Does use of draft animal power increase economic efficiency of smallholder farms in Kenya?

Abstract

Draft animal power (DAP) has been identified as an environmentally friendly technology that is based on renewable energy and encompasses integration of livestock and crop production systems. Draft animal technology provides farmers with a possibility to cheaply access and use manure from the draft animals and farm power needed to apply renewable practices for land intensification. Compared to motorized mechanization, DAP is viewed as an appropriate and affordable technology especially for small-scale farmers in developing countries who cannot afford the expensive fuel-powered tractor mechanization. However, it is apparent that there is no consensus among researchers on how it affects crop yields, profit and production efficiency when applied in farm operations. This study addressed the question of whether using DAP increases economic efficiency of smallholder maize producers in central Kenya. Results of the study are derived from a sample of 80 farmers, 57% of whom used draft animals while 43% used hand hoes in carrying farm operations. In the study area, draft animals are almost exclusively used for land preparation and planting, with very few farmers applying them in the consecutive operations such as weeding. A profit function was estimated to test the hypothesis of equal economic efficiency between ‘DAP’ and ‘hoe’ farms. The results showed that farmers who used DAP obtained higher yields and operated at a higher economic efficiency compared to those who used hand hoes. The analysis underscores the viability of DAP in increasing profitability of small-scale farms; however, other aspects of the technology, such as affordability of the whole DAP package, availability of appropriate implements and skills of using the technology, must be taken into account when promoting adoption of DAP technology.

Tillers International (http://www.tillersinternational.org)

“…In one case, a state-sponsored tractor hire scheme in Kenya failed largely because the farms were too small to make using a tractor economically viable. Most farmers were unable to afford the costs associated with purchasing, maintaining, and operating mechanized farm equipment (Guthiga et al, 2007). Agricultural development models using DAP, as modeled by Tillers International, are more likely to succeed by equipping farmers with skills and the ability to produce tools locally rather than machines that require maintenance and fuel.…”

“…As such, "DAP represents a major advance in terms of available power" (Sims et al, 2012, p. 813) and reduces the amount of time and labor devoted to tasks such as tilling the land or transporting goods. DAP allows farmers to work more efficiently and productively; Guthiga et al (2007) found that adopting DAP led to both increased yields and profits for maize farmers in Kenya.…”

“…No matter the size, many small farms rely on manual labor and hand-held tools for their crop production, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, up to 80% of smallholder farmers in Kenya work the land with hand tools (Guthiga, Karugia, & Nyikal, 2007). Hand-tilled farming, even over small areas, is incredibly labor-intensive and leaves the farmer with very little time to devote to other work such as selling produce or improving the farm.…”

Evaluation de l’efficience énergétique fossile des systèmes d’élevage en Afrique de l’Ouest : adaptations et perspectives méthodologiques

“…La comptabilisation des effluents et de la traction animale en addition des produits alimentaires n'est toutefois pas un nonsens considérant l'objectif de sécurité alimentaire dans ces zones. En effet, compte tenu de l'accessibilité difficile aux fertilisants minéraux et à la mécanisation, ces deux éléments sont des composantes essentielles de la durabilité de ces systèmes, notamment en améliorant significativement la productivité des cultures (Williams 1997, Savadogo et al 1998, Guthiga et al 2007, Rufino et al 2007 et, par conséquent, en améliorant la fourniture alimentaire pour la famille ou les produits de rente.…”

Draft Animals, Farm Machines and Sustainable Agricultural Production: Insight from China

“…However, there is currently a lack of knowledge about the extent to which the farm machine use substitutes draft animal use. Moreover, most of the studies mentioned previously have either analysed the association between draft animal use and agricultural production [2,14], or the impact of farm machine use on agricultural productivity [5,9,12,15]. The estimates may be biased if households are jointly making decisions to use draft animals and to use farm machines in their efforts to enhance agricultural production.…”