769 International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies (IJPSAT) ISSN: 2509-0119. © 2020 International Journals of Sciences and High Technologies http://ijpsat.ijsht-journals.org Vol. 22 No. 1 August 2020, pp. 351-367 Agricultural mechanization development in Yemen (1970-2003) Faisal Mohammed Saif Al-Shamiry Agricultural Department Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Thamar University, The Republic of Yemen Abstract – The Yemeni farmer has been practicing manual cultivation since long periods, in a small area that meets his family's food requirements by conducting various agricultural operations using his animals for the traction. The objective of this research was to determine the present status of the adopted agricultural machinery and make a comparison of the machinery in different of Yemeni governorates. The results of the 2002 agricultural census were used for this research, as this census covered all governorates. The results showed that the distribution of cultivated area were 7.63%, 7.92%, 28.34% and 56.11% of the total area less than 0.5 ha, from 0.5 to less than 1 ha, from 1ha to less than 5 ha and 5 ha and more respectively. While the distribution of land owners were 58.42%, 14.94%, 19.59% and 7.05% of total land owners owned less than 0.5 ha, from 0.5 to less than 1 ha, from 1ha to less than 5 ha and 5 ha and more respectively. Sa’adah governorate has the most number of machinery as well as 42640 in number and the lowest number was 86 of machineries owned by Raymah. Irrigation pumps are used in the highest number, which is 211620, the threshers was the lowest number, which is 1058. Al Hudaydah was used the highest number of tractors that is 3542 and Raymah the lowest number, 30. Al Jawf was used the highest number of harvesters, which is 239 and Dhale the lowest number 18. The highest number of threshers was used in Sana’a and the lowest number was used in Taiz, which are 193 and 15 respectively. The significant number of irrigation pumps was used in Sa’dah which is 34334 and the lowest number was used in Raymah, which is 56. San’a, Sa’dah was used the highest number of sprayers that is 2181 and Al Maharah was used the lowest numbers, which is 11. Dhamar was used the highest number and Al Mahwit was used the lowest number of the other machinery which are 8470 and 5 respectively. Regarding the machineries per hectare, the results showed that Sa'adah was in the first position of all the 21 governorates with is 1.41 machineries per hectare. Dahle and Shabwah are in the second and third positions with 1.26 and 0.92 machineries respectively. Raymah was ranked at last position with 0.006686 machineries. The results analyzed from this research show that many of agricultural operations at the present time are still carried out manually or by animals. In addition agricultural machinery per hectare area still very low and was not adequate to fulfill the meaningful mechanization. Keywords – Agricultural mechanization, Machinery in Yemen, Distribution of cultivated area. I. INTRODUCTION 17.5% of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP) (Statistical year book, 2010). Mechanization systems are categorized The agricultural sector is considered one of the most into human, animal and mechanical technologies. Based on important sectors in the Yemeni economy, as it is considered the source of power, the technological levels of a primary source of job opportunities for about 54% of the mechanization have been broadly classified as hand-tool population. The agricultural sector contributes to about technology, draught animal technology and mechanical Corresponding Author: Faisal Mohammed Saif Al-Shamiry 351 Agricultural mechanization development in Yemen (1970-2003) power technology (FAO, 2006). Mechanization is an constraint of small farm holdings, small machines should also operative process through which improved agricultural be developed or promoted for individual or small group use. activities and optimum crop production can be achieved (Al In addition the use of smaller machines can reduce drudgery Mamun, et al., 2019). According to Alam, (2000) (as cited by and may be more sustainable in areas that are less productive Al Mamun et al., 2019), the cropping intensity and production because of limited water. Tractors are the main farm of crops have recently been increased significantly due to the machines used by farmers in Riau Province Indonesia for adoption of mechanization tillage, irrigation, and spraying tillage operations instead of human tools and drawn-animal practices. According to Oliveira et al., 2007 (as cited by implements (Paman at al., 2010). Singh, (2005) introduced Mantoam et al. 2018) being adopted for most of field that mechanization technologies keep changing with operations, agricultural mechanization is one of the tools that industrial growth of the country, and socio-economic supported the increase in world food production, bringing advancement of the farmer. He added increasing land and many benefits to farmers, such as cost reduction and higher labour productivity with dignity are the mechanization