IMPACT OF MECHANIZATION ON CROPS PRODUCTIVITY IN AKOLA DISTRICT

The study has examined the impact of mechanization on productivity. Mechanization in Indian agriculture started with the establishment of the Central Tractor Organization (CTO) mainly for land reclamation and development, mechanical cultivation. The production of irrigation pumps and diesel engines started during 1930s. The manufacture of tractors and power tillers started in 1960. Since then by the virtue of its inherent edge over the conventional means of farming, agricultural mechanization has been gaining popularity. The present study was conducted in Akola district of Vidarbha region for the period 2012-2013. From Akola district 5 tahsil were selected randomly i.e. Patur, Balapur, Akola, Akot and Murtizapur. For this study 6 villages were selected from each tahsil of Akola district, i.e total 30 villages selected. The mechanization development level changed in all selected villages over the study period i.e. on an average the composite index of mechanization in 1990 was 0.6757 and in 2013 it was 0.4430. The total contribution explained by mechanization was 10.70 percent in explaining crops productivity. It indicated that the indicators of mechanization contributed 10.70 per cent the productivity of crops.