Transforming smallholder agriculture through mechanization in Asia: Volume 1: Pathways and policies

Abstract

Agricultural mechanization can play an important role in improving smallholder farming in Asia. While the use of machinery has grown rapidly across the region, many farmers still face barriers to access, raising questions about inclusiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. This volume explores how smallholder farmers adopt mechanization and the benefits it can bring. It looks at the factors that determine machinery ownership, rental, and service use, and how these choices affect farm productivity, profitability, labor allocation, and rural livelihoods across diverse Asian contexts. Mechanization often reduces labor-intensive work and helps farmers complete key tasks on time, but its effects on productivity and profitability vary by context and can be limited by rising input costs and changing market conditions. The chapters underscore the need for policies that expand service-based mechanization, supported by targeted subsidies, access to finance, and effective extension systems, to enable inclusive and sustainable smallholder agricultural transformation in Asia.