Evaluation of Operator’s Competence to Operate and Maintain Farm Machines in Riau Province, Indonesia

Abstract

The operation of farm machinery requires an operator with better operational and technical skills to ensure efficient and effective use of the machinery. These competences are necessary to avoid breakdowns during field operations that can affect machine operating costs. This research aims to evaluate the operators’ competence in the operation and maintenance of farm machinery. Field surveys were conducted in three regencies of the Riau Province, namely Kampar, Indragiri Hulu, and Siak regencies. 63 machine operators were purposively selected and interviewed using structured questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using the descriptive-quantitative technique. The type of farm machines operated by the operators in the province included two-wheel tractors, four-wheel tractors, water pumps, rice transplanters, power threshers, combine harvesters, and rice milling units. Most operators can operate more than one type of farm machine. The competency of most operators to repair farm machinery is very poor because of a lack of training. Most operators get skills in machine operators from self-learning and other operators (friends). Therefore, the results suggest that machine operators must be well-trained in operational and technical skills, especially in the excellent operation and proper maintenance of farm machines, to avoid machine damage during field operation.