São Paulo – The size of agriculture properties in North Africa is an inhibiting factor for mechanization in the region, according to the book “Mechanization for rural development, a review of patterns and progress from around the world”, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and released on the UN website this Wednesday (22). According to the study, the lack of trained machinery operators and farmers also leads to inadequate harvest practices.
The information published in the book indicates that the dimensions in over 90% of the properties on the Nile Delta in Egypt, one of agricultural regions in the Arab country, are less than one hectare. In Tunisia, the average is 11.2 hectares, but the number of farms of five hectares or less almost doubled between 1962 and 1995. The study notes, however, that there are some highly mechanized properties throughout the region.
The average use of a tractor in North Africa varies from 400 to 800 hours per year, which is considered high intensity use. The FAO study says that there is no precise data on the number of tractors in the region, but estimates indicate between 230,000 and 300,000 units. In Sub-Saharan Africa, in turn, there are 220,000 tractors and in the Middle East 470,000 agriculture vehicles.
Egypt, according to the study, has the highest concentration of tractors in North Africa, with more than 27 tractors per 1000 hectares. The other nations in the region that have most tractors are Libya and Algeria. The study shows that there were attempts to start a significant production of tractors and agriculture equipment in the region, but they have slowed down in recent years. The countries, however, are trying to attract private partnerships for manufacturing agricultural machinery locally.
The Food and Agriculture Organization believes that mechanization has been neglected in agricultural development in the world. The entity states that the use of technologies and machinery, however, may transform rural economy, helping increase production and reducing manual labor. When properly done, mechanization protects the environment, according to the FAO book. The organization mentions the use of machinery in agriculture as an important tool in food safety, in the challenge the world faces of feeding nine billion people by 2050.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