work rate of field operations. According to Raheleh et al., requirements of the developing countries. Mechanization (2012) in developed country, the main object of technology is, therefore, location-specific and dynamic. As it mechanization utilization is decreasing expenses or labour is mentioned by (Oyelade and Oni, 2013) the traditional energy, but in developing country, it is increasing production. method of farming puts serious limitations on the growth of According to Filani and Ejiko, (2018) the word the nation’s agricultural sector thus exacerbating reduced mechanization is generally the use of machinery to replace food production leading to increased food importation. human or animal labour especially in agriculture and Hazza’a (1993) mentioned that the agricultural machinery industry. Tractors and field machinery are tools of was entered to Yemen randomly and unorganizedly, and did agricultural production. This equipment increases the not achieve the desired goals, due to the fragmentation of productivity of the producer, improve the quality of product agricultural ownership and the small size of agricultural and reduce the hazards of operations (Ampratwum et al., holdings. The number of terraces is estimated at about 40% 2004).The level, appropriate choice and subsequent proper of the total Yemeni arable land, and small size of holding, use of mechanized inputs into agriculture has a direct and which is difficult to subject to agricultural mechanization significant effect on achievable levels of land productivity, (Hazza’a, 1996; Hazza’a, 1997; Al-Ani, 1997). In addition, labour productivity, the profitability of farming, the all service operations and most of the smallholder cultivation sustainability, the environmental and on the quality of life of operations and service are still restricted to the use of high- people engaged in agriculture (Olaoye and Rotimi,2010). cost animal and human power, Williams (1980). According Mottaleb et al., (2016) concluded that scale-appropriate to Abdul Hamid (1993), the most important goals of agricultural mechanization can play an important role in agricultural mechanization are the speedy completion of enhancing the labour productivity of smallholder farmers. agricultural operations, reducing production costs, increasing The mechanization technologies should be including new and productivity per unit area, increasing the productivity of the old machines that are continuously being used by farmers agricultural worker and raising its standard of living, (Dela, et al., 2017). According to Mehta et al., 2014 improving the quality of agricultural product, reduce waste agricultural mechanization plays a key role in improving and increase livestock. If mechanization does not achieve the agricultural production and productivity in developing above objectives, it becomes a burden on the farmers and the countries. Mechanization is an essential input to raise labor government. and land productivity and reduce drudgery (Sims and 1.1 The stages of agricultural mechanization in Yemen Kienzle, 2016). Sims and Kienzle (2017) indicated that smallholder farmers are the main producers of the world’s Agricultural mechanization in Yemen does not exceed the food and they will have to increase production by up to 100 concept of agricultural tractor, which despite its entry into percent by 2050 to feed the growing population. Mandal, Yemen since the seventies of the last century. The degree of (2017) mentioned that small and marginal farms are one of benefit from it is still limited to its use in plowing operations, the immense challenges for farm mechanization in the West and is rarely used to implement other operations, meaning Bengal state of India. Since the majority of farms are that the tractor is not used to full capacity at an uneconomic marginal with land holding less than one hectare, the use of rate, at best, it does not exceed 600 to 800 hours per year, high capacity equipment is not feasible. So, small agricultural Williams (1980). Yemeni farmers still used the municipal machinery is gaining importance for research. As it was plow in plowing operations, which plows with a depth of 10 concluded by Dela and Malanon, (2017) to address the cm and a width of no more than 15-20 cm. The tillage Vol. 22 No. 1 August 2020 ISSN: 2509-0119 352 Agricultural mechanization development in Yemen (1970-2003) efficiency in this way was no more than 0.03 ha / hour specialized, the multiplicity of sources for importing (Williams, 1980). The cultivation and sowing operations machinery and tractors and their high prices, the absence of complete with the same plow that opens the grooves and is centers and automatic complexes for the rental and followed by the sowing laborer (Hill, 1979). Importing maintenance of machinery in all agricultural regions, poor agricultural tractors started in 1970 with about 20 tractors. agricultural extension activity in the field of mechanization, Then the import rate increased to 2119, 5563 and 10000 poor transportation network impedes a lot from the arrival of tractors in 1977, 1980 and 1991 respectively (Karim, 1991).