Promotion of Labour Saving Rice Mechanization Technologies in Rain-Fed Low Land and Irrigated Ecologies of Tanzania and Kenya

Abstract

Rice farming has been conducted in both Tanzania and Kenya mostly under manual operations and has resultedin low outputs due to inefficient production methods. This has resulted into reduced acreage, low yields andlabour drudgery. To increase efficiency in agricultural production among small scale farmers, mechanization wasfound to be the main driving tool. Research on mechanizing rice production activities from land preparation tothreshing was conducted in irrigated and rain fed ecologies of Mbarali and Kyela respectively while in irrigatedsystem of Mvomero Morogoro only herbicide effectiveness in weeds control was assessed. Seed treatment wasassessed in irrigated ecology of Mwea, Kenya. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was employed indemonstration plots to assess different rice mechanization technologies. Ploughing and puddling using powertiller, oxen and hand hoe were determined in terms of man-days required. Direct rice seeding and transplantingusing a walk behind motorized planter and transplanter were also compared against hand seeding andtransplanting respectively. Research results indicated that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) for mostmechanized operations along the rice production value chain. In order for rice growing farmers to realize thebenefits accrued from mechanizing rice production, all levels of production should be mechanized. However forrice mechanization to be successful rice mechanization machines and implement should be subsidized to enablemajority of smallholder farmers to access them. Smallholder farmers need also to be mobilized into groups forease acquisition of rice machines and capacity building.Keywords: Puddling, Transplanting, Threshing