Essential Steps for Developing Rice Harvest Mechanization in Bangladesh

The agricultural productivity can be sustainably enhanced with the mechanization, especially harvesting to the reduction of postharvest losses. Viewing this aim would require knowing the status, problems and suggestion of harvest mechanization. Under this study, considered 21 upzillas from seven regions (Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Comilla, Bogra, Rajshahi and Rangpur) based on different agro-climatic condition and cropping intensity. Total of 126 farmers has participated in an interview.

We carried out a structural questionnaire and statical analysis for formulation of the information. In the project area, the average cultivable area was 225 to 1239 decimal. Harvesting is the tedious job for the farmers, which mainly (97.62%) done by sickle; however, only 2.38% are completed by machine. After harvesting the paddy, 44.44% of farmers used head carry, small truck or manual operated trolley for transportation to the threshing yard. In Bangladesh, the threshing operation of paddy is all most mechanized (95%). Among the threshing devices, the closed drum thresher (49.21%), open drum thresher (26.19%), paddle thresher (16.7%), combine harvester (0.79%), and others were available. In the research area, the kula is the most popular (37.3%) cleaning device.

A considerable amount (80.95%) of farmers had machinery, in the study area, while the 19.05% paddy growers had no machines. Farmers agreed that harvesting was a labour-intensive method (42.06%), time-consuming (36.51%). Transporting of harvested paddy was dangerous and painful for head, shoulder, hand, waist, backbone, leg, etc. In mechanization and machinery introduction, 40.48% of farmers identified the main restriction on the machine's price and information/lack of credit system (21.43%). In the survey area, most farmers (36.51%) identified the vital advantage of mechanized harvesting as lower labour requirement while 21.43% of farmers said a lower rice loss. All farmers who participated in the interview expressed their need for machinery and mentioned agricultural credit with easy terms and conditions, subsidy for buying machinery, and a fair market price for their rice.