Present Status, Future and Constraints of Farm Mechanization in Bangladesh
PRESENT STATUS, FUTURE AND CONSTRAINTS OF FARM MECHANIZATION IN BANGLADESH
Engr. Mohammad Kamruzzaman Milon[1]
1. Introduction
Agriculture sector of Bangladesh contributes 19.29 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), where crop sector contributes alone 13.44%. Bangladesh has a population of about 150 million and an area of 14.86 mha, of which 8.52 mha is cultivable land. Of the cultivable, 7.19 mha (87%) is cultivated making it one of the most densely populated country in the world. Total food crop production 37.27 million metric ton (MOA, 2012). Major crops grown are rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, jute, tea, pulse, oilseed, fruits and spices. Bangladesh is in the vicinity of self-sufficient in rice production, deficit in wheat, maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and spices production and surplus in jute and tea production. Some fruits, vegetables and potatoes are exported, though per capita consumption of vegetables and fruits in much lower than the standard daily requirement.
The demand of cereals by the year 2030 has been projected to reach 43.82 million tons at an anticipated per capita income growth rate of 2% and 50.62 million tons at an income growth of 3%. This implies that the production of cereals will have to be increased by 2030. Scope for horizontal expansion of cultivable land is limited. To achieve the increased food production target Bangladesh has to go for vertical expansion of agricultural output over the current situation of its cultivable land. One of the most important means to boost up the vertical expansion of agricultural production is to adopt agricultural mechanization suitable for the Bangladeshi farmers. In order to increase the production and cropping intensity further, it has become necessary to mechanize certain farm operations. Agricultural labours are decreased from 63% in 2007 to 47% in 2012. Moreover, rural labour force has started to shift from agricultural to industrial sector and service sector, creating an acute agricultural labour shortage during peak planting and harvesting times. Due to labour shortage, timeliness of operation can not be maintained, resulting in yield reduction. Therefore, farm mechanization is inevitable to increase crop production.
2. Background of Farm Mechanization in Bangladesh
v The then Government of East Pakistan imported Power Tillers and Power Pumps in the late 1960s as a part of' ‘Green Revolution' activities. The Government of Bangladesh also allowed continued import of farm machinery after independence to help mechanize farming activities.
v The GOB abolished standardization requirements of imported machineries in 1988 and made the market open for import of agricultural machines (especially power tillers and pumps) at a nominal tariff following a devastating flood that caused loss of large population of draught animal
v Decreasing number of draught animals, shortening of turn-around time for land preparation and harvesting due to the introduction of HYV, shortage of labor at peak periods and increasing demand for irrigation for the dry season are creating demands for appropriate farm machinery in pre and post harvest operations.
v Mechanization in agriculture is reducing demand for labour and creating alternating livelihood opportunities for displaced labour and thus contributing to non-farm economy in the rural areas through operating machineries, trading, fabricating agro-tools and spares, service providing, etc.
v National Agricultural Policy of 1999 emphasized to meet the deficit of animal draught power through import of machines and raw materials needed for local fabrication with tax relief, providing credit to both users and traders and encouraging formation of user groups / cooperatives for owning or custom hiring of agricultural machinery to help mechanization. But this was not yet implemented fully.
3. Crop production constraints in Bangladesh
• Decreasing land availability in agricultural due to population pressure
• Only vertical expansion in agriculture is possible
• Shortage of draft power in agriculture
• Shortage of labour in agriculture
• Agriculture is becoming less attractive to the youths
• Youths are more interested to work in the service sectors
4. Why farm mechanization?
• Maximizing production, reducing cost of cultivation, reducing post harvest loss and to make agriculture profitable
• To ensure timeliness of farm operations
• To combat acute labour shortage during peak planting and harvesting period
• To increase cropping intensity, productivity and reduce human drudgery
• To generate rural employment
• To improve rural livelihood
5. Benefits of farm mechanization
• Timely Operations (Weeding, harvesting, threshing, cleaning etc.) help produce quality grain.
