Factors Affecting Farm Mechanization – A Case Study in Assam, India

Abstract

The study was conducted in Central Brahmaputra Valley and Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam in India. Primary data of 240 sample farms by personal interview schedule method and Logit Regression Analysis was used for examining the factors affecting farm mechanization adoption. All data collected from sample farms pertains to the year 2014-15.With the help of logit regression different factors affecting the mechanization adoption was examined in the sample households where seven explanatory variable to explain mechanization adoption viz., age of the head of household i.e. AGE, education level of the household i.e. EDU, size of land holdings i.e. LHD, access to irrigation i.e. IRA, access to extension agents i. e.  EXT, area under high yielding varieties i.e. HYA  and the access to institutional credit i.e. BLN were included and the negative value of the coefficient of AGE showed that the younger generation of farmers favoured the mechanization of farm much more compared to the old block. The coefficient of EDU (4.325) was positive and highly significant level confirming that the adoption of farm mechanization was more prevalent among the farms having relatively literate in the study area. It was found from the above analysis that there were different factors which affect the farm mechanization.  Linkage of extension functionaries with the grassroots level by creating awareness about the use of farm machineries amongst the farmers.