Agricultural Mechanization: What Do We Learn from Bangladesh?

1. Bangladesh Agricultural University,
Mymensingh
Bijoy-71

2. Agricultural Mechanization: What Do
We Learn from Bangladesh?
M. A. SATTAR MANDAL
Emeritus Professor of Agricultural Economics
Bangladesh Agricultural University
asmandal11@gmail.com
A presentation delivered at the International Conference for South-South
Knowledge Sharing on Agricultural Mechanization, organized by the IFPRI,
CIMMYT and the Ethiopian Agricultural Mechanization Forum, held in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia on 31 October- 2 November, 2017.

3. 3
Presentation Outline
Context
Machines & mechanization drivers
Impact of mechanization
Bangladesh as a special case of rural
mechanization

4. Where is Bangladesh?
4

5. Context: Economy and Farm Structure
• 6% plus GDP growth, per capita income USD1602
(2016-17), target middle income status (USD 2000 per
capita) by 2021.
• Rice continues to dominate ag. growth, cultivated area 7
mha, decreasing at 0.43% pa.
• No. of farms increasing at 2% per year, av. farm size is
0.5 ha.
 High degree of land fragmentation, 3.2 plots per farm,
av. size of plots 0.16 ha.
 Ag. mechanization has spread rapidly.
5

6. 6
STW provides 70% irrigation
70% STW owned by SF <1ha
About 90% land tilled
by 0.7 million power
tillers privately owned

7. 7

8. 8

9. 9

10. 10
Reaper and Mini-combined Harvester

11. Why Mechanization?
 Scarcity of farm labour, rising wage rate
 Short turn around, quick land preparation & planting for
increasing cropping intensity
 Increased production, quick harvest, to avoid loss during
natural calamities
 Efficiency gains- cost reduction, quality of output
11

12. How Many Machines?
• Estimated total no. of engines used for ag.- 2.5 mil, 1.5
mil. STW irrigation engines
• 0.7 million power tillers, 35,000 tractors, 370,000
threshers, 400 rice transplanters, 500 reapers, 200
combined harvester
• Small machineries- 18,800 USG applicators, 1.3 mil.
sprayers, 0.25 mil. weeders, 40,000 jute ribboner, 320
solar pumps, 15,000 maize sheller, 50,000 sugarcane
crushers, 15,000 rice haulers, 2,000 dryer.
12

13. 0.3
2
0.75
0.89
0.61
1.83
5.7
2.02
2.5
1.7
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Bangladesh China India Thailand Vietnam
Growth of Farm Power (KW/ha) uses of
Different Countries
1990 2013

14. 14
Mechanization Growth Promoters
Liberalization policies in the 1980s (specially following
1988 big floods) prompted import & distribution of low-
cost engines and farm equipment, incl. power tillers:
Tax exemption on ag. machinery import
Standardization certification waived or limited
Private sector encouraged in machinery import & sales
Preference for handy, durable, effective and affordable machines

15. 15
Impact of Rapid Spread of Small Machines
Shallow tubewell no. & area irrigated spread
rapidly, accelerating food production, mainly rice.
PTs saved not only 85% labour and cost of tillage and
75% time, but also 100% bullock power, which is
becoming expensive to maintain.
Synergies between rural mechanization and rapid
growth of local workshops, mechanic services, rural
transports & small trades creating RNF employment.

16. 16
Missing Links in Agricultural Mechanization
Rice
transplanting
(Negligible)
Tillage/
land
preparation
80% +
Irrigation
90% +
Seeder
(Moderate)
Combine
harvester
(Insignificant)
Rice
threshing
90% +Reaper
harvesting
(Moderate)
Maize
shelling
100%
Hand weeder
(Moderate)
M A S Mandal, 2014, BAU

17. 17
Links Being Joined- Reaper and Mini-Combines
Reapers saves 35% and mini combined harvester saves 52% cost
over manual harvesting (Ali, et al. 2017).
Reaper, 4.5-6.5hp, costs USD 2125, while mini-combine, 12.5-
20hp, costs USD 7000- 8750.
Farmers’ demand for mini-combine is higher than for reaper (3289
mini- combines against 2946 reapers during March-June 2017, DAE
source).
50%-70% price subsidy & ag. credit expansion explains part of the
current demands.
Growth of local service providers (LSP) and custom hire services
is becoming important.
M A S Mandal, 2017, BAU

18. Bangladesh Followed Small-scale Mechanization
• Bangladesh has not followed the green revolution model of
subsidized energy driven large-scale mechanization followed by
others.
• Bangladesh’s strategies were to promote small-scale market led
machines to fit fragmented farm structure. Started with manual
irrigation i.e. hand tubewells, treadle pumps.
• Shift from public sector managed large-scale DTWs to more
efficient STWs irrigation by private sector.
• Irrigation mechanization led to other largely unsubsidized farm
equipment in the private sector.
18M A S Mandal, 2017, BAU

19. Why Bangladesh is a Special Case
• 1971 liberation war brought unity & motivation for development,
food self-sufficiency.
• Vibrant private sector, ag. engineering R&D capacity, jute industry,
machinery manufacturing hub, vocational manpower.
• Informed academic engagements on policy discourses enriched by
rural studies.
• Building agricultural & rural development institutions utilizing local
expertise and donor participation.
• Planning technology interventions based on local soil, water &
agronomic knowledge.
• Physical infrastructure, Intensive road network, rural electrification
& township, ICT facilitated spread of machines.
19M A S Mandal, 2017, BAU

20. 20
Thank you
M A S Mandal, 2014, BAU