PSAE Region IV - Agricultural Engineering Board Review Materials I-1

Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization

Dr. Arsenio N. Resurreccion

Director
Agricultural Machinery Testing Center
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
University of the Philippines Los Baños
College, Laguna

 Definitions:

FAO (1979): Embracing the manufacture, distribution, utilization and provision of

after-sales service of tools, implements and machines for land
development, agricultural production and primary post-production
processes. It includes the use of three main sources of power: human,
animal and mechanical.

STOUT AND DOWNING (1974): Use of hand and animal-operated tools and implements
as well as motorized equipment to reduce human effort, improve quality,
perform operations that cannot be done by other means, and improve
the timeliness of various operations, thereby increasing yield, quality of
product and overall efficiency.

 The first definition emphasized the scope of services and the different levels of
mechanization (scope: manufacture to after-sales service; levels: the use of
tools, implements and machines; the use of human, animal and mechanical
sources of power).

However, a particular mechanization program can be a combination of the

different levels for the different farm operations. Consider the mechanization of
a rice farm shown below:

OPERATION LEVEL OF MECHANIZATION

Land preparation Tractor-drawn disc plow
Planting Hand Jabber
Spraying Lever-operated knapsack sprayer
Weeding/cultivating Animal-drawn moldboard plow
Harvesting Sickle
Threshing Mechanical thresher
Drying Sun drying
Milling Mechanical rice mill

 The second definition dealt with the objectives and benefits from mechanization:

OBJECTIVES BENEFITS
1. Reduce human effort 1. increase yields
2. Improve quality 2. increase quality of product
3. perform operations that cannot be 3. increase overall efficiency
done by other means
4. improve timeliness of operation of
various operations

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 The two definitions combined give us a more complete picture of mechanization

and its complexities.
 Models of mechanization:

1. High land area to farmer ratio: (example: USA)

Motivated into increasing the level of mechanization in order to cultivate large

agricultural lands with limited available manpower and take advantage of
favorable agricultural commodity prices.
Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia follow the USA model

2. Low land area to farmer ratio: (example: Japan)

Motivated into increasing the level of mechanization in order to increase yields

and cropping intensities to meet the growing demands for food and agricultural
raw materials.
South Korea, China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines follow the Japanese
model.

 Potential benefits from mechanization:

1. Increased cropping intensity and production

 Tractors, power tillers, irrigation pumps, harvesters and threshers

increased cropping intensities
 Irrigation pumps increased yields
 Harvester and threshers reduced losses which effectively increased yields

2. Increased productivity of labor

 Tractors in land preparation reduced 50% of the labor inputs

 However, labor for land preparation in the Philippines comprised mainly
family labor
 Freed family labor can look for alternative work opportunities; children
can go to school

3. Full utilization of farm products and by products

 Availability of machines allow the processing of farm products and by-

products
 Take the case of pineapple and coconut. Rather than just selling the
fruit and nut, they can be processed into different products
4. Reduction of losses

 Development of harvesting, threshing and processing machines reduced

harvest and postharvest losses
 Losses: Rice: 10 – 37%
Corn: 30%
5. Increased value added of farm products

 Secondary and tertiary processing open up market potentials and lead to

higher retail prices
 Shelled peanut retailers earn P0.50/kg or more
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 Dried corn can extend the selling period and need not be forced to sell at
a low price

6. Employment and livelihood generation

 Machines designed to increase cropping intensities and production will

correspondingly increase labor requirements for production and
postharvest operations
 Machines designed to diversify farm products and by products open up
various livelihood opportunities
 Use of machines will require the putting up of repair shops in the village
areas

7. Import substitution

 Local agricultural machinery manufacturing will minimize the importation

of agricultural machinery

8. Export possibilities

 Locally manufactured agricultural machinery can be exported to

countries with similar farming conditions such as the Philippines

 Conceptions and misconceptions on mechanization

1. Mechanization is synonymous to tractorization

2. High level mechanization is equated to modernization and therefore, is an

indicator and requirement for development

3. Mechanization displaces farm labor and causes unemployment in agriculture; any

substitution of capital for labor is socially undesirable

4. Mechanization is a western or developed country system of farming that is not

suited for developing countries

5. Mechanization is a costly input in farming especially the rising costs of fossil fuel

6. Mechanization is not feasible where farm holdings are fragmented and

inaccessible

7. Only the large farms can afford the cost of mechanization

 It is the responsibility of all those involved in agricultural mechanization not to

advocate indiscriminate high level mechanization and those against
mechanization not to come up with sweeping statements that mechanization is
undesirable.

 There exist combinations of levels of mechanization that will render

mechanization in a specific area desirable.

 Agencies involved in agricultural mechanization:

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GOVERNMENT SECTOR

1. Department of Agriculture (DA):

a.) Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization Committee (AFMeC) – inter-

agency committee which serves as advisory to the Secretary on
mechanization concerns

b.) Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) – in-charge of

post harvest mechanization and corn mechanization

c.) Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) – In-charge of rice

mechanization

d.) Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) – In-charge of

developing small-scale irrigation projects

e.) National Irrigation Administration (NIA) – In-charge of developing large-

scale irrigation projects

f.) Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) – In-charge of vegetable mechanization

g.) National Food Authority (NFA) – In-charge of grain storage and

marketing

h.) Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) – Base of the Agricultural Eng’g

RDE Network

i.) Regional Agricultural Engineering Group (RAEG) – In-charge of

agricultural mechanization concerns in the different regions

2. University of the Philippines Los Baňos (UPLB):

a) Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (AMDP) – Research

and extension on agricultural mechanization; Philippine counterpart of
the Regional Network for Agricultural Machinery (RNAM)

b) Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center(AMTEC) – Testing

and evaluation of agricultural machinery; Development of agricultural
machinery standards

