Assessment of Agricultural Mechanization Utilization Status and Analysis of Productivity and Wage Employment at Siltie Zone, Central Ethiopia

Volume: 11 | Issue: 2 | Year 2025 | Subscription
International Journal of Plant Biotechnology
Received Date: 10/08/2025
Acceptance Date: 11/03/2025
Published On: 2025-11-04
First Page: 1
Last Page: 15

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https://doi.org/10.37628/ijpb.v11i2.21950

By: Asgelesh Fesseha, Mohammed Awol, Zekarias Keyre, and Seifu Kemal.

Seed Quality Control Researcher, Department of Agronomy. Central Ethiopia Agricultural Research Institute (CEARI), Worabe Agricultural Research Centre, Worabe, Ethiopia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9641-1602.
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Institute of Technology. Werabe University. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9198-5928.
Developmental Economics, Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, Werabe University. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3214-344x.
Agricultural Economics Researcher, Central Ethiopia Agricultural Research Institute (CEARI), Durame, Ethiopia.

Abstract

There was no alternative solution except the utilization of farm machinery to enhance crop productivity. While in Ethiopia, the level of usage of agricultural machinery remains quite low and heavily relies on traditional power sources. Therefore, assessing, understanding the fundamental roots and their effect on agricultural productivity was crucial. Using data collected from a household survey of 240 farmers in four major wheat and maize producing districts of the Siltie zone. The inventory of farm machinery was also visited and assessed at the surveyed areas of investors, unions, and research centers. The farm mechanization index was used to evaluate the level of agricultural mechanization. While the level of productivity for each study area payment (rent) was determined as an inverse of the explicit factors involved in the production function (machine and labor). Results show that except for two investors, the utilization statuses of farm machinery were restricted only to tillage and harvesting operations for wheat, barley, and only tillage operations for maize crops. The overall productivity of wheat and maize yield in quintal per hectare at different farming practices was higher at mechanization farms (26.43, 28.39 qt/ha than (10.98, 17.34 qt/ha) non-mechanization farms, respectively. The average man-hour used for plowing and harvesting was higher at non-mechanized farm than mechanized farm. The average productivity level of (tractor) (0.709 kWhr/ha) was higher than human labor productivity (0.188 kWh/ha. Due to wage employment, manually operated farms used the highest man-hours to machinery- operated farms. It concluded that machinery-operated farms have a positive effect on the productivity of crops and labor with certain displacement costs. Thus, the Ethiopian government should control the illegal brokers, support and enhance the accessibility of appropriate agricultural machinery for all levels of farm size at reasonable prices for farmers through hiring or purchase.

keywords: Agricultural mechanization index, farm machinery rent, human and tractor productivity, wage employment

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How to cite this article: Asgelesh Fesseha, Mohammed Awol, Zekarias Keyre, and Seifu Kemal Assessment of Agricultural Mechanization Utilization Status and Analysis of Productivity and Wage Employment at Siltie Zone, Central Ethiopia. International Journal of Plant Biotechnology. 2025; 11(2): 1-15p.

How to cite this URL: Asgelesh Fesseha, Mohammed Awol, Zekarias Keyre, and Seifu Kemal, Assessment of Agricultural Mechanization Utilization Status and Analysis of Productivity and Wage Employment at Siltie Zone, Central Ethiopia. International Journal of Plant Biotechnology. 2025; 11(2): 1-15p. Available from:https://journalspub.com/publication/ijpb/article=21950

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