Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #49

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What do you understand by mechanized farming and also Manual farming.

Mechanized farming is the application of machines, sophisticated tools, and modern technology in the agricultural industry. It entails the machinery used to perform the farming tasks such as plowing, planting, weeding, and harvesting that include tractors, harvesters, planters and irrigation systems. Mechanized agriculture enhances efficiency, labor minimization, productivity and the large-scale farming in a short period of time. It is widely used in commercial farming whereby the aim is to produce at a high rate.

The traditional mode of farming, however, is manual farming which makes use of human energy and simple farming implements like hoes, cutlasses and sickles. It is an activity that consumes a lot of labor, time, and is mostly conducted in small pieces of land. Although manual farming helps in subsistence farming and it is more affordable among small scale farmers; it has a lower yield than in mechanized farming.

Discuss on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Mechanized and manual farming.

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There are various benefits of mechanized farming which include increased production, saving of time and less dependence on labor. It allows mass agricultural processes, raises food production and enhances productivity. Nonetheless, it has its drawbacks such as machines are very expensive, fuel and maintenance are required and laborers run the risk of job loss. It can also lead to the degradation of the soil when it is abused.

Manual farming, however, is cheaper as it only needs rudimentary tools and local labor. It is environmentally friendly and less harmful to the land as well as being applicable in small scale farming. However, it possesses significant drawbacks like low productivity, time wastage and physical strain of farmers. It is not capable of supporting great population and it is not as efficient as mechanized farming. The two play a role in the agricultural sector.

Which of them do you think is best.

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Among the mechanized and manual farming, the former is the most preferable due to its increased production, saved time, and aids large food production that is required to serve the increasing population. It also enables farmers to work on a larger land without strain and few workers. Even so, its success will be determined by appropriate management and acquisition of modern equipment.

Although cheaper and environmentally sustainable, manual farming cannot meet the current agricultural needs in the agricultural industry due to its slowness, the use of manual labor and low productivity. Mechanized farming is more favorable as far as long-term sustainability and economic growth are concerned. Nevertheless, hybrids between the two approaches would be effective in the rural world where machines are not so common and the efficiency is maintained without the complete disregard of the tradition.

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