Factors Affecting Agricultural Mechanization-A Case Study from Aligarh Division of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Mechanization of agriculture is an essential input to the modern agriculture. It enhances productivity, besides reducing human drudgery and cost of cultivation and improves utilization efficiencies of other inputs. The effect of different factors on mechanization was assessed through survey study in Aligarh, Etah and Hathras districts of Uttar Pradesh. A total of 240 respondents across different categories of land holding from twelve blocks of Aligarh division were selected through stratified simple random sampling without replacement (SRSWOR). Custom hiring service (CHS) availability and education of farmers positively influenced mechanization index with a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.84 and 0.81 for land holding and annual income, respectively and Kandal’s tau of 0.63 and 0.54 for CHS availability and education, respectively. Family labour availability was observed to negatively influence the mechanization with Pearson’s correlation coefficient of (-) 0.44. Land holding was alone responsible for 47% variation in mechanization index. The factors land holding (LH), annual income (AI) and family labour (FL) had fairly high explanatory power and explained nearly 80 % of variation in the Mechanization Index.