Greatest Control To The Problems of Farm Mechanisation

Farm Mechanisation can be defined as the application of engineering principles and technology for the production of agricultural products, agricultural storage and processing on farm.

Farm mechanisation can be used in land preparation, planting, harvesting, weeding application, crop harvesting etc for crop cultivation and used in rearing, care for animals. Farm mechanisation can also be used for processing and storing farm produce , by using an appropriate farm machinery that fit the work.

Problems of Farm Mechanisation

1. Land Tenure system: The type of land tenure system (communal) which doesn't allow for large farm holdings  suitable for mechanisation because the land is very small .

2. Insufficient capitals of farmers: Most farmers are very poor and can't afford the cost of farm machineries like tractors and other farm implements.

3. Inadequate spare part: There is no spare parts available and that is the major problem and the spare part are being imported and cost of spare parts will be high.

4. Bad topography: The topography of some lands are very rough and unconducive for farm mechanisation.

5. Inadequate technical manpower and know-how: Availability of technical know-how to operates or technical manpower to work with machine is not available.

6.  Varied Soil types: Soil types are extremely varied and common machines to be used are not available locally.

7. Scattered Farm Holdings: Scattered farm holdings are doesn't encourage the use of farm machine.

8. Problems of stumps and logs: During clearing, heavy stumps and logs are usually left on farm and they added another problem in mechanisation.

Advantages of Farm Mechanisation

1. Timelines of Operation: Farm Mechanisation allows and ensures that all the farm operations are done and completed within a short period of time.

2. It saves labour: In farm mechanisation, human power is not needed as they only need a little man power to power machines.

3. It reduces drudgery: Farm machines make work easy as machines do all the tedious jobs to avoid unpleasant manual jobs.

4. It encourages large farming: Machines can be used to work on a large farm and reap heavy harvest as machines don't get tired easily.

5. It increases output: Mechanisation makes it possible for farmers to reap much output as the farmer worked on a large farm.

6. It increases farm revenue: As a result of mechanisation, farmers becomes richer due to high yield and high reap of planted crops.

7. It saves time: Farm mechanisation saves time as farm machines can work on farm for a long time without getting tired. Mechanisation translate man's brain quickly into reality of operations.

8. Co-operation among farmers: Farm mechanisation enables many farmers together to come together and pool their resources together, and it promotes cooperation among farmers in that community.

9. Improvement in quality of produce:Farm mechanisation improves the quality of some farm produce e g rice processing without stones in it.

10. Reduction in cost of operations: Mechanisation reduces in the cost of agricultural operations per unit output.

Disadvantages of Farm Mechanisation

1. High cost: Due to a lot of machines involved, it is usually very expensive to operate farm machines.

2. It causes environmental pollution: Farm mechanisation can cause environmental pollution due to the smokes emanating from machines, chemicals and fertilizer usage.

3. Land tenure system: Farm mechanisation can hinder the efficient use of tractors due to small farm.

4. Compaction of soil: As heavy machines moves on farm, it leads to the compaction of soil.

5. Degradation of landscape: Farm mechanisation ensures the degradation of landscape as result continuous excavation.

6. Displacement of workers: In farm mechanisation, very few workers are needed and hence, people will be out of job when mechanisation is introduced.

7. Unstable fuel supply: Unstable supply of fuel can affect the working of machineries.

8. Spread of pest and diseases: Mechanisation helps in spreading pest and diseases through contaminated machineries.

9. High cost of maintenance: Heavy machines usually have high cost of maintenance involved .

10. Inadequate spare parts: As the spare parts are not readily available, it affects the works of machines.

11. Destruction of soil structure: The soil structure can be easily be destroyed die to continuous movement akd usage of machines on farm.

12. Inadequate technical know-how : There are always inadequate technical know-howon how the use and handling of farm machines.

13. Damages of crops: Most crops are usually damaged during mechanised farm operation, most of the time if care is not taken.

14. Few crops can mechanised: Very few crops like maize, rice, millets etc, can me mechanised.

Limitations of Farm Mechanisation

Factors limiting agricultural mechanisation in some developing countries will be discussed under the following major headings:

(a) Economic Limitation

(i) Most farmers are poor and cannot afford most of the machine.

(ii) Machines are not available in most developing countries.

(iii) High cost of maintenance

(iv) Cost of hiring machines is high.

(v) Operators demands for high pay/ wages whichost farmers cannot afford.

(b) Technical limitations

(i) There is lack of technical know-how of machines.

(ii) Very few schools exist for the training agriculturist and farm operators.

(iii) Experts on these machines are not readily available.

(iv) The mode of operations of most machines are not known.

(c) Lack of maintenance

(i) Most machines are imported and can't be managed locally.

(ii) Replacement parts are not available.

(iii) Inadequate trained personnel to repair farm machines.

(d) Small farm holdings

(I) Peasant farmers have small area of farmland and can't use machines on them.(ii) Fragmentation of lands discourages farm mechanisation.

Possible ways of improving farm mechanisation

1. Farmers should be educated to accept modern system of farming, especially in the aspect of farm mechanisation.

2. Government should provides loans to enables farmers purchase farm machines m

3. Simple and less expensive machines should be developed and accepted.

4. Farmers should form cooperative societies to enable them pool resources together to buy farm machines.

5. The land systems should be reviewed to enable farmers to acquire large hectares bof land so they can adopt farm mechanisation.

6. Government should establish agricultural engineering Schools and institution to train personnel how to use machines and develop machines.