Farm mechanisation boosting agriculture

All over the world, farm machineries are being used in agriculture for its many-sided benefits. In large farmlands, it is not economically viable to harvest crops manually in a day or two. Engaging 100 men for the job would not be cost effective in the long run. Cutting crops with scythes is a slow process and results in unwanted waste.

This has necessitated the use of modern machinery in preparing the land, planting of seeds and finally to harvesting crops.

Bangladesh is also witnessing changes in the farmlands as more and more power tillers, mini harvesters and combine harvesters are being used by farmers.      

The benefits of using farm machinery are manifold. As has been revealed by the project director of the farm mechanisation unit of department of agriculture extension Bangladesh, use of farm machinery like power tillers and harvesters can increase rice production by 40 lakh tonnes.

It has been said that manual harvesting causes 10 to15 per cent wastage but it comes down to about two per cent when a mechanised harvester is used. No doubt it is a gain of substantial amount for farmers. It has been further revealed that a harvesting machine can do the work of 144 agriculture laborers in eight hours.  

During the rice harvesting season, labourer shortage becomes a nagging issue all over the country. The shortage goes as high as 44 per cent and in terms of wages it climbs to Tk. 800 from Tk. 300. If the wages of labourers keep going up, farmers will lose interest in cultivating rice. The only answer to this problem is the use of farm machinery.

This is worth mentioning that nearly 42 per cent of the population of the country is engaged in agriculture, especially rice cultivation. However, experts believe many of the farm labourers will go to other sectors such as industries, where work is not seasonal but available all the year round. With that scenario in mind, they suggest opting for use of farm machinery for rice cultivation, which will ensure more yields and less wastage.              

 Mechanisation means end of use of animals and human labour on agriculture farms. In Bangladesh, as well as in various other South-Asian countries, cow, ox, horse and buffalo were the main domesticated animals in use in agriculture. Many of the works that used to be done by cow, buffalo and horse are now being done by machines of various descriptions. There is also a term called ‘partial mechanisation,’ where both animals and machinery are used at the same time. When both are replaced, it is called complete mechanisation.

  Farm machinery are being used for both primary and secondary tillage operations like harvesting and thrashing. Some sophisticated machinery can also be used for usages like power lifts for irrigation, trucks for haulage of farm produce, processing machines, dairy appliances for cream separating, butter making, oil pressing, cotton ginning, rice hulling, etc. In a broad sense mechanisation of agriculture has two types, mobile mechanisation and stationary mechanisation.

 Experts explain the benefits of mechanisation in agriculture in many words, such as, it leads to improvement in agricultural technique

in the area of irrigation, land reclamation and prevention of soil erosion. By attaching tractors to cultivators one can extend the cultivated land area by removing deep-rooted weeds.

It also prevents soil erosion. Mechanisation in farming methods can help farmers go for commercial agriculture. Commercial methods ensure enhanced productivity. It also helps in solving farm labour shortage. Farmers are getting direct benefits from using different types of machinery on agriculture lands, as they do not have to depend on labourers and their many personal problems. Mechanisation of agriculture leads to more land recovered from animal grazing areas.

Experts are of the opinion that mechanisation enhances income from agriculture in the long run. It definitely reflects in the national income and contributes to the growth of the economy. Bangladesh needs a vibrant agriculture sector hence there is no alternative to opting for use of farm machinery to increase yield and minimise waste.