Through the narrow openings that weave in and around the potatoes, beans, sesame, banana, corn, yams and cassava on her farm in central nigeria, mwuese jato introduces her latest crop with particular pride. Crs helps mwuese jato produce and sell a new variety of cassava plants. At current food production growth rates, nigeria remains unable to feed its population. Agricultural mechanization today has a very broad meaning. Through growth in agricultural productivity and higher farm profits, the rural poor can generate additional income to purchase more food, including more diverse kinds of food. Agriculture contributes to poverty reduction because it provides employment to the poor, who have also generally low skills and education. Sustainable agricultural mechanization home food and. Agriculture in nigeria is a branch of the economy in nigeria, providing employment for about 30% of the population as of 2010. In the 2010 rainy season, only 6 percent of the countrys farmers used tractors, either their own or rented t able 2. Akinbamowo ondo state ministry of agriculture, akure, ondo state, nigeria. Nigeria s urban population has outstripped the rural population.
Complete guide to agricultural product processing and storage. Mechanization plays a vital role in enhancing sustainable food production, thereby boosting food security in nigeria as exemplified in various mechanized operations in the farm that has to do with. Innovation for sustainable agricultural growth in nigeria. Pdf smallholder farmers are the main producers of the worlds food. The views expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the official views of fao or its.
Nigeria s mechanization landscape the importance of. Today, the debate on development of agricultural mechanization turns into the debate on. The challenges of agriculture and rural development in. Agricultural mechanization, a key to food security in. New models for sustainable agricultural mechanization in subsaharan africa 1. Furthermore, this analysis has not included the effect of sustainable agriculture on roots, tubers and plantains, which account for 40% of the total food supplies in calories for some 50% of the population of subsaharan africa, and are important staples in parts of latin america and the caribbean. The usage of inorganic fertilizers was promoted by nigerian government in the 1970s. Agricultural sector performance and nigerias economic growth. Pdf sustainable agricultural mechanization for smallholders.
Clarke, chief, agricultural engineering branch, agricultural support systems division fao, rome, italy february 2000 not e. Planters for manual use can be as simple as a pointed stick with a. Sustainable mechanization involves the application of different forms of power sources used in conjunction with appropriate tools, implements and machines to be able to do useful work in agricultural production and along the agrifood value chain. A framework for africa vii sustainable agricultural mechanization can redeem africa from perpetual food insecurity. Report consultative meeting on a mechanization strategy. Agricultural mechanization is the process of development and application of machines in the farming process. The study adopted the use of a questionnaire and interview schedules, discussion and personal observation for primary data collection.
Effects of agricultural mechanization on economies of. There was a sharp decline in export crop production, while food production increased only marginally. History of agriculture in nigeria agriculture nigeria. Agricultural mechanization patterns in nigeria papers in the ssrn. Empirical evidence is, however, scarce on how mechanization animal traction andor tractors affects other aspects of agricultural production like economies of scope eos. Nigeria s population is rapidly increasing necessitating the need for increased food production. Agriculture improves food security in many ways, most fundamentally by increasing the amount of food but also by providing the means to purchase food. Recognizing nigerias tremendous agricultural potentials, the government has accepted the view that the country should resolve to make agriculture the main source of living of the economy. The four phases of africas agricultural mechanization evolution figure 6. The role of ergonomics in sustainable agricultural. Problems and prospects of agricultural mechanization in. To embrace agricultural mechanization, one of the most important agricultural. This paper highlights the impact of musculoskeletal disordersinjuries on the agricultural sector, and the benefits of the application of ergonomics on sustainable agricultural development in nigeria.
Agriculture mechanization in nigeria agriculture project. One of the key development paradigms for longterm increased agricultural production in ssa is sustainable agricultural mechanization sam. Aggarwals words, farm mechanization is a term used in a very broad sense. To achieve this objective, the central bank of nigeria cbn stipulated preferential lending rates for agricultural activities with the farmers enjoying the lower interest rate 14. The majority of nigerias smallholder farmers are often too poor to employ modern tools, such as tractors and plows, even with substantial government support.
It describes the evolution of agricultural mechanization and discusses the major drivers and issues, followed by a look ahead. Private sector driven agricultural mechanization programme psdamp in nigeria. Agricultural mechanization in nigeria hiroyuki takeshima, research fellow, ifpri akeem lawal, national agricultural extension and research liaison services, ahmadubello university, zaria, nigeria international conference on southsouth knowledge sharing on agricultural mechanization addis ababa, ethiopia. Sustainable agricultural mechanization food and agriculture. Nigerias urban population has outstripped the rural population. Agricultural mechanization strategies for rwanda shifting. She also participates in financial management training. As a result, more emphasis are laid on higher productivity which demand for greater agricultural. Mechanization provides opportunities for intensifying production in a sustainable manner, value addition and food systems development, and improved local economies and livelihoods. This background paper looks at agricultural development and mechanization with a particular focus on west africa. Global tractors in use by region 19612000 figure 4.
Production of raw materials for local agro industries. The african union commission auc and the food and agriculture organization of the united nations fao view agricultural mechanization in africa as an urgent matter and an indispensable. The sector is being transformed by commercialization at the small, medium and largescale enterprise levels. Production of food, adequate in quantity and quality to meet the population growth. Despite its rural roots, the urban population is disconnected from food production and relies on the market for food supplies, whether domestically produced or imported.
