Mechanization

Abstract: California farmers have remained competitive in the global marketplace by using technology to reduce their costs and to expand production. Case studies of rice and processing tomatoes show that harvest mechanization has reduced labor use by 92% to 97% and has also reduced labor costs, down from half to two-thirds of total costs to less than 20%. Mechanization is at least partly responsible for the steady increase in production of these two crops. Although mechanization has reduced the number of labor hours for harvesting, overall employment for rice and processing tomatoes has risen due to increased production, and so have harvester operator wages. Further advances in tomato harvest technology will continue to reduce labor needs, while the rice industry will experience moderate changes.

Abstract: Developing countries with small-scale agriculture have yet to exploit the untapped potential of agricultural mechanization. This is because of the misconception that mechanization is often seen as unworthy in small-scale agriculture. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of agricultural mechanization in China and to provide evidence on how smallholder farmers can access agricultural machinery. A narrative approach was employed to conduct an in-depth analysis of the policies, strategies, and trends associated with agricultural mechanization development. The findings showed that: (1) the establishment and development of mechanization for smallholder agriculture is an evolutionary process that strongly opposes leapfrogging (technocratic behavior) and making large jumps; (2) the foundation of mechanization development should rely on a self-reliance system; (3) an appropriate mechanization theory is the key to inducing the rapid growth of mechanization in small-scale agriculture; (4) the successful application of agricultural machinery requires strong, target-oriented, and pro-farmer policies with effective leadership strategies. We present the key lessons on policy and institutional aspects for countries with small-scale agriculture and who are in the initial stages of agricultural mechanization.