International Journal of Research Volume VIII, Issue VI, JUNE/2019
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International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 IMPACT OF MECHANIZATION ON AGRICULTURE (A CASE STUDY OF GUNTUR DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH) Sudhir Maddela Associate Professor, Nirmala College of Pharmacy Atmakur, Mangalagiri Mandal, Guntur District, A.P. e-mail: [email protected] Pradeep, M. Research Scholar, VTJM & IVTR Degree College, Mangalagiri e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The introduction of machinery to substitute for labourer (“labour saving”) is a common phenomenon associated with the release of labourers for employment in other sectors of the economy or to facilitate cultivation of a larger area with the same labour force. The other principal purpose is increase in land productivity enabling production of more output from the existing land. Machinery is a complementary input, required to achieve higher land productivity, for example, through the introduction of pump sets, or faster turn-around-times to achieve higher cropping intensity. However, in labour surplus economies, net labour displacement or replacement should be avoided. The third purpose is decreasing the cost of production. Introduction of a machine may lower production costs or offset increased costs of draft animals or labour. Generally, improved farm implements and machinery are used for different farm operations to increase productivity of land and labour through timeliness of operations, efficient use of inputs, improvement in duality of produce, safety and comfort of farmers and reduction in loss of produce and drudgery of farmers. As a result, mechanization fostering intensive cultivations on farms gives more food to the excluded group (i.e. landless farmers and agricultural labourers with reduced drudgery). Keywords: Mechanization; Agricultural Inputs, Labour Saving, Productivity. Volume VIII, Issue VI, JUNE/2019 Page No:1511 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 Introduction Agricultural mechanization embraces the use of tools, implements and machines for agricultural land development, crop production, harvesting, preparation for storage, and on-farm processing. Others defined mechanization as application of suitable machines, recognition of technologies and applying suitable methods for production, processing of agricultural products, continuous increase of productivity as the result of the reducing the cost of production, reduction of the losses and increase of efficiency and increase of income.1 Generally both refer to better farm power input to agriculture. In many developing countries, agricultural production and food security are adversely affected because of insufficient use of farm power, low labour productivity and/or labourer scarcity.2 The need to improve agricultural labour productivity is increasingly recognized. The term mechanization is unfortunately often very narrowly perceived while its real purpose, namely, enhancing productivity of land and labour is often not well understood. In fact an agricultural mechanization strategy ought to be part of an agricultural technology or development strategy. In this context, three principal purposes of mechanization may be summarized. The first is increase in labour productivity. The introduction of machinery to substitute for labourer (“labour saving”) is a common phenomenon associated with the release of labourers for employment in other sectors of the economy or to facilitate cultivation of a larger area with the same labour force. The other principal purpose is increase in land productivity enabling production of more output from the existing land. Machinery is a complementary input, required to achieve higher land productivity, for example, through the introduction of pump sets, or faster turn-around-times to achieve higher cropping intensity. However, in labour surplus economies, net labour displacement or replacement should be avoided. The third purpose is decreasing the cost of production. Introduction of a machine may lower production costs or offset increased costs of draft animals or labour. Thus, farm mechanization is a boon for the farmers and agricultural labours.3 The present study intends to examine the evidence concerning the impact of mechanization on agriculture and the direct and derived impact of such mechanization on both farmers and labourers. It is also given that improving the efficiency of Volume VIII, Issue VI, JUNE/2019 Page No:1512 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 agricultural production is a key to pro-poor economic growth; improvements in agricultural mechanization are the principal means of doing this. Agricultural technology can affect smallholder income, labour opportunities for the poor, food prices, environmental sustainability, and linkages with the rest of the rural economy. Agriculture growth is important to support the higher growth path aspired by any agriculturally dominant country like India. But questions remain about farm mechanization’s role in agricultural development, and debate continues in a number of areas, specifically: What factors induce farmers to go for mechanization of their agriculture? Will farm mechanization improve the farmers’ position in terms of productivity, and efficient utilization of resources? Review of Literature Nazaire Houssou and Anthony Chapoto (2015)4 have analyzed that the impacts of tractor ploughing on crop land expansion and input use among farming households in Northern Ghana where farm mechanization is expected to produce the highest impact on agricultural production and intensification. Farm mechanization seems to have positively impacted on cropland expansion during the survey period. Mechanization has contributed to increased agricultural production in Northern Ghana. Ploughing with a tractor was essential for expanding croplands. Ramaswami, C. (2004)5 explained that mechanization complements modern varieties to realize the production potential, the spread of modern varieties induced labour saving technologies such as use of tractors, threshers and farm equipments and their easy availability due to the custom of hiring, facilitated even small farmers to adopt these technologies. The proposition that the labour saving technologies like tractors had expanded rapidly and they were substituted for human and bullock labour is partially supported by statistical evidences. The share of human labour cost in paddy production remained almost constant but decreasing in recent years over the three decades ending 2001. Radha Krishna Rao (2003)6 has observed that the impact of mechanization is more evident on large and medium irrigated farms as compared to small and marginal farms. Volume VIII, Issue VI, JUNE/2019 Page No:1513 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 Vijay Paul Sharma and Raj veer Singh (1995)7 have studied the impact of technological change on asset structure, cropping pattern and productivity of crops and identified the socio-economic factors associated with new technology. It is observed that area under high yielding verities has resulted in higher productivity. Investment in capital assets for productive purposes increased the farm size. Cropping intensity in technology adopted farms is higher than that of non-technology adopted farms and productivity is found to be high. F.C. Das and Kishan Singh (1988)8 have suggested mechanization measures for increasing production of sugar which include tillage, planting, inter culture, plant protection, harvesting and cleaning. Singh and Ramanna (1974)9 observed that the adoption of improved technology coupled with adequate credit facility dynamises the income potential and offers the single best measure to solve the chronic problem of under employment of family labour on small farms and for labour in agricultural sector in general. Parnape (1970)10 indicated that mechanization will increase the production and ultimately raise the standard of living and increase economic welfare. He was of the opinion that mechanization would increase the real purchasing power of the people and thus have a leverage effect in demand for other products. In order to fill the said gaps, the present study is initiated with the following objectives and hypotheses followed by the relevant methodology. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To explain the socio-economic profile of both sample farmers and labourers. 2. To estimate the effects of farm mechanization on agriculture in the study area. 3. To analyze the determinants of farm mechanization in the study area. METHODOLOGY For the purpose of the study, 150 farmers of different sizes from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh by adhering to the principles of stratified random sampling. The criteria of stratification are size of the farmers. The sample farmers are selected from Bapatla, Chebrolu, Dachepalli, Ipur, and Nadendla mandals of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur district is famous for growing crops like chillies, cotton and paddy. Volume VIII, Issue VI, JUNE/2019 Page No:1514 International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124 SOURCES OF DATA The study made use of primary data. The required primary data were directly collected from the respondents by administering a pre designed questionnaire/ schedule among them. Table 1 Place of the sample farmers Place Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent Bapatla 35 23.33 23.33 Chebrolu 21 14.00 37.33 Dachepalli 37 24.67 62.00 Ipur 28 18.67 80.67 Nadendla 29 19.33 100.00 Total 150 100.0 Source: Primary data Table 1 refers to the distribution of the sample farmer respondents by their place. It is observed that 23.33 per cent