Agricultural Mechanization: Issues and Options

摘要

Agricultural mechanization, as the term will be used in this study, includes: the process by which increased mechanical energy is applied to agriculture; the development, use, and management of improved mechanical aids for land clearing, water control, crop production, materials handling, storage, and processing; hand- and animal-powered implements, machines powered by engines or electrical motors, and associated equipment. Mechanization meets the growing requirements for power and timeliness of operations as agricultural systems become more intensive. The definition implies that these requirements can be met by a wide variety of power sources, implements, and equipment. Mechanization policy is defined here to include direct and indirect government interventions that affect decisions farmers and others make as they select power sources and the machines and implements to be used with them. It also deals with international trade in machinery and equipment and with the development of the machine industry in developing countries. The study analyzes the contribution that mechanization makes to economic growth and the ways in which the efficiency and equity effects of mechanization may be improved by removing policy distortions.