FARM POWER AVAILABLE FOR UTILIZATION IN PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE

RENITA DELA CRUZ AND SANDY BANDOJO BABIER

FERDINAND B. GONZALES

RAINER S. PUGARO

PAUL VINCENT S. QUIOCHO

MARK JASYON C. SALDIVAR

ILOCOS POLTYTECHNIC STATE COLLOGE

TAGUDIN ILOCOS

COLLOGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
ABSTRACT

The study was conducted in January to December 2012 to establish quick index of farm
power available for utilization in Philippine agriculture. Secondary data from databases of
government and private institutions were used and key informant interviews were
conducted from representatives of the different agencies engaged in the manufacturing,
importation and distribution, testing and evaluation of machines, research and
development, and those engaged in facility assistance and monitoring of machines intended
for agricultural operations. The available farm power was expressed in terms of the power
from available human labor, draft animals and machines that could be applied for all crops
and those available specifically for rice and corn. The cut-off year of the evaluation was
2011. This was intentionally done to establish benchmark data where the mechanization
program implemented by the Philippine government (2011-2016) could be gauged at the
end of the program period in 2016. Majority of the available machines were used for rice
and corn, the most widely-planted grain crops in the Philippines. The farm power available
for rice and corn as of 2011 was 2.31 hp/ha, 0.15 hp/ha was contributed by human labor,
0.39 hp/ha by draft animals and 1.77hp/ha by mechanical power. Spreading the farm
power available for utilization for all agricultural crops, the level of power available in 2011
would be reduced to a low level of 1.23 hp/ha. The mechanical power available for post-
production operations of rice and corn significantly lagged behind the mechanical power
available for production operations. Only 30 percent of the mechanical power was available
for post production operations indicating the huge opportunity to further increase rural
incomes with post production technologies by establishing technology-based rural
enterprises.

Keywords: Farm power, Philippine agriculture, mechanization level, draft animals

INTRODUCTION

There are three main sources of power for farming operations: human, draft animals and
mechanical power. In developed countries where power from human and draft animals for
farm operations are relatively small compared to the power coming from motorized
machines, the use of farm power is almost synonymous to mechanical power or agricultural
mechanization. Rijk (1989) advocated the use of the term “farm power” or “labor
productivity enhancing technology” rather than agricultural mechanization, to distinguish
not only the importance of manual labor and hand tools, draft animals, and mechanical
power, but also other issues related to labor scarcity. For less developed or developing
countries where the contributions of human and animal power are still relatively significant
the term farm power would be relevant.

ARTICLE SUMMARY

The Philippines is an agrarian economy with a total land area of 29.82 million hectares of
which 32 percent or 9.671 million hectares are classified as agricultural land area (National
Statistics Office, 2004). The total arable land (planted to annual crops) is 4.738 million
hectares while permanent cropland (planted to perennial crops) is 4.192 million hectares or
51 and 44 percent of the agricultural land area, respectively. Arable lands are those under
temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted only once), temporary meadows for
mowing or pasture and lands temporarily fallow (less than five years). Permanent croplands
are those cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be
replanted after each harvest (e.g., cocoa, coffee and rubber) and include lands under shrubs,
fruit trees, nut trees and vines but exclude land under tree grown for wood or timber
(FAOSTAT, 2012). The total irrigable area in 2011 is 3.126 million hectares and 50.1 percent
of this area had been provided with irrigation facilities (Bureau of Agricultural Statistics,
2012). Agricultural holding is small at an average of 1.98 ha/farm operator in 2002 (National
Statistics Office, 2004). There was a steady decrease in the average size of farm from 3.61
ha in 1971 to 1.98 ha in 2002. The size of farms in 2002 was reduced to 55 percent of its
average size in 1971. The percentage of the area consisting of one parcel dropped from 56
percent in 1980 to 29 percent in 2002. Correspondingly, the percentage of the area that
comprise 2-3 parcels of land steadily increased from 34.1 percent in 1980 to 56.9 percent in
2002. Without opening up new areas, the division of a previously larger parcel of land into
more but smaller parcels brought about the reduction of landholding/farm operator. With
an average landholding of 1.98 ha, more than half of the arable land (56.9 percent) has an
area of 0.66-0.99 ha/parcel. This information is important in programming appropriate
machines specifically on the aspect of machine capacities not only to maximize operating
efficiencies but also their utilization.
ANALYSIS

The study utilized secondary data. The information needed were gathered from available
databases and through key informant interviews. Among others, the databases of the
following agencies were used: Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization, Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Philippine Rice Research Institute,
Philippine Carabao Center, Department of Trade and Industry, National Statistics Office,
Bureau of Customs, DA-regional and provincial and municipal offices. Data on sales of
agricultural machines from the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors
(AMMDA) were also used. Face-to-face and telephone interviews of machinery importers,
distributors, dealers and retailers were conducted to gather needed information on some
technical aspects of machines and projections of volume and uses of machinery sold to
farmers. To validate the information gathered, meetings with heads of agricultural
machinery manufacturers and distributors‟ associations and concerned agencies on draft
animals were also carried out. Quantities of machines presented for four-wheel tractors
covered those procured in 1982-2011 (30 years) while the total number of prime movers
were those acquired from 2002-2011 (9 years). Based on the methodology adapted, the
level of power in terms of hp/ha, reflects the power that human, draft animals and
machines can generate for utilization in agriculture. The level of utilization of farm power
was not considered in this study but was dealt with substantially is a separate study
conducted by Malanon and Dela Cruz (2014).

CONCLUSION

The study identified the status of farm power available for utilization in rice and corn as of
2011 to be 2.31 hp/ha, the bulk of which (77 percent) was supplied by mechanical power.
The remaining 23 percent of the available farm power could be supplied by human power (6
percent) and draft animals (17 percent). Almost three-fourth (70 percent) of the available
mechanical power were used in production operations with post-harvest operations getting
the remaining 30 percent. The following could be inferred from the study: (a) the available
farm power is almost concentrated in rice and corn production operations, (b) the
mechanical power available for postharvest operations lagged behind the power available
for production operations, and (c) the participations of farmers in value-adding postharvest
operations is low as shown by the relatively low farm power available for on-farm utilization
on postharvest operations. Among others, the results of the study will serve as the point of
reference where the farm mechanization program undertaken by the Philippine Department
of Agriculture can be gauged at the end of program in 2016. The following
recommendations are forwarded. For the program planners and implementers to consider
the following: (a) increase the level of mechanical power for all crops, especially the high
value crops that have export potentials, to increase productivity and ensure competitiveness
and (b) promote appropriate agro-processing machine technologies to increase level of
mechanization and encourage agribusiness enterprises where small-scale farmers could
participate. Those in RDE institutions should also consider in their program or project
development the following: (a) study on the utilization of farm power in agricultural
operations to serve as bases in programming mechanization interventions and in estimating
the farm power requirement of major crops in the country; (b) maintain and update
databases on farm power by appropriate agencies of the Department of Agriculture for
ready reference; (c) formulate additional indicators of mechanization that will consider
not only its availability but its accessibility and utilization. The “hp/ha” indicator is a quick
index of the farm power available and does not identify the various operations where the
available farm power is utilized. Several machines intended for agricultural production are
not readily accessible or inappropriate in terms of capacity to intended users hence,
machines although available are not utilize for productive use.

REFERENCE

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
315783506_Farm_Power_Available_for_Utilization_in_Philippine_Agriculture