When Machines Take the Beans: Ex-Ante Socioeconomic Impact Evaluation of Mechanized Harvesting of Mungbean in Bangladesh and Myanmar

Lutz Depenbusch,Cathy Rozel Farnworth,Aye Moe San,Pepijn Schreinemachers,Thuzar Myint,Theingi Myint,Nanda Dulal Kundu,Rownok Jahan,Md Monjurul Islam,Ramakrishnan Madhavan Nair

doi:10.3390/agronomy11050925

Abstract

Agricultural mechanization has spread across much of Asia since the 1960s. It has increased agricultural productivity and reduced arduous farm work. However, differing impacts for smallholders and hired laborers, and for men and women, require careful consideration. This study analyzed, ex-ante, the likely social and economic tradeoffs of mechanizing the mungbean harvest in Bangladesh and Myanmar. We used a mixed methods approach combining survey data from 852 farm households with in-depth interviews in four villages. Partial budget analysis shows that mechanical harvesting of mungbean is not yet profitable for most farms. There is nevertheless an incentive to mechanize as the associated timeliness of the harvest reduces the risk of harvest losses from weather shocks. Men and women farmers expect time savings and reduced drudgery. The results confirm that hired workers depend on manual harvesting for income and status in both countries. Most hired workers are landless married women with limited access to other sources of income. In the short term, farmers are likely to combine manual harvests and a final mechanized harvest of the indeterminate crop. This could mediate the impact on hired workers. However, in the long term, it will be necessary to facilitate income-generating opportunities for women in landless rural families to maintain their well-being and income.

Highlights

Our study focused on establishing the likely short-term effects of mechanized mungbean harvesting on farmer and hired labor incomes and wellbeing in Bangladesh and Myanmar
We hypothesized that mechanized harvesting removes a source of drudgery from men and women in the farm household
To understand the economic motivation of farmers and the extent of the possible employment effects, we describe the results of a quantitative study and conduct an ex-ante partial budget analysis

Summary

Introduction

The mechanization of farm tasks associated with women in the local gender division of labor can free smallholder women to develop other enterprises, spend more time on other household tasks or get more time for rest and recreation, as well as generally experience a reduction in multi-tasking [8]. This is important because tasks often allocated to women, including weeding and harvesting, are frequently associated with drudgery. There may be nutritional impacts as Singh et al [9] found that women’s energy expenditure balance was positive during sowing and weeding and negative during land preparation and harvesting

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion