In Quest Of Agricultural Mechanisation Policy And Strategies In The United Republic Of Tanzania

This framework presents ten interrelated principles/elements to guide Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (SAMA). Further, it presents the technical issues to be considered under SAMA and the options to be analysed at the country and sub regional levels. The ten key elements required in a framework for SAMA are as follows: The analysis in the framework calls for a specific approach, involving learning from other parts of the world where significant transformation of the agricultural mechanization sector has already occurred within a three-to-four decade time frame, and developing policies and programmes to realize Africa’s aspirations of Zero Hunger by 2025. This approach entails the identification and prioritization of relevant and interrelated elements to help countries develop strategies and practical development plans that create synergies in line with their agricultural transformation plans. Given the unique characteristics of each country and the diverse needs of Africa due to the ecological heterogeneity and the wide range of farm sizes, the framework avoids being prescriptive.

In this publication sixteen leading African agricultural engineers present their views on the evolution of agricultural mechanization policies and strategies in Africa since the colonial times. Agricultural mechanization remains quite a controversial input in African agriculture in particular that of small holder farmers. Conflicting policy prescriptions have been given for the African agricultural mechanization problem by, among others, socio-economists, agricultural engineers and politicians from the academic and donor community as well as the national governments. The failure of the many Government sponsored tractorization projects initiated in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s has greatly contributed to this policy and strategy conundrum.Agriculture in most African countries is still undertaken by using the centuries out handtool technology with entire reliance on human muscle power in about 60-90% of the cultivated land. Whereas, everybody agrees that this has to change, the main question has been on how the change should come about. Should African countries go through the evolutionary path – from handtool though animal powered to mechanically powered agricultural mechanization as it has happened in the developed countries. Or should they aim at skipping the intermediate stage – animal powered mechanization. The experience of seven African countries (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia) in agricultural mechanization policy formulation is presented in this volume. There are also chapters on the experiences of India and FAO as well as on tropical agriculture. This is the first book to present the full range of experiences in agricultural mechanization policy formulation in Africa. It is aimed both for development practitioners and policy makers as well as students of agriculture, agricultural engineering and economics.