Estimation of Mechanization Index and Farm Power Density: Case Study of Smallholder Farmers in Bure District, Ethiopia

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article-en

Authors

• Y. Mitiku Degu ¹
• R. D. K. Nageswara ¹
• G. Moges Ketsela ²
• S. Workneh Fanta ³

¹ Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

² Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

³ Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2025.92764.1373

Abstract

The mechanization index and farm power density are the most significant parameters that highlight the extent of mechanization, and they are estimated using data collected through questionnaires from smallholder farmers and machinery service providers in the Bure district, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The insights obtained from the data reveal the current availability of various machinery for a range of farming activities, along with the methods farmers adopt to fit their land’s size, topological features, elevation, crop types, and the reasons for the inadequate use of machinery. The cost data for different farm operations, categorized by animal, human, and mechanical power, are used to estimate the mechanization index and farm power density. The mechanization index indicates that threshing and cleaning have a rate of 19.01%, whereas land preparation and clearing stand at 1.94%. Crop-wise mechanization index for maize is 6.66%, 1.90% for wheat, and 0.69% for pepper, with an average index of 1.32%. The power density is estimated as 0.12 kW ha^-1, which is expected to reach 1 kW ha^-1, the goal set for 2024. Tillage is found to be the most power-intensive activity, with 32.12% of the total energy expenditure in crop production. The calculated tractor density is 17 tractors per 10,000 hectares of arable land, which is comparable to the continental average in Africa of 20 tractors per 10,000 hectares. The lower values of the mechanization index and farm power density identified from the survey indicate the need for support farmers in terms of subsidies and increased availability of machinery. Consolidation of land can boost farm mechanization, reduce the cost of production, and increase productivity. The present research contributes to the estimation of mechanization index, power density, and tractor density in comparison to the target set by the Ethiopian government, and the approach can be scaled up to other parts of the country as well.

Keywords

• Agricultural mechanization
• Combine harvesters
• Crop production
• Farm machinery
• Tractor density

Main Subjects

• Modeling

©2025 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

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