Purpose: This research suggests a method of establishing criteria for working area and operating cost for a long-term lease of agricultural machinery. Methods: Eight crops were selected-three food crops and five open-field vegetables-and agricultural machines used for sowing, transplanting, and cultivation in dry-field farming were analyzed. Results: The break-even acreage for agricultural machinery under a long-term lease was found to differ by agricultural machine, ranging from 1.0 to 5.8 ha. In terms of arable land area, the break-even acreages for harvesting machinery and transplanters were 15.6 to 26.1 ha and 6.1 to 8.6 ha, respectively. The working area lessees should secure was divided into two cases: (1) 2.0 to 11.6 ha when leasing individual agricultural machines (sowing and transplanting) for a long-term period, and (2) more than 10 ha when farmers who cultivate beans, potatoes, garlic, onions, and so on lease sowing and transplanting machines as a set. When agricultural machinery was leased for a long term, the operating cost and working time were reduced by 27.6 to 74.4% and 2.5 to 21.6%, respectively, indicating considerable effect. Conclusions: A long-term lease project needs to be promoted to overcome the limitation of short-term leases of agricultural machinery. The local government should lead this project and facilitate the mechanization of dry-field farming. The department in charge of agricultural machinery lease projects needs to set the working area to cover the rate and maintenance cost for farmers who lease agricultural machinery for the long term.

Purpose:This study was performed in order to obtain basic data for policy development and R&D to sharpen competitiveness in domestic agricultural machinery industry by analyzing the recent status of demand and supply for tractor, rice transplanter(riding type), and combine. Methods: Basic data from 199,275 units of tractor, rice transplanter (riding type), and combine was offered by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative. Those agricultural machines were supplied by the government's loan support from 2003 to 2012. Results: Recent supply of tractor is only 13,000 units or so per annum, thereby being stagnated. Rice transplanter and combine in 2012 corresponded to 3,810 units and 2,490 units, respectively. The domestic market share of the imported agricultural machinery accounted for 60.0% in tractor, 99.5% in saddle rice transplanter, and 80.9% in combine, thereby having been sharply increased 33.1%p, 42.0%p and 53.6%p compared to the ones in 2003. Life spans of tractor, combine and saddle rice transplanter are 3.7, 3.7 and 4.2 years, respectively. Among the discontinued models, the one less than 300 units supplied was occupied up to 70~85%. Conclusions: The domestic demand and the export expansion are needed through developing a model of agricultural machinery of having competitiveness to domestically activate agricultural machinery industry.

Purpose: This study was conducted to serve as a basis for strengthening policy support and R&D to improve the domestic and international competitiveness of domestic agricultural machinery. Levels of satisfaction among farmers and service engineers were analyzed regarding the current quality of agricultural machinery and the primary consumers' propensity for replacement purchases. Methods: A survey was carried out targeting farmers in over 150 townships and 300 villages in South Korea who collectively used 711 tractors, 286 rice transplanters, and 221 combine harvesters. Furthermore, agricultural machinery service engineers from 20 different after-services were surveyed regarding the quality of main components in domestic agricultural machinery versus those in imported agricultural machinery. Results: The farmers' overall quality satisfaction ratings for tractors, rice transplanters, and combine harvesters ranged from 57.1% to 62.6% in consideration of operating performance, failure rate, and durability. Compared with imports, satisfaction ratings for domestic agricultural machinery were 19.1%p to 38.1%p lower for quality. Regarding engines, transmissions, hydraulics, planters, reapers, threshers, and electrical components, only 5.3% to 25.0% of service engineers indicated that domestic agricultural machinery was higher in quality compared with imports. By contrast, 33.3% to 78.9% of those surveyed indicated that domestic components were lower in quality compared with imports. Intent to purchase replacement agricultural machinery at the end of their respective products' lifecycles was indicated that they planned to purchase imported tractors, rice transplanters, and combine harvesters comprised 25.2%, 46.9%, and 43.9%, respectively. This clearly shows that a very high percentage of farmers were satisfied, particularly for transplanters and combine harvesters. Conclusions: The level of desire for purchasing imported agricultural machinery was very high among those who expressed intent to purchase replacement machinery. Therefore, strong policy support and R&D for domestic agricultural machinery is critical for improving competitiveness on the domestic and foreign markets.