The Impact of Cultural Factors on the Sustainability of Agricultural Mechanization in Anambra State, Nigeria

1.1 Repair and Maintenance of Agricultural Machines and Equipment: Agricultural machines and equipment have become the most effective instruments used extensively to boost agricultural production. Tractors for instance are capable of working long hours under adverse conditions if certain precautions are taken. Tractor is of very important in as it is a major source of power in agricultural operations (Abubakar et al., 2013; Dahab et al., 2016; Gautuam and Shrivasta, 2017). According to Onwualu et al., (2006), agricultural machinery whether they are power units, field implements, processing equipment or pumps cannot perform their duties indefinitely. Like any other machines, they breakdown from time to time. They canbe used virtually for all agricultural operations ranging from land clearing operations to land preparations, harvesting, transportation and processing of agricultural products. However, tractor ownership demands considerable amount of capital investment; quite unlike using hand tools and animal drawn implements. Tractors require special management ability and skills as well as adequate service support facilities. Various authors including Onwualu et al.(2006) and Umeghalu (2022) have noted that the use of farm machines has increased in Nigeria without corresponding programme for training technicians on their repair and maintenance culture. There are insufficient repair and maintenance facilities to support efficient and economic tractor exploitation at farm level. This according to Onwualu et al. (2006) has resulted to the average life of agricultural machines and implements to become shorter because farmers find it difficult to maintain or repair as when due. Odigboh, (2016), pointed out that some of the problems facing tractor and equipment hiring schemes in Nigeria are as follows: adverse environmental factors, improper use of machines, poor maintenance culture, age of the machines, high cost of spare parts, lack of proper record, poorly cleared farm lands, lack of ecological or survey data, size of farm holdings, absence of infrastructural facilities, inadequate training of operators, lack of technical management, absence of local content, untrained repair and maintenance crew. Umeghalu (2022), posited that poor maintenance culture is an attitude or way of life which sadly lacking towards maintenance of anything maintainable whether machinery, equipment, office furniture, building or factory. Thus, poor maintenance culture has become a widely recognized plague that is negatively affecting both public and private facilities in Nigeria.

Onwualu et al. (2006) pointed out that agricultural machine, whether they are power units, field implements, processing equipment, or pumps, cannot perform their duties indefinitely. Like other machines, they breakdown from time to time. Although introduction of tractor hiring programme in Nigeria was laudable however, the desired result was far from being achieved because of bad operational management, absence of financial autonomy, frequent change of policy by government amongst others. Anazodo (1987) had noted that proliferation of tractor in the country makes widespread and high incidence of un-serviceability of farm tractors, gross underutilization of farm tractors, frequent breakdown of tractors amongst other problems the hallmark of tractor hiring services in Nigeria. These tractors were imported into the country for a wide range of farm operations; from land preparation to planting, harvesting, on-farm processing, haulage of agricultural products for storage and to the markets (Kienzle et al., 2013; Umeghalu et al., 2012; Yakubu and Enaboifo, 2010). 1.2 Repair of Agricultural Machineries and Equipment: Repair is a set of operations performed to eliminate defects to ensure safe operation before scheduled overhaul. Repair can be divided into minor and major repairs. While minor repair refers to small jobs such as brake problem, servicing of engine, tyre replacement, etc; major repairs refer to jobs such as replacement of sleeves or reboring cylinders, replacement of crankshaft etc. 1.3 Maintenance of Agricultural Machinery: A set of compulsory operations specified in the relevant documents, which are carried out to keep the machine available throughout the machine or equipment’sservice life is often referred to as maintenance (Onwualu, 2005; Spiridanov, 1990). However, many authors have given several definitions of maintenance. Omofehinshe et al. (2015a) defined maintenance as an action taken to prevent a device or component from failing or to repair normal equipment degradation experienced with the operation of the device to keep it in proper working order.

