Farming Technology: Agricultural Mechanization - Research Paper Example

 Farming Technology: Agricultural Mechanization INTRODUCTION The agricultural industry has undergone many developments that have made the industry grow fast. This growth can be attributed to the industrial revolution that has led to developments in the industry. According to Rachel (2003) there has been the development of complex machines that has made farming easier and more efficient. Governments are investing in agriculture, in a bid to ensure that there is enough food security. The main aim of coming up with these inventions is to reduce the cost of production at the same time meeting the needs of society. Pauline & Annabel (2009) outline that efforts have been made to reduce human labor and machines are now preferred as they are fast and accurate. Globalization has also facilitated developments in the agricultural industry as people are able to exchange ideas on the best farming methods. Governments have taken the initiative to train farmers on how to adopt to emerging technologies to increase their level of efficiency. Rachel (2003) states that interactive forums that are held by various countries have offered solutions to problems facing farmers. Mobile technology is one of the latest developments that have taken place and it enables farmers to observe and control their irrigation systems. INNOVATIONS IN CULTIVATING AND HARVESTING. Easy Farm seed harvesting According to Mure (2010), the latest technology that is profiting the agricultural sector is the installation of the easy farm seed mussel. This technology has replaced the traditional way of gathering mussels from seed beds. Instead of attaching the mussel larvae to normal seedbeds, the larvae are attached to breeding nets. The larvae then matures into small seeds that are picked by experienced farmers from the nets. After which they are planted and grow into mussels that are ready for consumption. The main advantage of this innovation is that it is more sustainable compared to the traditional method which is tedious and costly. The only disadvantage of this innovation is the fact that the harvesting must be done by experts whose availability may not mach their demand. This method also affects the soil structure as it reduces soil fertility in the long run. Mure (2010) outlines that the technology is being favored by most countries in comparison to the traditional way of seed harvesting that is quickly loosing popularity and being abandoned. Innovations in Cultivation of Edible Mollusks According to Zipporah & Gary (2009) mollusks are very common in Taiwan and because of their high demand, farmers have come up with innovations that would not only speed up the process of cultivating and harvesting mollusks but also ensure that there are no shortages in supplies. Mure (2010) states that the high demand in Mollusks was attributed to the belief in its health benefits. This technology is very effective and costs friendly as two individuals can produce more than 500kg in less than an hour. Farmers have adopted this technology and this has led to the mass production of Mollusks. Cotton Harvesters Cotton harvesting in the past was done manually and cotton farm owners used half of their sales profits to pay the harvesters. There was a need to reduce this cost and come up with an invention that will fasten the process. Mure (2010) states that two machines were invented that facilitated the harvesting of cotton. The stripper harvester opens up all the balls and gets rid of the leaves and stems to expose the cotton. The picker machine works in handy with the cotton harvester and its main purpose it to remove the cotton from the open balls and leave the husk in the plant. The spindles on the picker allow the machine to penetrate the plants cotton fibres by wrapping it around the wet spindles and later removed by another machine. Invention of these machines has led to massive harvesting of cotton. This has reduced the cost of harvesting as human labor is no longer needed and the money used to pay harvesters can be used for other purposes. Mure (2010) states this technology has been embraced by other countries in the world that produce cotton. THE DURABILITY OF THE MACHINES Zipporah & Gary (2009) states that there is a need to keep improving the existing technology’s as a result of changes in consumer taste and preference. For instance, the cotton harvesting machines were used in the 19th century and developments have been made to improve on the machines. Companies are investing in research to encourage innovation and promote creativity among the youth. The main targets being institutions of higher learning as this is where ideas are breed. Mure (2010) outlines that more durable machines should be developed to improve on farming methods that will in turn increases productivity in the long run. SOCIAL IMPACT OF MECHANIZED FARMING Negative Impacts Pauline & Annabel (2009) outlines that out of all the contemporary agricultural technologies that have been made, mechanization has probably showed the most controversial technology of all times. Mechanization has been blamed for increasing the rate of rural unemployment as machines have replaced human labor. Hence increased the poverty levels, as machines have rendered people jobless. This in turn creating a ripple effect on society with trends like increase in insecurity as people look for other alternatives on how they can meet their basic needs. Another negative impact of mechanization encourages use of chemicals that cause health problems to consumers. Farmers are out