Why Farming Equipment is Essential

Farming equipment is a crucial input for agricultural crop production and one that historically has been neglected in the context of developing countries. Factors that reduce the availability of farm power compromise the ability to cultivate sufficient land and have long been recognized as a source of poverty, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Increasing the power supply to agriculture means that more tasks can be completed at the right time and greater areas can be farmed to produce greater quantities of crops while conserving natural resources. Applying new technologies that are environmentally friendly enables farmers to produce crops more efficiently by using less power.

Sustainable agricultural mechanization can also contribute significantly to the development of value chains and food systems as it has the potential to render postharvest, processing, and marketing activities and functions more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly.

Owning a farm requires you to make some investments for your farm to thrive. This will determine the well-being of your farm and how much you can get back from it. To get the necessary tools and equipment for your farm, you must keep in mind the type of farming that you will venture into.

Once you have established that, then you can start hunting down all the tools and equipment that you will need. Luckily, we are going to provide you with the necessary information on all the tools and equipment that you will need for your farm.

List and identify your needs

When buying agricultural machinery, a good starting point is to be clear about what tasks need to be done around your farm and what tools are required to accomplish those tasks.

Ask yourself the right questions. For example:

• Are you going to be working the land or herding animals?
• What animals will you be working with?
• Will you just be mowing an acre or two, or will you be cultivating soil and spreading fertilizer?

Once you have decided what you truly need, you can start looking for the equipment that will best suit your specific requirements.

The choice of farming equipment also comes down to personal preferences and convictions. This is one of the reasons why there is such a large range of machines available on the market.

Identify your needed machinery

Farmers need to choose the most appropriate power source for any operation depending on the work to be done and on who is performing it.

Always try out your equipment

Farming vehicles represent an important financial investment and it makes sense to take extra care when making your pick. An important consideration is ergonomics. 

The seat, pedals, steering wheel, throttle, and transmission control should be well placed and feel comfortable.

Try to drive all of the vehicles you are interested in more than once. Do not rush your decision; a second look will often confirm your first impression. 

Work to scale

How big is the farm that you’re working on? A general principle to follow is that the larger the scale of your farming operation, the larger the equipment and subsequent tools need to be.

That’s not to say that big is always better, but there is the consideration of time. The larger the equipment, the more time efficiency it will offer when being used over a large area. 

Tractor

This is one of the most important. With a wide range of different tractors available on the market today, you certainly have to choose the best that will serve its purpose on the farm. Additionally, if you are planning on having a large farm, then a walk-behind tractor will suit you best.

This type of tractor can be used with some attachments that are also very important for your farms such as bed shapers, seed drills, harrows, plastic mulch layer, front end loader, and many more.

To keep your tractor alive at all times, you can always have a multimeter in your tractor to help jumpstart the tractor when in the fields.

Sprayers

These are essential for spraying crops with pesticides, herbicides, etc. This is the best means of treating crops for better harvests.

Irrigation Systems

Many areas don’t get constant rainfall. Therefore, investing in an irrigation system can ensure a constant supply of water to your crops hence better growth. You can opt for a soaker hose mainly for small-scale farms or a multi-level drip irrigation system for large farms.

Key takeaway

With this information, the level of mechanization and the level of sustainability should meet their needs effectively and efficiently. Women play an important role in many farming-based communities, and in some countries, up to 80 percent of the total farm labor comes from women. 

The reduction of drudgery is a key element of sustainable mechanization and contributes to reducing women’s hard workload by taking into consideration technologies apt to their needs and improving their access to appropriate forms of farm power.

If your farm equipment proves unreliable and needs constant repairs and attention, then it’s going to massively impact your productivity. In the employee analogy used in the introduction to this article, an unreliable piece of equipment is like an employee that’s always off sick. That’s bad news for everyone.

Before employing someone, you’re wise to seek several references to get an idea of that person’s performance over time. In the same way, you should consider the reputation and track history of the brand from which you’re considering a purchase. Make sure you spend some time reading reviews on equipment from others in the industry.

Sustainable mechanization can:

   – increase land productivity by facilitating timeliness and quality of cultivation;

   – support opportunities that relieve the burden of labor shortages and enable households to withstand shocks better;

   – decrease the environmental footprint of agriculture when combined with adequate conservation agriculture practices; and

   – reduce poverty and achieve food security while improving people’s livelihoods.

Machines do not last forever, and it’s part of the natural course that some parts of your farm equipment will need replacing. Before you buy any equipment, you should research the cost of spares and their availability.