Caring for agricultural machines and equipment is necessary to prevent wear and tear and reduce the time lost due to machine breakdowns. Satisfactory performance is the rule rather than the exception. Also, when agricultural machine or equipment is well maintained, its useful life willfully be realized. The effective use of agricultural machine is considerably dependent on its maintenance management culture. Maintenance is imperative to retain an item or restore it to acceptable condition or standard (Oni, 1999; Kutucuoglu et al., 2001; Cholasuke et al., 2004). What sometimes makes organizations fail is bad planning by the management. Onwualu (2005) reported that every strategic plan needs to be kept in place based on mission, vision and goals of the organization. In Nigeria, maintenance management practices are not effectively carried out. Agricultural machines and equipment have a lot of mechanical and electrical component and besides this; they work in hash environment and therefore needed to be subjected to regular maintenance to prolong their useful life (Odigbo, 1986; Onwualu, 1997). There is therefore need to have budgetary plan for maintenance of these machines and equipment (Odusanya, 1996). A system of scheduled preventive maintenance and repair must be established for farm machines and equipment to ensure their highly productive work, prevent premature wear and failure. This system involves a number of measures necessary to keep machines constantly available. 1.3.1 Classification of Maintenance: Maintenance can further be classified as breakdown maintenance and preventive maintenance. Breakdown maintenance is the steps taken to rectify a faulty machine or a broken down machine with intention to bring it back to normalcy. It can occur due to the unpredictable failures of components, which cannot be prevented or gradual wear and tear of machine or equipment parts, which can be eliminated to a large extent by regular inspections. Breakdown maintenance is carried out only when the machine cannot carryout its function any longer. 1.3.2 Preventive Maintenance: Preventive maintenance is any step taken to prevent troubles before they occur (Onwualu,1996; Dodson 1994; Nkakin and Etenero, 2016). The key to preventive maintenance is the tractor operator. There is a great deal of difference between an operator and a person who merely operates a tractor. A tractor operator is one who is familiar with the tractor. A careful tractor operator needs correct information, experience, and desire to succeed with preventive maintenance. The practice of preventive maintenance usually comes about as a result of experience gained in operating and maintaining the tractor. These experiences are often costly because of the high cost involved in unnecessary repairs. 1.4 Effect of Non-availability of Agricultural Machinery on Agricultural Production: Agricultural operations are time specific. Timeliness is important in all its operations. A faulty agricultural machine is not available to perform its regular operations. This will seriously affect the farmer’soperations and eventually his agricultural output. Failures of national policies and programmes on mechanization of agriculture in the country are attributable to absence of strategic plans for agricultural machines and equipment repair and maintenance. Strategic plans have a long-term focus and it addresses issues related to the organization’sbusiness objectives. Maintenance strategy is an integrated system that is needed by corporate management to highlight the significance of a particular piece of equipment that impacts on particular types of repair and maintenance work (Adama and Onwualu, 2010; Lahiri et al., 2008).

Nigeria is endowed with about 79 million hectares of arable land and less than half of which is under cultivation and highly diversified ecological conditions suitable for the production of a wide range of agricultural products (Eni, 2008). It is estimated that her potential for crops, livestock and fishery remain enormous, especially buoyed by water supply level of about 267 billion cubic meters of underground water: an annual rainfall range of 300mm to 400mm, and potential irrigable area of 3.14 million hectares with only seven percent of which is utilized (Eni, 2008). These enormous numbers of hectares require large number of agricultural machines and implements to be cultivated. 1.5 Mechanization of Agriculture in Nigeria: 1.5.1 Programmes by Governments to boost food production: Ogbulafor (1999) reported that prior to Nigeria independence in 1960, agriculture contributed more than 70 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and was the country’sleading foreign exchange earner. Today agriculture’scontribution to GDP hovers around 40 percent and was even as low as 20 percent at a point. Thus, agriculture’sshare of foreign earning, have been crowded out by that of crude oil. Farm settlements were established by the Okpala administration in Eastern Region at Omasi, EhaAmufu, Ikom, Igbariam, Ohaji, and Boli where mechanized farming was practiced. Most of agricultural operations were mechanized. Tractors were employed for tillage, haulage and spraying of chemicals, bulldozers were used for land clearing operations, construction of roads etc. The result of these was that food and agricultural raw materials were surplus both for human and animals’ consumption, also raw materials were abundant for the industries and enough remained for exportation.

