A Survey of Mechanization Problems of the Small Scale (Peasant) Farmers in the Middle Belt of Nigeria

Abstract

Food shortage problem is increasing every day among the developing nations. So many farmers are on the land on small scale basis and their production has not been enough. Their farm sizes have not increased over the years due to absence of the relevant mechanization machinery. This study was made to evaluate the level of solutions of the problems of small farm mechanization, which is the only viable means of food production in the developing nations such as Nigeria. From the studies, the various levels of mechanization tools in the various farm operations are as follows: land clearing 21.54%, tillage 24.62%, planting 3.85%, spraying 86.15%, fertilization 2.13%, weeding 3.08%, harvesting 40%, crop processing 7.69% and crop storage 0.00%. Most of the farm sizes (93.85%) range from 1-5 hectares. The mechanization process being emphasized in the country is still beyond the scope of the small scale farmers who produce the bulk of the food. It is recommended among other things that government should set up agricultural machinery industries which should developed or purchase and hired out to small scale farmers at subsidized rates to increase the level of mechanization of certain farm operations in the middle belt states of the country.