Factors affecting the utilization of machinery for paddy cultivation: Special reference to Ibbagamuwa divisional secretariat division

Abstract

Paddy cultivation occupies a unique place in agriculture in Sri Lanka. This is further confirmed by the dual consideration of national production as well as domestic rice demand. Although it has played a positive role in the rural agriculture sector as subsistence agriculture as traditional paddy cultivation, modernized paddy cultivation can be seen in Sri Lanka with the help of modern agricultural machinery. At the same time, there are significant benefits to be gained from leaning towards this mechanized agriculture to make the agrarian community an economically strong community for promoting local agriculture. Accordingly, the study's main objective is to identify the factors that influence the use of machinery for paddy cultivation in agriculture in Sri Lanka. Preliminary data were collected from hundreds of paddy farming households in the Batalagoda area of the Ibbagamuwa Divisional Secretariat in the Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka. Descriptive statistical methods identify the socioeconomic background of the paddy farmers in the sample. The factor analysis was carried out to identify the most effective factors influencing the use of machinery for paddy cultivation. Accordingly, labor, convenience, time, and cost were identified as the most effective factors. According to the research findings, manure spraying and weed removal are still traditional practices in paddy cultivation and there is an urgent need for research and innovation in some modern machinery. Therefore, Strategies will enable even the farmers engaged in traditional paddy cultivation methods to use the machinery required for efficient and effective paddy cultivation instead of arrears.