SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION IN RANGPUR DISTRICT

Abstract

This study aims to assess the sustainability of agricultural mechanization in Rangpur district. Agricultural Mechanization covers all levels of farming and processing technologies, from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated and motorized equipment. Sustainable agricultural mechanization considers economic, social, and environmental dimensions that contribute to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. The objectives of the study were to identify a set of indicators that represents social, economic and environmental issues of agricultural mechanization, to assess the sustainability of agricultural mechanization, and to determine contributory factors of the sustainability of agricultural mechanization. An essential set of indicators were developed by reviewing the literature. Data were collected from 120 farmers of nine villages of three upazilas namely Rangpur Sadar, Gangachara and Taraganj of Rangpur district. The sustainability of agricultural mechanization was assessed by developing a composite sustainability index consisting of three dimensions. Normalization, weighting and aggregation were used for constructing the sustainability index. The results indicate that: i) on average the agricultural mechanization of more than one-third (38.42%) of farmers was sustainable and ii) using multiple regression analysis (standardized beta), the major contributing factors were adequacy of extension services, access to financial institutions, knowledge on climate change, education, the extent of reducing pre-harvest, harvest, post-harvest losses and increasing productivity. Research findings indicate that these six factors played a vital role in achieving sustainability of agricultural mechanization in the study area. Several policy recommendations (e.g., higher adequacy of extension services, full access to financial institutions, higher education, increase in agricultural productivity, availability of agricultural machinery, frequent use of agricultural machinery etc.) were made based on the findings of the study to achieve sustainability of agricultural mechanization in Rangpur district.