed diverse sources of farm power, cultivated areas dedicated to major crops, and the principal inputs utilized in cultivation, quantified in cost per unit area. The analysis indicated that, despite mechanical and electrical sources contributing to 79.55% of farm power, the overall average mechanization index based on the cost of machinery usage stood at only 11.54%. The density of tractors and power tillers, significant contributors to the overall available farm power, were identified at 44 and 32 units per 1000 hectares, respectively. Additionally, the crop-wise mechanization index was utilized to quantify the extent of mechanization for different major crops, reflecting the level of technology adoption. The mechanization index varied from the highest value of 22.70% in rice to the lowest value of 5.02% in groundnut. The findings shed light on the challenges and opportunities for enhancing agricultural productivity through targeted mechanization interventions. If enacted, these findings could yield substantial social and economic impacts on the livelihoods of farmers inhabiting coastal plains reliant on rice cropping systems, while simultaneously enhancing productivity.

• Publisher: Springer India,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Agricultural vehicles / Agriculture / Availability / Case Study / Civil Engineering / Cluster analysis / Clustering / Coastal plains / Coastal zone / Costs / Crops / Cultivation / Diesel engines / Economic impact / Efficiency / Emissions / Engineering / Engines / Farm machinery / Farmers / Food security / Greenhouse gases / Mechanization / Pareto analysis / Productivity / Rice