to rake huge profits and they do anything possible to ensure that they increase their sales and a reduction of costs. According to Mure (2010) machines were invented in the 18th century that were used to mix maize seedlings with a powder that increased the size of maize during harvesting. Farmers made a fortune from the sale of such maize until it was discovered in 1999 the effects that this chemical had on people’s health. On the discovery of this, governments become stricter on the food imports and the inspection process was intensified to ensure that only genuine products were being imported. Although the profits that farmers made from such maize were short lived, the effects of this chemicals used are still being felt up to date (Mure, 2010). The other disadvantage of mechanization in agriculture is the fact that it has increased dependency among countries. Developed countries are at an added advantage as they have enough resources that allow them to make innovations. Resulting in a widened gap between the developed and the less developed countries. Hence increasing the dependency rate as the poor countries rely on the developed ones for funding. Positive impacts According to Zipporah & Gary (2009) Farm mechanization, has reduced the cost of production as machines are fast and more efficient. The cost of paying casual workers is eliminated and this enables farmers to use the available resources to improve their farm products. Agricultural mechanization not only increases production, but it also enhances irrigation giving farmers a variety of yielding seeds. Mechanization has also increased the quality of products that farmers produced due to the invention of pesticides and fertilizers. Pauline & Annabel (2009) outlines that the Indian Green Revolution was one of the paramount accomplishments of the 20th century. This revolution has greatly benefited both the large, medium and small-scale farms in India and other parts of the world. Mure (2010) states that mechanized farming has enhanced trade among countries as farmers from different parts of the world trade products and in the process of this trade. Consumers benefit from this trade as they get a variety of products to choose from and it also give them ideas on how they can improve their farming methods. In a bid to enhance trade among countries, governments have eliminated barriers to trade to facilitate free movement from one country to another. Farming mechanization has also led to an increase in cropping intensity and this has been made possible by machines such as tractors and irrigation pipes. Before the introduction of machines, farmers had a hard time ploughing big pieces of land and required many casual workers to finish up the work. With the introduction of machines, farmers can engage in large scale farming without necessarily having to employ many casual workers. This cuts down on cost therefore increasing the profits margins earned farmers (Rachel, 2003) According Mure (2010), mechanization has increased employment as people skilled are used to controlling machines stand resulting to better yields and appreciation of cost and time used in training of these individuals. Multiple cropping and increase in cultivation has created the need for farmers to employ more people in other aspects hence reducing manual labor and more emphasis is laid on quality. Distribution of farm produce has also created employment as distributors are needed to deliver farm produce to consumers. Mechanical engineers also come in handy as the farm equipment needs servicing and maintenance. Mechanization has improved the lives of communities that mainly depend on farming for survival. For instance in India, most communities depend on farming and mechanization has in improved their economic status. According to Pauline & Annabel (2009), Farm owners are among the wealthiest people in the world as they get huge products from their produce. Governments have taken the initiative of educating the youth on the importance of engaging in activities such as farming instead of looking for white collar jobs. Felling of trees using machines Felling of trees has been made easier with the use of machines and the size of the tree determine the tool that will be used. Forest harvesters in the past used saws to cut down trees, but they found it tedious to use saws when dealing with tall trees. In the 19th century, there was a need to come up with machines that made the tree falling easy. Tree falling has been made easy by the use of a control computer which facilitates automatic movements made during the tree cutting (Mure, 2010). In conclusion, the agricultural sector has undergone several developments that have led to the growth of the sector. Improvements have been made on the existing technologies and new inventions have also been made. There is a need for the governments to support their farmers and they can do so giving farmers some incentives and even subsidies that will encourage to increase their production. Rachel (2003) emphasizes that for any country’s economy to be stable, the agricultural sector should be well funded and people should be encouraged to support the local farmers by buying their products rather than going for imported produce. References Rachel, W. (2003) Industrialization in the Agricultural, Boston: ashgate publishers Mure, G. (2010) Trends in the Agricultural Sector, Ohio: Macmillan Publishers Pauline, T & Annabel, H (2009). Mechanization in the Agricultural sector, Taiwan: Yuen publishers. Zipporah, C & Gary, T. (2009) Rural to Urban Migration, London: Oxford unipress. Read More