The effect of mechanization on labour employment and cropland expansion in northern Nigeria

The study investigated the effects of mechanized agriculture on farm labour employment and cropland expansion due to the incursion of tractors into the country. Primary data were collected using specially design pretested schedule by interview method and using panel survey data, to analyze the effects of mechanization on labour employment and cropland expansion in northern Nigeria, respectively. A sample of 240 farmers were taken for the study. Tabular, percent and linear regression analysis were done. The study found that labour employment per cropped hectare showed a declining trend with increase in farm group size under different categories of mechanization. The inverse relationship revealed between labour employment and farm size hold true in case of operation like sowing, intercultural operation and irrigation. Hired labour and family labour both had positive and negative relationship, respectively with farm size in each category of mechanized farm. Findings also show a positive correlation between farm mechanization and cropland expansion during the survey period. Two interaction terms were introduced in the model to assess whether there are differential effects of mechanization on cropland expansion across the three districts. The results show that the effect of mechanization on farmland expansion is significantly higher among farmers in Igabi compared to Zaria. This result may be driven by the differences in access to tractors in the districts with Igabi having the highest access, then followed by Zaria.