Limitations Of Farm Mechanisation In Agriculture

By /

Hi, welcome on this blog on the limitations of Farm mechanisation in agriculture.

Table Of Contents

  1. Limitations of Farm mechanisation
  2. Reasons why agriculture have not been fully mechanized.
  3. Revision Questions.

Read Also

Limitations of Farm Mechanisation

Factors limiting agricultural mechanisation in West Africa and in Nigeria can be discussed under the following major headings.

  1. Economic limitation
  2. Technical limitation
  3. Lack of maintenance
  4. Small farm holding
  5. Reasons why agriculture has not been fully mechanized in West Africa.

1. Economic limitation

The economic limitations of Agricultural mechanisation include:

  • Machines are not readily available in the country.
  • Most farmers are poor and cannot afford them.
  • Cost of hiring the machines is high/exorbitant.
  • Cost of maintenance is high.
  • Operators of machines demand high pay/wages which most farmers cannot afford.

2. Technical Limitation

Technical limitations of Agricultural mechanisation include:

  • There is lack of technical know how of machines.
  • Experts on these machines are not readily available.
  • Mode of operations of these machines are not known.
  • Most of the machines are not adapted to our local environment/needs.
  • Very few schools exist for the training of machine operators.

3. Lack of Maintenance

Limitations of lack of maintenance facing agricultural mechanisation include:

  • Most machines are imported.
  • Replacement parts are not available.
  • Inadequate trained personnel to repair Farm machines.
  • Facilities for repair and maintenance are lacking.
  • The very few trained personnel are not always available when machines break down.

4. Small Farm Holdings

The limitations of small farm holdings affecting Agricultural mechanisation include:

  • Land Tenure systems encourage fragmentation of land which cannot be mechanized.
  • Fragmentation of land discourages mechanisation.
  • Agriculture is practiced by peasant farmers.
  • Peasant farmers have small area of farmland.

Reasons why agriculture has not been fully mechanized in West Africa

  1. Small farm holdings or land fragmentation or land tenure system does not permit mechanization.
  2. The farming system currently practiced do not encourage mechanization.
  3. There are no access roads for machines.
  4. It is costly or expensive to hire machines and most farmers are poor.
  5. High running cost for machinery discourages mechanization.
  6. Heavy tree stumps left after land clearing hinder the use of machinery.
  7. Machines or implements are expensive to purchase.
  8. Machines are costly to maintain.
  9. Inadequate capital or credit facilities.
  10. Machines spare parts are not easily available.
  11. There is low level of technical know-how about machinery.
  12. There is inadequate extension services or education for farmers.
  13. Unfavorable soil terrain or topography prevents mechanization.
  14. There is inadequate Farm labourers or Farm lands to enhance mechanization.
  15. Poor market structures or system for agricultural produce discourage farmers from large-scale production.

Revision Questions

  1. State and discuss briefly four limitations of farm mechanisation in agriculture.
  2. Explain how economic limitation limits farm mechanization.
  3. State six reasons why agriculture has not been fully mechanized in West Africa.
  4. Explain how lack of maintenance limits farm mechanisation.
Scroll to Top