EVALUATION AND SCALING OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION PRACTICES IN SMALLHOLDER FARMING SYSTEMS IN HITOSA DISTRICT, OROMIA REGION

Abstract

Ethiopian agriculture is dominated by a smallholder farming system, where the farmers rely on traditional farming method, which is labor-intensive and prone to drudgery. Appropriate mechanization should replace human labor in agriculture but, there is a low level of mechanization in the country. Based on this, the study aimed to investigate agricultural mechanization practices in smallholder farming systems in the Hitosa district of the Oromia region. To achieve the objective of this study, different methods were used. A total of 104 (80 farmers and 24 agricultural experts) were selected using multistage sampling techniques. Interviews, observations, and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Linear regression was used to predict the effect of mechanization input on crop production. Additionally, to suggest an appropriate mechanization scale, Agricultural Mechanization Models (Model-1: traditional farming; Model-2: semi-mechanized farming and Model-3 mechanized farming) were developed. In the models, the required and saved hours, labor and crop productivity, and energy consumed via human, animal, and mechanical power were compared. Finally, the mechanization status of the study area was determined by the degree, level, and capacity of mechanization. The results indicated that using mechanization input has a positive and significant effect on crop production. The level of mechanization in the study area was 0.281 hp/ha and, to reach 1.5 hp/ha, 264 tractors would be required. The aggregate degrees of mechanization carried out by motorized, human and draught animal power for wheat were 0.263, 0.068, and 0.17 hp-hr/ha, respectively. The work done by all the power sources, i.e., mechanization indices for wheat and barley were 52 and 64%, respectively. Among the three models, traditional farming was more labor intensive. Accordingly, mechanized farming saved more labor than traditional farming by 87.1%. Besides saving labor and time, mechanizing the farm make it economical and productive. As a result, mechanized farming led to higher labor and crop productivity than traditional farming by 96.2 and 40.9%, respectively. The consumed labor and draught animal decreased when traditional farming was mechanized. Accordingly, mechanization capacity, i.e., energy consumed by human labor in traditional farming was higher than mechanized and semi-mechanized by 99.5 and 81.7%, respectively. Consequently, smallholder farmers should practice agricultural mechanization to upgrade their farming systems to mechanized farming. In general, agricultural mechanization practices in smallholder farming systems have a significant contribution to productivity, living standards, and sustainable growth. Therefore, the appropriate use of mechanization input for the smallholder farmers in the study area is crucial. So, the government and different stakeholders should facilitate the upgrading of the current traditional farming systems to mechanized farming systems