NASIRU
NASIRU
SEMINAR
PRESENTED
BY
NASIRU ABUBAKAR
ADM NO: 217304011
SUPERVISED
BY
JANUARY, 2024
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1.1 INTRODUCTION
According to Steve and Biggs (2015) in the past few years, patterns of rural mechanization have
taken on a new significance with concerns about, among other issues, future global food
supplies, food wastage and debates around land grabs,1 food security, rural employment, energy
generation and use, and water scarcity. These concerns encompass the broader questions of
whether, and under what circumstances, rural development should be seen as an important
development goal. When discussions of future global food supplies are presented in the press,
they are often accompanied by pictures of large-scale equipment such as powerful four-wheel
tractors (4WTs), large combine harvesters (like aircraft in formation), and large-scale irrigation
schemes. In land grab situations, if the land acquisitions are for agricultural production, there is
generally a large-scale, highly mechanized agricultural production, processing, and marketing
process involved. Articles and pictures of rural economies where smaller-scale mechanization
plays a central part in increasing agricultural and other rural economic activities are seldom seen.
Despite the media’s presentation, during the past 60 years smaller-scale equipment has been
spreading throughout much of East and South Asia.
And while use of machinery in farming does not directly lead to increase in yields it can
facilitate the intensification of production through quicker turnaround times, careful and timely
use of water, plant protection, harvesting, and so forth, which do increase yields, reduce losses,
and often reduce drudgery. Most past Asian Green Revolutions relied on cheap energy policies
for the agricultural sector through subsidized fossil fuels, electricity, and urea. In addition,
agricultural machinery was often subsidized with capital grants and low-interest loans. The
future for many South Asian countries will depend on a more careful investigation of the short-
and long-term outcomes of alternative patterns of rural mechanization. The purpose of this paper
is to examine historical patterns of smaller-scale rural mechanization in South Asia to draw
lessons for current and future policy. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were major choice of
technique policy debates concerning rural mechanization, but by the 1990s the debates had
nearly ceased. Since the 1970s many patterns of rural mechanization have taken place in
different parts of the world. In the past, the choices of techniques have been limited to
commercially available, Western-manufactured, large-scale machinery. Paradoxically, after the
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decline of the debates, the choice of techniques greatly expanded in the origins and numbers of
manufacturers and expanded in scale to commercial small-scale machinery.
Agricultural mechanization
Within the term “mechanization” there is a large number of possibilities and technologies for
farmers to choose from. These range from choosing between the different sources of additional
farm power to selecting from the various other production enhancing mechanical technologies
available. A judicious choice from amongst these is crucial for farmers to achieve optimum
profitability from their businesses and to attain an acceptable quality of life for themselves and
their families. There is now also the realization and acceptance that the choice of mechanical
technologies to be used can also have a major impact on the environment; only the use of
technologies which have a positive effect can be sustainable over the long term. This sets a major
challenge for all those involved in mechanization; planners, advisors, manufacturers, service
providers, practitioners and farmers. It is therefore important that governments should identify
the correct strategies for increasing mechanization in their countries with particular emphasis on
increased production, farmers’ livelihoods, and environmentally sustainable options.
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governments of many African countries have been encouraging farmers to make increasing use
of agricultural machinery. Unfortunately, these efforts have mostly failed to have much impact
on overall production, and there is now a realization that the acceptance and greater utilization of
agricultural machinery is still below what had been projected. Agricultural mechanization is a
very broad field in which numerous factors have to be considered. It is a cross-cutting term that
includes several disciplines. In addition to agriculture, it includes many economic aspects. It
involves many different stakeholders coming from a whole range of sections of society; the
smallest farmer can have an interest and be involved but so can very large private and public
sector companies and organizations across this wide spectrum of interests.
Since the advent of mechanized agriculture, it has made a noticeable impact on human
development. Several studies have been conducted on the impact of agricultural mechanization
on production, productivity, cropping intensity, human labor employment as well as income
generation for sustainable livelihoods of households.
John F M(2003) in his paper explores the land tenure system in Burkina Faso and the rise of
mechanization in the country, and the relationship that develops between these two phenomena.
Houssou and Anthony in 2015 evaluated the impact of the recent public and private efforts to
mechanize agriculture in Ghana and assesses whether farm mechanization led to cropland
expansion and intensified use of inputs among farmers of the country. Human labor is still the
main source of power used in agricultural work in developing countries (Jaffrey and O`Neil
2000). It is also responsible for approximately half of the cultivated area in the world
(Ramansamy, 1994). In small-scale farms like this agricultural machinery with low cost and
technological adequacy make rural farmers easy to operate.
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government interest to purchase farm machinery had retarded agricultural mechanization in some
countries. Most farmers, cultivate less than 2ha on quite widely distributed farms. Now the scale
of farmers’ response to mechanization in terms of cropland expansion, fertilizer, and labor use in
General is what this project is about.
1.4 OBJECTIVE
The main objectives of the is find the effect of agricultural mechanization on the development of
agriculture in Wamako local government area of Sokoto State, while the specific objectives area
iv. What are the benefits obtained from using mechanized agriculture Wamako LGA
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The findings of this project work will not only add to the vast knowledge about the impact of
agricultural mechanization in the development of agriculture, it’s designed to highlight
importantly how mechanization has impacted the generality of farmers. It will be useful to
government, international bodies and Non-Governmental organizations that are interested in
agriculture and agricultural mechanization inmonitoring and evaluating the effects of existing
plans and policies and how it affects Nigeria and thereby take necessary measures to improve
and optimize their programs.
1.6 SCOPE
This study is primary concerned with the impact of agricultural mechanization in the
development of agriculture Wamako LGA Local government area of Sokoto State.
