FARM MECHANIZATION TRENDS IN NIGERIA
By
Dr.
M. K. Othman, MASABE, MNIAE, MNSE
Associate Professor of Irrigation water Management and
extension,
Dept of Agric. Engineering/NAERLS, ABU, Zaria
There is now a general awareness in Nigeria of the contribution mechanical
power can make to the output of the many crops grown in Nigeria. Thus, the
performance of mechanization in facilitating the rapid development of Nigerian
agriculture has been recognized by individuals as well as the government unlike
the developed nations where mechanization was spurred by the absence of or
expensive man-hours, Nigerians call for mechanizing agriculture was borne out of
insufficiency of food to feed the teaming population as well as poor yields of
most agricultural commodities.
It is generally believed that mechanization can be used to increase the
productivity of existing agricultural holdings to bring virgin land into
cultivation. The word mechanization connotes the exclusive application of
tractors and similar power machinery, and, although better hand tools and
animal drawn implements may be included in the term. The term should include
any motorized equipment or mechanical aid that reduces human effort and
increase overall efficiency. It may also be applicable to the use of improved
inputs and practices aimed at increased efficiency or productivity. An overview
of farm mechanization trend in Nigeria should therefore include the
contribution of engineering design (in the various aspect of farm enterprise)
to the production efficiency and output.
i. Farm
Power and Machinery
Power in the farm may be described as any source of energy other than muscles.
The number of tractor operating in a country is a rough measure of the level of
agricultural engine power in use. That is the number of tractors in use per
farm and the presence of modern engine power equipment could be used as a fair
indicator or current trends in agric mechanization. There is a great and
expanding market to the agric machineries in Nigeria except that prices do not
suit individual farmers. In fact, there have been many problems involved in
putting machinery into work in Nigeria. Introduction of machinery may have
little advantage in subsistence farming as predominant in Nigeria since it
doesn’t provide sufficient cash income to pay for the equipment. Equipment such
as tractors which may be put to other tasks to keep it as fully occupied as
possible could have been encouraged but it is very difficult to find sufficient
work in any one property to occupy the tractor fully throughout the year. In
effect, it is difficult to foresee any value attempting to mechanize the actual
cultural operation of these pockets – sized fragmented land holdings, confined
as they are in narrow strips, often only a few metres in width.
Despite these difficulties, Nigeria realizes that mechanization doesn’t
only mean introduction of tractors and has made strides in other direction of
mechanized farm operation. In fact, the mechanization strategy is not replacing
animal or human power completely. Animal power is still widely used and most equipment
is either semi-human powered or is animal powered. Power is useless a means to
apply it and machines are useless without power to run it. Animal power
equipment are being designed and widely applied in farm cultivations. The
machinery includes all types of implements and of devices for applying power
such as ploughs and harrows, seeders and planters, cultivators and threshers. Human
powered machines are finding application in processing units. The steadily
increasing of grind mills and other processing units indicate the rapid
development in this area of mechanization. Steam, wind and water power also
have a role in agriculture but remain untapped in Nigerian agricultural
context, the overall picture of the present status of farm mechanization in
Nigeria will not be clear without mentioning of the role played by the
following:
i.
FARM STRUCTURES
There
is awareness of the need of both animals and human beings for a greater comfort
and productivity in the farm. To some degree, fences, bans, silos, sheds
machine shops are showing presence in some organized farms. Their constructions
have never demanded specialized equipment but fit into the day to day building
requirement.
ii.
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
The
government interest and funding of the rural electrification projects is
accelerating farm mechanization in the country. The overall effect is seen in
the application of electric energy to all types of farm jobs. It has raised the
standard of living of the village farmer and his family, his farm business uses
and its direct comfort of conveniences. Rural electrification has made it
possible for rural farmer to grind feeds and perform various types of food
processing. it has been used in big farm business for water supply heating
brooders for young poultry for operation of blowers to cure and cool grains,
for lightening hen houses to increase egg production. Above all it has made it
possible the operation of powered tools for repair and maintenance of their
equipment.
iii.
SOIL OF WATER CONSERVATION
Because
of the availability of surplus land of agriculture, land drainage has not been
an issue. In this regard there is no specialized equipment for land drainage.
However road building machines can be conditioned for constructing of
irrigation ditches, and soil conservation machine are bound to command
increasing application in agriculture. there have been instances of large scale
planning to convert soil erosion and where the menace is greatest there is a
real awareness of the need for action on the part of those in authority. As the
trait increase in dimension as is presently the case there will be an expanding
market for mechanization equipment beyond any reasonable doubt.
There is a belief in certain quarters that all that is needed to make
farming develop automatically along western line is to introduce standard
western tractors and machinery into the country. Such a view is most mistaken
and may well be disastrous to the manufacturers of the user at the long run. A
suitable approach to mechanization of Nigeria Agric should first be through
improvement in the traditional hand tool best known to the natives. When this
has been achieved and improved yields of cultural practices attained we can
look further to the use of powered machinery developed to a specification which
has been evolved on the spot to suit local conditions of local standards of
mechanical ability.
UNIQUENESS
OF EQUIPMENT OF NIGERIA FARMING SYSTEM
1. Role of climate: Climate is one of the principle
factors which control the growth of plants or which render a region suitable as
an aboard for animals and man. Climatic condition is by latitude and altitude
and generally speaking the nearer to the equator and to the sea level the
hotter the climate. Distance from ocean the aspect whether the land faces towards
or away from sun of a particular area the line of vegetation e.g forest
Savannah (North) and the nature and class of soil are secondary factors which
effect the above generalization.
