Mechanization In Agriculture

While growing up, I was privileged to follow my people to the farm. However, one very thing was common with farm work and agriculture during those days; it was heavily characterized by manual and physical labour from farmers and that made them to expend much energy which may not correlate to more output. In this era, however, many things have changed with the advent of machines and even farm works have now been simplified and made easier.

_Pixabay

One of the major benefits of the introduction of machines is to assist humankind and to provide boost to their physical labour. Imagine how the world would have looked like if everything that is to be done is done with 100% expenditure from human's physical energy.

Prior to the introduction of the industrial revolution of many decades ago, the major activities of farming (and other fields of human endeavour) were done primarily by either human labour or with animal, both of which were lacking in efficiency, speed and effectiveness. With the introduction of farm machines, like the tractors, cultivators, harvesters etc, the farm sector has seen revolutions and it is still witnessing advancement.

I normally tell people this each time the issue of technology and mechanization is raised; "whatever we have seen in the field of technology (including farm mechanization) is still at infancy compared to what is coming. A time will come when technology will find practical application in every single field of human endeavour". Well, just to let you know, this is fast turning into reality.

I once read about the act of using specialized tiny bee-like drones (drone pollinators) to selectively pollinate crops in farms. You see, technology (and mechanization) is not only assisting humans with their functions but animals as well, what a time to live in. Agriculture, as regards crop production, have now been so simplified by machines that there is now Precision Agriculture.

There have been assumptions that machines will ultimately displace humans and will take up their jobs. Well, no doubt, everything (even mechanization) will come at a price. However, what you will consider is this; if you place the supposed disadvantages of industrialization and technology with their potential advantage, which one will weigh more? Obviously, the advantages are more welcomed.

_{Image from Pixabay}

Now I ask you; if you were to have a choice of living with technology (with their pros and cons) or living in a world void of any technological input, which one will you choose? You see, even with the down sides of tech, it is still an indispensable force in this era.

Thanks for reading