Gender and mechanization in small-scale irrigation schemes: analysis of agricultural machinery access by smallholder rice farmers in Mbarali District, Tanzania
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AJOL
Abstract
Given that women in Tanzania bear a disproportionate amount of the agricultural labour
burden, it is anticipated that agricultural mechanization could help them substantially. However,
the impact of agricultural mechanization is gendered, with women not receiving the same benefits as
men, particularly in terms of access. Smallholder farmers use agricultural machinery inequitably.
This paper explores the socio-economic factors linked to gender inequalities in agricultural
machinery access for smallholder rice farmers. A cross-sectional research approach was used to
collect data from 397 farmers randomly selected from small-scale irrigation schemes in Mbarali
District. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was analyzed using
descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found the most used agricultural machinery are
power tillers and combine harvesters, with a larger proportion of male farmers using combine
harvesters (84.1%) compared to 59.7% of women. From the binary logistic regression analysis,
agricultural machinery access for male farmers is positively associated with education, membership
in scheme associations, and farming experience. Female farmers’ access to agricultural machinery
is significantly associated with land size cultivated, membership in the scheme association, and offfarm
income activities (p<0.05). Male farmers had more access to agricultural machinery than
female farmers. It is concluded that membership in a scheme association, education and training,
off-farm income activities, and land area cultivated are potential determinants of agricultural
machinery access. It is therefore recommended for enhancing land access, particularly for female
farmers, and creating an enabling environment for gender equality in agricultural machinery
access.
Description
Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2023) Vol. 22 No. 02; pp. Special Issue: 215-229
Keywords
Mechanization, Agricultural machinery, Access, Gender
Citation
https://www.ajol.info › tjags › article › view