The unit had a total of 15 tractors 10 disc ploughs, 6 disc harrow 6 discridgers, and 3 trailers, all in. Mechanization is a powerful tool in achieving sustainable agricultural production because it enhances human capacity with the potential beneficiaries being men and women farmers. The first is the introduction while the second aspect examines agricultural and food production policy in nigeria. Sustainable agricultural mechanization for smallholders mdpi. Mechanization, along with other farm inputs such as fertilizers, improved seeds and pesticides, can significantly improve agricultural productivity in rwanda. It is the application of machineries, equipments and implements in the day to day farm activities to increase marginal output in food production and poverty eradication. Factors limiting smallscale farmers access and use of. Between 1970 and 1982, agricultural production stagnated at less than one percent annual growth rate, at a time when the population growth was between 2. Verma 2008, in research on the impact of agricultural mechanization on production, productivity, cropping intensity, income generation and employment of labour in india, found. Cassava processing and marketing option for sustainable. Mechanization patterns, tractorization policy, and the evolution of private mechanization services in nigeria the use of tractors is still relatively rare in nigeria. In this respect, an agricultural mechanization policy would need effective targeting with regard to particular farming activities and types of farmers for which different forms of. Agricultural production and economic growth in nigeria 211 quarterly journal of international agriculture 53 2014, no.
Agricultural mechanization, precision agriculture, plant genetic improvements and other related practices are employed to optimize production of crops and cereals for. Agricultural policy for nigeria food and agriculture. This broad meaning includes production, distribution and utilization of a variety of tools, machinery and equipment for the development of agricultural land, planting, harvesting and primary processing 3, 15, 19, 25. It is often believed that the drudgery of manual agricultural. Agricultural mechanization may also be defined as the introduction of tools, implements, machines, equipment and technology in the cultivation of farm lands and processing of food. Agricultural mechanization and southsouth cooperation. Rainfall occurs only seasonally and there is a pronounced dry season however, rainfall is often intensive when it does come, making it necessary for farmers to employ soil moisture conservation techniques.
The selected value chains in nigeria are maize, rice, irish potato and cassava manioc. Background the large potential for agricultural production in subsaharan africa ssa has still not been realized. Nigerias population is rapidly increasing necessitating the need for increased food production. Background paper agricultural mechanization african. Agricultural mechanization in nigeria linkedin slideshare. Agricultural mechanization and agricultural transformation gaaap. Precision agriculture is an agricultural mechanization method which depends strongly on electronics, its and communications, and also requires technical skill and manpower for plant and animal production that are sitespecific and animalspecific respectively asoegwu, 2007. Agricultural mechanization and the smallholder farmers in. Strategies for agricultural mechanization development the roles of the private sector and the government l. Agricultural sustainability in northern nigeria requires flexibility in both ecological management as well as economic activity. Nigeria, at the moment, seems not to have made any conscious effort in terms of reaping the benefits of ergonomics in agriculture. Nigeria and the potential demand for mechanization services among farmers. Specifically, the book is intended for users both inschool and outof.
Agricultural mechanization is an integral part of agricultural development, since it is commonly characterized by scaleeffects that allow for specialization. Agricultural mechanization is the process whereby equipments, machineries and implements are utilized to boost agricultural and food production. Mechanization is required not only for crop production, but also for processing and. Hence, for nigeria to develop her agricultural sector and be relatively self sufficient in food production, agricultural mechanization remains one of the best options if not the only option. We carry out a wide range of projects to support agriculture and the rural communities in nigeria. Water supply for food crop production will be increased through the construction of irrigation structures, dams and boreholes in strategic food crop production zones cland supply this will be effected through appropriate land use and land resources strategies outlined in sections 2. Agriculture promotion policy the agriculture promotion policy 20162020 document, the green alternative is the outcome of an intensive consultative process starting in november 2015 through april 2016, and involving multiple stakeholders. Nigerias food security challenges will grow with its population. Impact of agricultural mechanization on production and. It not only includes the use of machines, whether mobile or immobile, small or large, run by.
Food insecurity challenges and sustainable agricultural. Making mechanization accessible to smallholder farmers in. Agricultural mechanization in its broadest sense can contribute significantly to the sustainable development of food systems globally, as it. Agricultural sustainability in northern nigeria wikipedia. Mechanization is required not only for crop production, but also for. Agricultural mechanisation from a value chain perspective has been considered in policy considerations as far as the attainment of sustainable ricebased production systems in ghana is concerned.
This shift to urban centres will become even more pronounced. Agriculture mechanization in nigeria abstract survey was undertake to assess the anambra state tractor hiring company. Anecdotal evidence indicates labor costs for farming in nigeria are rising while levels. Pdf nigerias agriculture requires a very strong boost because of increasing. Sustainable agricultural mechanization sam can be described as mechanization. The survey seeks to aid food security, this is because food wastage and. Sustainability and profitability of agricultural production. A clear policy direction on agricultural engineering and mechanization. Population growth leads to increased demand for food production and intensification of agricultural production.
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