An Overview of Agricultural Mechanization and Its

1__________________________________________________________________________S.AsoegwuandA.Asoegwu.“AnOverviewofAgriculturalMechanizationandItsEnvironmentalManagementinNigeria”.AgriculturalEngineeringInternational:theCIGREjournal.InvitedOverviewNo.6.Vol.IX.May,2007.AnOverviewofAgriculturalMechanizationandItsEnvironmentalManagementinNigeriaS.N.Asoegwu1andA.O.Asoegwu21.Dept.ofAgric.Engineering,FederalUniversityofTechnology,Owerri.2.CurriculumDept.,FacultyofEducation,ImoStateUniversity,Owerri.Emailaddress:[e-mail];[e-mail]’sagriculturerequiresaverystrongboostbecauseofincreasingpopulationanddecreasinglandresourcesduetoenvironmentalfactors.Thispaperdiscussedthedynamicsofagricultureandtheimportantroleofmechanizationinprovidingtheneededboost.ThenationalagriculturalpoliciesandtheirimpactonNigeria’sagriculturewerehighlightedemphasizingthepreviousandpresentrolesofvariousorgansofthegovernment.AfterdiscussingtheassetsandliabilitiesofNigeria’sagriculture,thepaperpositsthattheagriculturalenvironmentmustbeproperlymanagedforsustainableagriculturalproductivityinviewofemerginginformationtechnology.ThefutureexpectationsandchallengesfacingtheNigerianagriculturalengineers,agriculturists,scientistsandenvironmentalistswerealsohighlighted.Keywords:Agriculture,engineering,environment,inputs,management,Nigeria.1.INTRODUCTIONWhileagricultureisthepracticeofcultivatingthesoilandraisinglivestocktoproduceplantandanimalsusefultohumansandinsomeinstancesanimals,agriculturalinputsrelatetothosevitalelementstobeusedtomakeagriculturebothpossibleandprofitable.Theseinputsareresourcesrequiredtocultivatetheland,producecropsincludingforestry,livestockincludingfishery,process,andstoreanddistributethem.Agriculturalinputsmustthereforeincludediverseelementssuchasland,capitalandlaboraswellasresearch,education,communication/information,andengineering/technology.Alltheseinputsandmanymoreconstituteagriculturalmechanizationwhichmustbeharnessed,controlledandorganizedforimprovedagriculturalpractice.Formechanizationmanagementtosucceed,someotherinputsuponwhichitwillstrivemustbeavailable.Theseincludegoodandfocusedpoliticalmannerofgovernancecapableofformulatingandimplementingpoliciesandlawsthatcanacceleratetheprocessofeconomicgrowthanddevelopment.MechanizationmanagementshouldaddressthechallengesfacingthefutureoffooddemandandsupplyasenunciatedbyRaoult-WackandBricas(2001).TheagriculturalsystempracticedinNigerianeedstoexitfromexcessiverelianceonfickleweatherconditions(rain-fed)foryear-round(irrigated)productionofrawmaterialsintherightqualityandquantityattherighttimeforagro-industrialdevelopment.Thereistheneedtoincreasetheresearchanddevelopmenteffortsaswellasextensionoutreach.Toprogresstechnologically,theeducationalandtechnologicalcapacitiesoftheruralfarmersmustbeimprovedinordertodevelopatrueruralentrepreneurialcapacityforaggressivecompetitiveaccesstomarketsbothlocallyandinternationally.Eventhoughwomenareincludedasruralfarmers,thereisneedforspecialprogrammestargetedonthembecauseoftheirrolesasthedominantagriculturalproducers,tradersandnutritionproviders.2__________________________________________________________________________S.AsoegwuandA.Asoegwu.“AnOverviewofAgriculturalMechanizationandItsEnvironmentalManagementinNigeria”.AgriculturalEngineeringInternational:theCIGREjournal.InvitedOverviewNo.6.Vol.IX.May,2007.Agriculturaldevelopmentinvolvesthreeapproachesnamelybio-chemical,socio-economic,andengineeringknownasthetriooftechnologies(MremaandOdigboh,1993).Thebio-chemicalapproachincludesthedevelopmentofimprovedanimalandplantspecies,animalandplantnutrients(fertilizerandfeed)andplantandanimalprotection(veterinarydrugs,pesticidesandherbicides).Thesocio-economicapproachincludesfinancialpackagesandmanagementprogrammes(economics,businessmanagement,accounting,sociology,extensionservices,agriculturalmarketingandpricingstrategies).Theengineeringapproachdealswiththeprovisionofagriculturalmachinesandequipment(betheyhuman,animalormechanicallypowered)forproductionandpostharvestsystems,handlingandstoragesystemsandfarmstructures,erosioncontrolmeasures,waterresourcesdevelopmentaswellasirrigationanddrainagestructures,meteorologicalsystems,andthetechnologiesforoptimallyutilizingtheaboveandtheirproperandeconomicuseandmanagement.(AniandOnwualu,2002;Ampratwumetal.,2004;OnwualuandPawa,2004).AgricultureisanimportantoccupationinNigeriawithover70%ofherpopulationdependingonitdirectlyorindirectlyforlivelihood.Itprovidesthebulkofemployment,incomeandfoodfortherapidlygrowingpopulationaswellassupplyingrawmaterialsforagro-basedindustries.Worldcurrentagriculturalproductionhasanaveragegrowthrateof1.8%ascomparedtothe3%inthe1960sandthereforeatalesserpacethanthedemographicgrowth.TheWorldBankhasshownthatinSub-SaharanAfrica(towhichNigeriabelongs)theannualfoodincreaseneedstoreach4%,i.e.morethandoublethecurrentfigureinordertoachievefoodsecurity(IBRD,1989).Shesuggeststhatthiscanbereachedthroughasignificantprogressinplantandanimalbreedingthatplaysakeyroleinthedevelopmentoftheagri