Strategies
and Recommendation
Agricultural
mechanization is one of the components of agricultural
modernization as stipulated in AFMA. Based on the AFMA framework,
the roadmap for agricultural mechanization should aim to: 1)
promote use and widen farmers’ access to farm machines; 2)
enhance the delivery of support services to improve farm
mechanization; and 3) encourage the development of a progressive
agricultural machinery manufacturing industry. Based on the
development objectives set forth by AMMDA and the National
Agriculture and Fishery Council (NAFC), the following strategies
targets and strategies were identified to achieve the objectives
(AMMDA,2003)
Targets
1.
Raise farm mechanization level from current average of 0.44
hp/ha to 1.0 hp/ha. Efforts should focus on promoting the use of
compact and low-powered (under 20 hp) machinery and equipment and
on rice and corn postproduction mechanization to substantially
reduce postharvest losses.
2.
Raise local content in farm machineries by promoting
greater private sector investments in the assembly of small,
single cylinder engines. Manufacture of this type of engines will
provide agricultural machinery makers with a steady supply of
engines. It is expected that this will expand their production
capacities and lower the import content of local manufactures of
farm machinery.
3.
Raise public investment in agriculture mechanization R&D to at
least one fourth of one percent of the agriculture and industry
sectors’ gross value added. This sum shall not only be invested
in R&D, but also in agricultural and industrial extension that
will promote the research results. Since agricultural
mechanization impacts on development areas outside agriculture,
the sum shall be shared among the Department of Agriculture,
Department of Trade and industry, and the Department of Science
and Technology
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