Study area
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The study was carried out in
Wamakko Local Govern-
ment Area of Sokoto State,
Nigeria, which lies between
latitude 12° N and 13° 58 N
and longitude 04° 8′ E a n d 6 °
54 E (Fig. 1). Wamakko was
estimated to have an area of
697 km
2
and a population of 209,204
(National Population
Census, 2015). Wamakko Local
Government Area was de-
scribed by the presence of
hills, sandy savannah, in
addition to numerous rivers,
streams and dams. The an-
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nual rainfall is about 50 mm
with the highest peak in Au-
gust. The predominant tribe in
Wamakko is Hausa. The
residents were mainly farmers
and fishermen (Kabiru et
al., 2013)
Study area
The study was carried out in
Wamakko Local Govern-
ment Area of Sokoto State,
Nigeria, which lies between
latitude 12° N and 13° 58 N
and longitude 04° 8′ E a n d 6 °
54 E (Fig. 1). Wamakko was
estimated to have an area of
697 km
2
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and a population of 209,204
(National Population
Census, 2015). Wamakko Local
Government Area was de-
scribed by the presence of
hills, sandy savannah, in
addition to numerous rivers,
streams and dams. The an-
nual rainfall is about 50 mm
with the highest peak in Au-
gust. The predominant tribe in
Wamakko is Hausa. The
residents were mainly farmers
and fishermen (Kabiru et
al., 2013)
Study area
The study was carried out in
Wamakko Local Govern-
9
ment Area of Sokoto State,
Nigeria, which lies between
latitude 12° N and 13° 58 N
and longitude 04° 8′ E a n d 6 °
54 E (Fig. 1). Wamakko was
estimated to have an area of
697 km
2
and a population of 209,204
(National Population
Census, 2015). Wamakko Local
Government Area was de-
scribed by the presence of
hills, sandy savannah, in
addition to numerous rivers,
streams and dams. The an-
nual rainfall is about 50 mm
with the highest peak in Au-
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gust. The predominant tribe in
Wamakko is Hausa. The
residents were mainly farmers
and fishermen (Kabiru et
al., 2013)
Study area
The study was carried out in
Wamakko Local Govern-
ment Area of Sokoto State,
Nigeria, which lies between
latitude 12° N and 13° 58 N
and longitude 04° 8′ E a n d 6 °
54 E (Fig. 1). Wamakko was
estimated to have an area of
697 km
2
and a population of 209,204
(National Population
11
Census, 2015). Wamakko Local
Government Area was de-
scribed by the presence of
hills, sandy savannah, in
addition to numerous rivers,
streams and dams. The an-
nual rainfall is about 50 mm
with the highest peak in Au-
gust. The predominant tribe in
Wamakko is Hausa. The
residents were mainly farmers
and fishermen (Kabiru et
al., 2013)
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
The study will be carried out in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Nigeria,
which lies between latitude 12° N and 13° 58 N and longitude 04° 8′ E and 6° 54 E. Wamakko
was estimated to have an area of 697 km2 and a population of 209,204 (National Population
Census, 2015). Wamakko Local Government Area was described by the presence of hills, sandy
savannah, in addition to numerous rivers, streams and dams. The annual rainfall is about 50 mm
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with the highest peak in August. The predominant tribe in Wamakko is Hausa. The residents
were mainly farmers and fishermen (Kabiru et al., 2013). There are 11 Wards in Wamakko local
government area: Arkilla, Bado/Kasarawa, Gumbi/Wajake, Kalambaina/Girabshi,
G/Hamidu/G/Kaya, G/Bubu/G/Yaro, Wamakko, Dundaye/Gumburawa, K/Kimba/Gedewa,
Gwamatse and Kammata.
Primary source of data will be used for this study and will be collected through structured
questionnaire. The members of the target group of this study are farmers using machinery in
Wamako LGA. The questionnaire consists of five sections: i. examine the socioeconomic
characteristics of agricultural mechanization in Wamako LGA, examine the impact of the
mechanized agriculture and how it is affecting agricultural development in Wamako LGA,
ascertain the availability and affordability of farm machines for the use of farmers in Wamako
LGA, identify the benefits obtained from using mechanized agriculture in Wamako LGA
Five (5) districts will be selected out of eleven districts of Wamako local government area, for
the study based on the effect of agricultural mechanization on the development of agriculture in
Wamako local government area. The districts selected are: Wamakko, Dundaye/Gumburawa,
K/Kimba/Gedewa, Gwamatse and Kammata. 20 farmers will be randomly selected from each of
the districts given a sample size of 100 respondents.
Descriptive statistics will be used to analyse the data obtained the basic features of the data in a
study. Questionnaire was analyzed through Social Science Statistical Package (SPSS).
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References
Federal Republic of Nigeria. (2010). Final 2006 census results. Official Gazette. 96(2).
Jaffrey, S. and O'Neil, D. (2000). Labor, Livelihoods and Poverty: Changing Roles and Realities
in Poor Rural Households. Intermediate Technology Publications.
John F M. (2003). The rise of mechanized agriculture in Burkina Faso and the challenges of
African smallholder producers. Agricultural Systems. 78(3), 389-401.
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Kabiru, Y. A., Akpoko, J. G., and Mamman, A. B. (2013). Physicochemical Characteristics of
River Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science.
21(3), 193-199.
Ramansamy, S. (1994). Socioeconomic aspects of rice cultivation in Tamil Nadu. Agric Lab Sci.
23(2), 46-52.
Steve, R. and Biggs, S. (2015). Rural mechanization: historical patterns and future scenarios.
Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin America. 46(2), 9-15.
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