• Reduce human drudgery in agricultural operations
• Premium price for marketable produce
• Comparatively low cost operations
• Reduce post-harvest losses
• Operation and maintenance is simple and easy
• Can generate income through providing custom service
6. Present status of farm mechanization in Bangladesh
• Tillage – 80% power tiller(Two Wheel Tractor), 18% tractor, 2% bullock
• Transplanting- 100% manual
• Weeding-100% manual (by hand or manual weeder)
• Spraying- >90% knapsak sprayer
• Irrigation- >90% shallow tubewell or deep tubewell or low lift pump
• Harvesting- 100% manual (sickle)
• Drying – Farmer’s level-100% sun drying
• Milling- Village and Industry level-Engleberg huller-100%, Engleberg huller 30%, Rubber roll huller-70%.
7. Research and Development of Agricultural Machinery by Research Institute in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI) and Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) are engaged in research and development of farm machineries and technologies suitable for socio-economic and technological condition of Bangladeshi farmers. In the mean time quite a good number of farm machinery has been developed in these institutes. Some of the important machinery developed by different institutions is given below:
BRRI
BRRI has developed 32 technologies out of which BRRI Rice-wheat thresher, BRRI open drum thresher, BRRI weeder is widely used. A Few other promising machinery developed by BRRI is winnower, BRRI USG applicator, BRRI prilled urea applicator, dryer, improved oven and rice parboiling system. BRRI is trying to popularize this machinery through different GOB funded projects. Research activities are going on to develop power tiller mounted reaper, multi-crop seeder, etc.
BARI
BARI has so far developed 25 farm machinery and equipment. Out of these machinery and equipment, weeders, multi-crop power thresher and maize shellers are widely used. Other machinery like power tiller operated seeder, reaper, mango harvester, potato grader, and hot water treatment plant need wide publicity to popularize them among the farmers and stakeholders.
BAU
Farm Power and Machinery Department of BAU developed some machinery and equipment such as: Neck harness, improved animal drawn plough, Manually operated seed drill, Orchard sprayer, BAU-ZIA seed fertilizer distributor, Self propelled BAU reaper, Solar tunnel drier. REFPI project worked for the dissemination of BAU developed machineries but continuous effort is needed for dissemination.
BSRI
BSRI has developed some farm machinery for cultivation and processing of sugarcane and inter cropping. These are mini hot water treatment plant, pedal operated bud chip cutter hand operated bud chip cutter, power operated seed cutter. Research is going on for the development of trencher, power weeder, harvester, etc.
Trend of R & D
In the past, emphasis was given to improve the manual and animal operated equipment to increase their capacity and efficiency. With the availability of engine and power tiller at an affordable price, more emphasis was given on power operated machinery. At the same time improvement of machinery is being made after getting feedback from farmers. It is anticipated that, in near future, a significant portion of 2-wheel tractor use will be replaced by 4-wheel tractor. In that case research work will be shifted, to some extent, to 4-wheel tractor.
8. Promotion of the Agricultural Machineries in Bangladesh
Under the National Network, The National Research Institute, such as BRRI and BARI have established linkages with a good number of manufacturers, capable of fabrication and manufacturing of agricultural machineries. These private manufactures receive technical assistance i.e. prototypes, drawings and expert services from the national research institutes mentioned above. NGOs are also promoting machines by organizing landless farmers as a part of poverty reduction campaigns. CIMMYT also supports mechanization in terms of demonstration and training.
Ministry of Agriculture has been taken to popularize the machineries those have been tested in different locations of the country and found suitable for specific socio-economic settings of the farming system. Therefore, in order to disseminate mechanization and irrigation technologies, the Ministry of Agriculture suggested that an Irrigation and Farm Machinery Wing under DAE may set up (MOA, 2006). Some specialized projects funded by GOB and Donor agencies have been designed to provide special efforts for wider extension, adaptation and utilization some selected items of farm machinery. The salient features of some projects are given below:
8.1. The popularization of the Agricultural Machinery Project (PAMP-Project)
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Technology Division (FMPHT) of BRRI implemented a GOB funded project on "Popularizing BRRI Developed Agricultural Machinery to Augment Mechanized Rice Cultivation in Bangladesh (PAMP)" in 21 selected agricultural blocks of 21 districts of Bangladesh during 2001-2006. During popularization process, conducted (i) farm level demonstration of weeder, reaper, power thresher and winnower, (ii) long term use of these machinery at the selected farmer's household during crop (rice and wheat) harvesting season, (iii) some demonstration were also carried out in the adjoining block of other districts as requested by the interested farmers and collected information on currently use farm machinery from the farmer's field.
