Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Performance of Post Harvest Machinery for Agricultural Operation in Farming Community

Mobarak Hossain Khan Choudhury
Senior Agricultural Engineer
Proshika Manobik Unnayan Kendra

Sumona Rani Das
Agricultural Economist
Proshika Manobik Unnayan Kendra

Amalendu Biswas
Agricultural Engineer
Proshika Manobik Unnayan Kendra

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A development project was conducted based on post harvest machinery in some selected areas of Bangladesh. It was implemented in collaboration with International Finance Corporation, South-Asia Enterprise Development Facility of World Bank Group and Proshika Manobik Unnayan Kendra during the period of July 2006 to October 2008. Data were collected from six different districts of Bogra, Sirajganj, Manikganj, Gopalganj, Madaripur and B. Baria to obtain the output of the project. Post harvest machinery are playing a vital role in crop processing in Bangladesh. A total of 30 farmers participated as entrepreneurs/service providers in this development project using four different types of technology. This study investigated the technical and economic performance of post harvest machinery from this development project. The project team provided necessary technical support for the achievement of better output from the project. The entrepreneurs under this project have operated their post harvest machinery with the average threshing efficiency of 96 per cent, area coverage efficiency of 50 per cent and operational efficiency of 50 per cent. The entrepreneurs also indicated that the post harvest machinery have contributed average 20 per cent more income due to use of post harvest machinery. They also informed that they created as employment opportunity for 2-3 persons of 80, 54, 39 and 30 man-days through Maize Sheller, Close drum thresher, Open drum thresher and Pedal thresher respectively. Entrepreneurs made average 62 per cent return on investment through operating their post harvest machinery. This investment is profitable and reliable for the landless and marginal farmers to use post harvest machinery comfortably.

Keywords: Performance, Post Harvest Machinery, Agricultural Operation, Farming Community

Location: Proshika Manobik Unnayan Kendra

Start Date: 00-07-2006

End Date: 00-10-2008

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Non-commodity: Income generation

Objectives:

1. To investigate the technical and economic performance of agri- machinery from this development project.

2. To identify the contribution of agri- Machinery for the improvement of social livelihood of respective service providers.

Methodology:

Four types of technology was used under this development project Pedal thresher, Open drum thresher, Closed drum thresher and Maize sheller. Six areas were selected under different districts of Bogra, Sirajganj, Manikganj, Gopalganj, Madaripur and B.Baria in Bangladesh. The selected areas are potentially developed in agriculture especially for rice, wheat and maize. Farmers are involved in using agricultural machinery intensively for the modernization of agricultural production system. Both the male and female farmers of those localities are actively involved in maize and rice cultivation. A day long planning workshop was conducted in each ADC for the sharing of the implementation strategy of the project. The participants from different levels of PROSHIKA staff who are working in those locations attended the workshop. Participants' roles and responsibilities towards the project activities were discussed elaborately for the better understanding of the project. Participants shared their opinion as how to improve the project activities for achieving a better output of the project. They also shared the previous year's experiences in the workshop. The outcome of the workshop helped in the development of a participatory pathway to select the service providers and different technologies for implementation of the project. According to the selection criteria the farmers who have some land, and are enthusiastic to take agri- Machinery qualify as entrepreneurs. A total of 30 entrepreneurs have been selected for this project. The technologies are selected depending on an entrepreneur's demand and the working scope of those areas. A total of 30 service providers were selected. Six maize shellers, six close drum threshers, fifteen open drum threshers and three pedal threshers were purchased by the entrepreneurs from local market. Three pedal thresher were distributed among 3 entrepreneurs in different two locations of the study area. To manage agricultural machinery efficiently and effectively the service provider needs to know some basic information and skill' Training is a pre-requisite for it. To realize this necessity, the project designed a training course titled "Project Management of Threshers and Maize Shellers" for the service providers. Primarily two training courses were designed. But depending on the location finally a total of three training courses were offered to the service providers within the same budget. The main objectives of those training course are to enhance their skill so that they can develop themselves as professional entrepreneurs and can use the machinery in a good manner. More or less two service providers from each planned technologies are selected as participants for training courses. Fields days were organized with a view to disseminate modern agricultural technologies, to raise awareness of technology utilization and to introduce the service providers to the farming community. The trained farmers conducted the field days with the assistance of the project team. The service providers operated the machinery and expressed its working performance to other farmers. The farmers actively participated in the open discussion and exchanged their views and ideas among themselves. All field days were well attended by agriculture officers, agricultural engineers, extension workers, NGO personnel and SEDF representatives. The specialists explained the cost effectiveness, socio-economic benefit, labor reduction, minimization of physical drudgery and the national benefit of crop production with those Machinery. The presence of local representatives, school and college teachers, rural group leaders and farmers representative increased the value of the programmes.The project team provided technical support in the project areas during the field visit and monitoring.Two semi-structured questionnaires were developed and used to collect information from entrepreneurs and users. Project performance was evaluated by field survey. The project technical personnel collected data through individual interviews. A total of 30 entrepreneurs and 140 users were interviewed from different locations.

Source of Information: Proceedings of Paper Meet-2011; Agricultural Engineering Division, IEB

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Farmers' demand for the use of post harvest Machinery has been increasing day by day. There is a demand flow of different types of agri- Machinery at the field level. Thresher and sheller as profitable enterprise are getting popularity among the farming community. Local market is trying to supply the machines, spare parts and oil & fuel according to the service providers' demand. It is obviously indicated that the lacking of technical skill ness and management capacity of agri- machinery utilization is not performing the better out put. Most of the service providers should be potential and efficient through the capacity building of Machinery uses which will increase the productivity of existing resources as well as Labor productivity. Service provider also expressed their opinion that financial support as means of micro-credit is a very important support to afford agri- Machinery. This financial support has a positive contribution for landless and marginal farmers in the rural area which is promoting the agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh. Agricultural Machinery users indicate that they prefer credit support having easy terms and condition than any other subsidy to afford agricultural Machinery for the enhancement of agricultural mechanization.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings