ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION IN MID HILL ZONE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2021-02
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Present study entitled “Economic Analysis of Agricultural Mechanization in mid hill zone
of Himachal Pradesh” was conducted in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. A sample of 60
farmers was selected randomly from 10 villages of Gopalpur and Balh blocks in Mandi district. Both
primary as well as secondary data were used to fulfill the specific objectives of the study. Socioeconomic
analysis of the farmers revealed an average size of 5.90 members with a literacy rate of
88.24 per with literacy index of 2.81. The cultivated land accounted for 97.43 per cent of total land
holdings. The results revealed that mechanization index at overall farm category was 0.26 which
varied from 0.21 to 0.53 among different categories of farms. The highest (0.53) farm mechanization
index was found in medium farms and lowest (0.21) in marginal farms. It can further be observed that
coefficient of variation was highest (39.00 %) in marginal farms and lowest (6.52 %) in medium
farms. At the overall level, 46.15 per cent variation was found in farm mechanization. Multiple linear
regression was used to analyze the factors affecting farm mechanization the study area. Literacy
index, type of family and land holdings were found significant factors affecting the farm
mechanization in the study area. It was found that with the improvement in quality of education, farm
mechanization index will increase by 0.009 units for every one unit increase in the literacy index.
Literacy rate, occupation and crop yield index were found to have positive relationship with farm
mechanization, however, these factors were not found statistically significant. The major problem for
the slow pace of agricultural mechanization in the study area was lack of training in the use of farm
machinery, maintenance cost of implements and excessively small fragmented land holdings and nonavailability
of spare parts. Agricultural mechanization has been identified as one of the critical inputs
for increasing the productivity of land by ensuring timeliness of agricultural operations, increased
labour work output per unit time by reducing efforts and drudgery and improved quality of farm
operations.