8.2. Agricultural Services and Innovation and Reform project (ASIRP)
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) implemented a project on "Agricultural Services and innovation and Reform project (ASIRP)" in 42 selected Upzila of 21 districts of Bangladesh during 1999-2004. This project funded by GOB with FAO, World Bank and ADB. The project has been designed to conducted farm level demonstration of reaper and power thresher and water management technology.
8.3. Agricultural Engineering Technology Extension Project
DAE implemented a GOB funded project on "Enhancement of Production and Rural Employment through Agricultural Engineering Technology" in 112 selected Upzila of 56 districts of Bangladesh during 2005-2011. The machineries those have been popularized are: Manual seeder, dry land weeder, rice-wheat reaper, open drum power thresher, rice-wheat thresher, manual and power maize Sheller, and seed/fertilizer applicator. Moreover, few numbers of machineries was sold to the farmers on 30% subsidized prices.
8.4. Enhancement of Crop Production through Farm Mechanization Project
DAE implemented a GOB funded project on "Enhancement of Crop Production through Farm Mechanization" Project in 35 districts of Bangladesh during 2010-2012. This project mainly designed to sell agricultural machineries such as Power tiller, power thresher, maize sheller, tractor, combine harvester, sprayer and hand reaper to the farmers on 25% subsidized prices. Moreover, this project has been designed to conducted farm level demonstration and training on agricultural machineries.
8.5. Research and Extension in Farm Power Issues (REFPI-DFID)
The project was implemented by Bangladesh Agricultural University with the support of DFID-UK through number of sub-projects in association with NGOs and private sector. The project was designed for sustainable livelihood approach with special interest of entrepreneurship and skill development.
9. Ongoing Project
9.1. Farm Machinery Technology Development and Dissemination (FMTD) -project
BARI, BRRI, and DAE are implementing this project since 2010 that will be continued to June 2015. There are 48 selected Upzila of 24 districts of Bangladesh are included in this project. The main objectives of the project (i) to create awareness among the farmers about the benefits of using BRRI and BARI developed farm machinery through field demonstration and training. (ii)to impart training to machine operators, agricultural extension workers manufacturers and traders on operation, repairing/maintenance and manufacturing of BRRI developed farm machinery(iii) to motivate the farmers on the use of BRRI and BARI developed machinery for increasing timeliness of cultivation, reducing costs of crop production and postharvest losses(iv)to strengthen research and development on farm machinery, postharvest technology and renewable energy resources (v) a notable numbers of BRRI and BARI developed machineries was sold to the farmers on 60% subsidized prices
9.2. Development and Validation of USG Applicator and Rice Transplanter (DUART) Project
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Technology Division (FMPHT) of BRRI is being implementing a NATP funded project on "Development and Validation of USG Applicator and Rice Transplanter (DUART)" during 2010-2013. The main objectives of the project (i) to design and development of user friendly manually operated USG applicator (ii) to modify and improvement of rice transplanter (iii) to validate and adoption of the developed technology to the end users
9.3. KOICA-BRRI Collaborative Research Programme
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Technology Division (FMPHT) of BRRI is being implementing a KOICA-GOB funded project on "Development of Research Capacity of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute" during 2010-2014. The overall objectives of the project is to enhance the capacity of BRRI scientists, there by positioning them with the knowledge and skill required to develop and adapt farm machineries suitable for the Bangladesh environment. The identified research areas are: i) Development of hand-operated carrier, ii) Design and development of a head feed power thresher, iii) Improvement of existing engelberg rice milling system, iv) Development of farming tools for weeding and fertilizing application , v) Design and development of a hill dispensing seeder
9.4 Enhancement of Crop Production through Farm Mechanization Project (2nd Phase)
The GOB funded project on "Enhancement of Crop Production through Farm Mechanization Project" is being implementing by DAE and will be continued to June 2018. There are 64 districts of Bangladesh are included in this project. This project is mainly designed to sell agricultural machineries such as power thresher, maize sheller, combine harvester, rice transplanter and foot pump to the farmers on 25% subsidized prices. Moreover, this project has been designed to conducted farm level demonstration and training on agricultural machineries.
10. Constraints/Limits of Mechanization in Bangladesh
• Lack of knowledge and skill for efficient operation, proper maintenance and repair of machinery at all levels of users.
• Inadequate public sector agricultural extension activity involving farm machinery or mechanization.
• Poor quality of fuel and lubricating oil available in the markets.