Following the introduction to the blog series last week, this blog focus on how small-scale mechanisation is boosting production across our sites. Processes of intensification and commercialisation are driving demand for a variety of forms of mechanisation to assist with tillage, irrigation, seeding and harvesting. This is especially apparent in the A1 resettlement areas where many farmers have been generating surpluses from their farms and are keen on reinvesting. The challenges of availability of labour is a recurrent issue. Being larger, these farms require more labour than can normally be supplied from families, and hired labour is both expensive and unreliable.
Many farmers purchase standard equipment from agrodealers, but increasingly, as noted last week, suppliers of equipment come from local manufacturers, with adaptations designed together with farmers. While much research focuses on classic small-scale mechanisation options – such as two-wheeler tractors – it is the variety that is striking. Across production activities, people are seeking ways to intensify, even if with very low-tech options, such as basic equipment drawn by people.
This article is from Zimbabweland, a blog written by IDS Research Fellow Ian Scoones. Zimbabweland focuses on issues related to rural livelihoods and land reform in Zimbabwe.