However, following the oil boom of the 1970’s in Nigeria, agricultural industry commenced to witness drastic decline due to heavy investment in developing the infrastructure associated with oil sector (Nwuba, 2008). Also, the youths who are strong and useful for agricultural production in the rural areas where agriculture is practiced started to massively migrate to urban centers for employment; thus leaving the tough agricultural production for the aged who are no stronger enough for agricultural production (Odigboh, 2008; Musa et al., 2011). Other debilitating factors which combined in making Nigeria’sagricultural output uncompetitive in both the domestic and international markets significantly reduced the attraction of agriculture as a sustainable source of livelihood and viable business include low output, policy inconsistencies, inefficient and outmoded production techniques, low quality produce, heavy post-harvest losses, absence of access to quality agricultural inputs, limited value addition and facilities for credit, irrigation, processing and storage facilities, inadequate extension services and unskilled labor force (Onwualu et al., 2006; Kienzle et al.,2013; Umeghalu et al., 2012; Yakubu and Enaboifo, 2010). Notwithstanding all these obstacles, Adesina (2011), noted that Nigeria still has the potential for not only, meeting her growing food needs but also to become an agro-powerhouse for the subregion and the world at large. It is arising from the above factors that the agriculture sector’sperformance is not impressive. Moreover, the steady increase in population of the country has called for urgent measures to increase food supply to avert famine. Onwualu et al. (2006) defined agricultural mechanization as the development, introduction and use of mechanical assistance of all forms and at any level of technological sophistication in agricultural production (Onwualu et al., 2006; Adama, 2013, Jekayinka et al., 2015). Thus, the governments commenced to formulate policies and programmes at various times to address these challenges militating against agricultural sector such as: the 1975-79 Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) of the Murtala Mohamed and Olushegun Obasanjo military administration, the Land Use Decree promulgated by the government to enhance land acquisition processes and the (1979-1983) Green Revolution introduced by Shehu Shagari administration. Under these programmes, various models of tractors and implement were imported by the Federal Government and sold to farmers at subsidized prices. However, most of these imported tractors and implement did not suit our local environment which was not taken into consideration during manufacturing. Other reasons include lack of spare parts, poor maintenance culture, age of the tractors and implement. 1.5.2 Tractor and Equipment Hire Scheme: Inline with tractor and equipment hiring scheme policy guidelines, Anambra State Government established Anambra State Tractor Hire Agency (ASTRAC) to enhance mechanization of agricultural practices in the State as a unit of the Agricultural Services Department in the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The tractor and equipment hiring outfit was laden with the following mandate: 1) To provide tillage operations for mechanized agricultural practices in the state in order to boost agricultural production. 2) To create enabling environment for Public Private Participation (PPP) in tractor and equipment hiring ventures. 3) To procure and maintain tractors and equipment and hire same to farmers in the state at subsidize rates. All these programmes and policies were aimed at increasing agricultural products through mechanized systems. However, these government agricultural mechanization policies and programmes were fraught with abuses and corruption by the politicians who exploited the chances to enrich themselves. Also the rural component of agricultural production was not considered during the formulation of the policies. Under these policies, various models of tractors and implement were imported by the Federal Government and sold to farmers at subsidized prices. However, most of these imported tractors and implement did not suit our local environment which was not taken into consideration during manufacturing. The success of any policy or programme in agricultural production must take into cognizance the local variables such as soil, vegetation, climate, local farming system, culture, crops etc before coming up with the design for appropriate mechanization of agriculture in Nigeria (Odigbo, 1986).

One of these programmes was the introduction of Tractor and Equipment Hiring Scheme.