In Nigeria, as in all tropical
countries altitude plays one of the most important roles in determining
climate. In fact, Nigeria posses a number of climatic zones and hence a wide
range of plants, fruits and crops within its regions. Nigeria possesses a low
coastal belt where the climate is hot and humid where there is abundant and
well distributed rainfall and which gradually progresses to a hot and dry zone
with smaller and less well dispersed precipitation, in between these extremes,
there exist, an intermediate zone where sub-tropical crops and plants such as
maize tea, coffee e.t.c are grown and also a temperate zone where mixed general
farming and temperate zone arable crops of wheat barley millet etc. are raised.
The type of farming
carried out in a region depends largely on local climates. In the Northern zone
of Nigeria (Semi-and) intensive crop production is possible with irrigation.
The dry atmosphere is less conducive to the spread of land disease than the
humid air of the welter sooth and long period of sun-shine make for a strong
crop growth. Without irrigation, farming may be limited to sheep and cattle
ranching. Farming in Nigeria is much less a matter of hard and fast seasons as
the weather patterns in any year are becoming more unpredictable. In general,
crop growth depends on H20 supply. In Nigeria, as in the tropic, H20
is frequently becoming a limited factor. Late rains are defeating the
measure objective of farming which is to get an optimum H20 supply
to the plant roots at the best (appropriate)a time Thereby posing a limiting
factor, If the present trend of long dry season continuous there may be need
for moisture conservation (such as mulch farming, terracing, shade trees).
2.
SEED BED PREPARATION
In view of the wide variation in
climate, soil and crops in Nigeria, it is only possible to generalize about
cultivations, but in most areas the objective of preparatory cultivation is to
break-up the soil, to loosen it and to incorporate surface vegetation and crop
residues should not be buried deeply for erosion control and soil conservation
so any type of plough body that is designed to invent the sad completely may
not be adequate for Nigeria disc plough are favoured because they have maximum
shattering effects on the furrow slice and do not burry surface thrash
deeply.
3.
TRACTOR PERFORMANCE
Owing to the rare field atmosphere the draw bar (hp) that can be
developed by a particular model of engine is considerably less that develop by
the same engine at sea level-so a tractor of say 30-40hp wheeled class tractor
advertised as a four and five plough tractor in G Britain is only a 3-disc plough
machine in southern Nigeria and if used up north may only pull a 2-furrow plough.
Generally speaking, tropical soils and tropical conditions are tougher than
those met with in G Britain and for every 1000 ft of altitude there is a loss
of 3-3½ loss of power
Again, son temperatures during working period of the day are very much
higher throughout the year and frequent must be allowed for. There is a further
loss of % of power for every 5o F rise in temperature above 95oF
shade temperature. Lastly, slope or working grade most be allowed for. Field
machinery works better in dry weather than in wet. It is also likely to damage
the soil in dry weather.
4.
EFFECT OF TROPICAL CLIMATE ON
MACHINE
Much of the farming land of Nigeria occurs under semi-arid conditions of
climate where the rainfall varies between wide limits in (10-25 ins) and is
normally patichy in distribution, much of it falling in violent and heavy
storms. In such climates 6 – 8 months of
the year are often
without rain. The surface soil bakes out like concrete. The sun sucks up every
drop of moisture. Many of the red soils are so fine in texture that the soil
particles are almost colloidal and thus fine dust permeate everything, it is
often highly abrasive and tractor implements suffer greatly. Such parts as wheels,
steering, bearings, engine cylinder blocks, pistons etc show rapid wear even
when what is considered adequate protection for overseas condition have been
given to them. For tractor to survive,
these working conditions and give a reasonable trouble free working life, it is
necessary for the designer to concentrate on dust proofing of all bearings and
moving parts. A highly efficient system of engine air filtering must be
incorporated an one where the dust bowls or traps can be rapidly dismantled,
washed out and replaced. It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the secret
of successful tractor operation in Nigeria is good maintenance carried out
regularly.
- Tropical Conditions and Field Machinery
When
machines made for use in the temperate zones are sent to tropic, they meet soil
which may be drier and harder or wetter and sticker than their countries of
origin. They must cope with much more bulk of weed growth and crop, buried
roots and new land, tough grass stools, ant hills, rocks, inaccessible roads
and decaying rubbish, hence, the disadvantage of small machines os many farmers
or operators in Nigeria have little experience of machinery and are
unaccustomed to set in disc plow correctly or dealing with anything but the
simplest and most rugged implements. In effect, users require simplicity and
the minimum adjustments in their in their agric machinery, in breaking a new
land more power and more sturdiness are required in the equipment than
otherwise be necessary. Heavy equipment may be used to begin with and then as
field conditions improve over the years, lighter equipments might be
introduced. The rigorous condition aspects of machinery maintenance are
especially important. Tractors batteries are very liable to run dry, splash or
boil over. Tractors tyres are also especial prone to damage in Nigeria by
rugged field conditions, exposure to the sun, penetrating plant stalks or rough
handling. It is therefore important to import tractors with rugged tyres and
also to maintain the correct tyre pressure.
The
pilfering fuel by operators may be making significant contribution to the
apparent fuel consumption of equipment in Nigeria. Grease rather than engine
oil is preferred as rust prevention for implements in storage because of high
humidity condition in some parts of Nigeria.
