|
Level of
Mechanization Mechanization in any area is characterized
into three levels: low, fair, and high. Low mechanization level
means that manual power used exceeded 33%. Fair means that animal
power utilization ranges from 34% to 100%. High means that
mechanical power utilization ranges from 67% to 100% (Rodulfo, et.
al, 1998).
Table 1 shows the
level of mechanization in rice and corn farming operations,
expressed in three main sources of power, namely: manual,
man-animal and mechanical. The
data shows that human power dominates farm operations at an
average of 56.53%. Mechanical operations are applied mainly in
milling, threshing or shelling, land preparation, and planting.
Animals continue to dominate land preparation. Sun drying is still
preferred by farmers. In
terms of available power expressed as horsepower per hectare
(hp/ha), the level of mechanization stands at 1.68 hp/ha (Table
2). This is relatively low compared with other neighboring
countries. The reason
for this is the abundance of manual labor, which dominates the use
of human power in rice and corn cultivation activities. The high
hp/ha of power tillers and threshers indicate that the use of
mechanical power in land preparation and threshing is increasing.
Irrigation, harvesting, and drying have low hp/ha level.
Compared with other Asian countries, the
Philippines ranks 9th in terms of level of
mechanization at 0.52 hp/ha in 1990 (Table 3). This again is very
low compared with Japan at 7.00 hp/ha, Republic of Korea at 4.11
hp/ha, and People’s Republic of China at 3.88 hp/ha (RNAM, 1994)
In terms of
rice production, RNAM report indicates that the Philippines ranks
eighth and sixth of 11 countries in terms of mechanization level
and production per hectare. Korea toped the list followed by China
both based on total power source. China and Korea ranked first and
second, respectively in terms of production per hectare (Table 4).
AMDP (1998) did a
correlation analyses to determine the possible relationship
between the two variables. The computed linear coefficient of
0.7645 shows a degree of relationship between the level of
mechanization (independent variable) and the production per
hectare (dependent variable). However, it does not explain how the
level of mechanization affects the production per hectare since
there are other factors that could affect production per unit
hectare such as farm inputs application and farmer’s capability
to increase inputs.
|
|
|
Table 1. Percentage of rice and corn farms
vs. source of power.
|
Operation
|
Power
Source
|
|
Manual
|
Man-Animal
|
Mechanical
|
|
Land preparation
|
3.15
|
64.71
|
23.17
|
|
Planting
|
98.67
|
1.15
|
0.16
|
|
Weeding
|
85.20
|
14.80
|
0
|
|
Fertilizer application
|
98.69
|
1.65
|
0
|
|
Spraying
|
100
|
0
|
0
|
|
Harvesting
|
98.79
|
0
|
0
|
|
Threshing/shelling
|
31.01
|
0
|
68.99
|
|
Drying (farm level)
|
100
|
0
|
0
|
|
Milling
|
0
|
0
|
100
|
|
Average
|
56.53
|
19.25
|
21.70
|
Source:
Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (AMDP), 1997
Table 2. Level of Mechanization in Rice
and Corn.
|
Source
of Power |
Hp/ ha |
|
1. Human labor |
0.24 |
|
2. Draft animal |
0.08 |
|
3. Four-wheel tractor
|
0.24
|
|
4. Engines
|
|
|
a. Power tiller
|
0.56
|
|
b. Thresher
|
0.34
|
|
c. Irrigation pump
|
0.07
|
|
d. Harvesting, drying and shelling equipment)
|
0.15
|
|
|
|
Total
|
1.68
|
Source:
Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (AMDP), 1997
Table 3. Level of mechanization among
selected Asian countries, hp/ha.
|
Country
|
1968
|
1990
|
|
Japan
|
3.00
|
7.00
|
|
Republic of Korea
|
0.435
|
4.11
|
|
People’s Republic of china
|
Not
available
|
3.88
|
|
Pakistan
|
0.410
|
1.02
|
|
India
|
0.302
|
1.00
|
|
Thailand
|
0.348
|
0.79
|
|
Iran
|
0.239
|
0.70
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
0.378
|
0.58
|
|
Philippines
|
0.198
|
0.52
|
|
Indonesia
|
0.173
|
0.41
|
|
Bangladesh
|
Not
applicable
|
0.40
|
|
Nepal
|
0.733
|
0.30
|
Source:
RNAM, 1994
Table 4.
Comparison of palay production and level of mechanization among
Asian countries.
Country
|
Palay
Production (tons/ha)
|
Average
hp/ha
|
|
People’s
Republic of China
|
5.36
|
3.88
|
|
Republic
of Korea
|
4.70
|
4.11
|
|
Indonesia
|
4.04
|
0.41
|
|
Sri
Lanka
|
3.42
|
0.58
|
|
Islamic
Republic of Iran
|
2.81
|
0.70
|
|
Philippines
|
2.64
|
0.52
|
|
Pakistan
|
2.50
|
1.02
|
|
Nepal
|
2.26
|
0.30
|
|
Thailand
|
2.14
|
0.79
|
|
India
|
1.68
|
1.00
|
|
Bangladesh
|
1.49
|
0.40
|
Source:
RNAM, 1990
|