3. Central Luzon State University (CLSU):

a.) Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT) –

adaption and promotion of Chinese agricultural machinery for local
conditions

4. Department of Science and Technology (DOST):

a) Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research

and Development (PCARRD) – base of the Agricultural Engineering R&D
Team which provides policy direction for agricultural mechanization

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5. Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) – base of the Board of Agricultural

Engineering (BOAE) which regulates and promotes the agricultural engineering
profession

PRIVATE SECTOR

6. Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers (PSAE) – national and regional

professional organization of agricultural engineers with similar functions as BOAE

7. Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, Dealers and Distributors Association

(AMMDA) – Heart of the agricultural machinery manufacturing, marketing and
after-sales service

 Selection of agricultural machinery:

 Proper selection of agricultural machinery is important because it is considered a

major investment

 A variety of farm machinery (different types, models and brands) are now
commercially available. Data on actual performance of the various types, models
and brands are needed for a wise selection.

 Point or features of machines that may help select the right machine:

1. Trade mark – stands for the reputation of the manufacturer and a

guarantee of what lies beneath the paint

2. Materials – take note of the quality of materials used and the

manufacturing technology employed in the manufacture of the machine
as this will have a direct bearing on performance and durability

3. Ease of operation – pay attention to placement of controls. Ensure that

controls are accessible and soft to operate. Look for adjustments of
handle bars and seats

4. Ease of maintenance – a machine requires daily and periodic

maintenance and adjustments. Ensure that points of maintenance and
adjustment are easy to perform. The machine should have an operator’s
manual explaining the procedures.

5. Safety – check for safety provisions for both machine and operator. All
rotating parts should be provided with shields. Snap clutches or similar
devices should be installed to protect the machine and prime mover in
case of overload.

6. Source of repair – make sure that spare parts and service are available
nearby. Ask for local dealers and for the machine.

7. Power source – decide if you will need an engine or electric motor.

 If an engine, decide if you want a diesel or gasoline engine.

With the gasoline engine, first cost is lower but operating cost is
high. With the diesel engine, first cost is high but operating cost
is low.
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 If an electric motor, decide if you need single-phase or three-

phase electric motor. Acquisition cost and current requirement
of three-phase electric motor is lower but is three-phase supply
line available in your area?

 Optimum capacity of machines:

 Smallest capacity that will get the job done on time. However, there should be
some excess capacity on the machine to cover unexpected delays due to
weather and/or machine breakdown

 Often, it is an option to have several small capacity machines rather than just
one big machine. If a big machine breaks down, there is 100% stoppage of
work. In the case of two smaller machines, if one machine breaks down, there is
only 50% stoppage of work. Further, it allows for a 50% lowering of production
output.

 Economics of farm machinery:

 The economic goal of mechanization is to maximize profits by getting the

maximum output from machines at a minimum cost.

 A mechanization scheme does not mean mechanizing all farm operations but
only those that will contribute to increased output and reduction of operating
cost.

 The use of machinery does not only imply ownership; renting of machines or
custom-hire operation are very sound options especially for small farms. This is
common in land preparation, high capacity shelling and threshing, and milling
operations.

 Joint ownership of machines by two or more farms to justify the purchase of a

machine is also another viable option.

 And for cooperatives, acquisition of machines and renting out to members is also
another viable option.

 Measures of machinery investment appraisal:

1. Undiscounted measures – does not take into consideration the change in

value of money over time. These are usually crude methods of
comparing several investment alternatives.

a. Payback period (PBP) – length of time it takes to recover the

investment or until the net benefits equal the investment cost.
The decision rule is to select the alternative with the shortest
PBP.

b. Break-even point (BEP) – level of operation where the

investment neither produces a profit nor incurs a loss. The
decision rule is to accept the alternative with the lowest BEP.

2. Discounted measure – the time value of money is taken into

consideration through the process called discounting.
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Discounting is the process of translating future values in present worth

by applying a set of discount factors that reflects the diminishing value
of the same amount of money as one moves further into the future.

a. Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) – ratio of the present worth of the

benefit stream over the present worth of cost stream extending
over a period of time usually the life of the machine. Decision
rule is to accept projects with BCR ≥ 1.

b. Net Present Value (NPV) – the difference of the present value of

the benefit stream and the present value of the cost stream
extending over a period of time usually the life of the machine.
The decision rule is to accept projects with NPV ≥ 0

c. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) – the maximum interest rate the

project can pay for the use of money if the project is to break-
even. At this point, the NPV = O and BCR = 1. The decision
rule is that the IRR of the project should be higher than the
prevailing interest rate of the bank.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING STANDARDS

(PAES)

 Development of agricultural engineering standards has not been given due attention.
The practice of agricultural engineering has always been based on standards from the US
and other countries.

 Locally, there existing Philippine standards for selected machines. Standards for
irrigation, structures and alternative energy are non-existent. Standards for rural
electrification, domestic water supply, farm roads and bridges are lodged in other
engineering fields and not with agricultural engineering.

 There is a need to develop our own agricultural engineering standards.

 In the late 70s, the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) established the Technical
Committee on Machinery for Agriculture and Forestry (TC 56). TC 56 came out with six
standards

 Later, TC 56 was replaced by TC 19. TC 19 came out with five standards

 In 1992, the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394) was enacted identifying
standards development to three agencies:

Department of Agriculture: agricultural products including machinery

Department of Health: drugs, cosmetics, devices and substances
Department of Trade and Industry: others not covered by the two agencies

 In 2001, the Department of Agriculture issued AO 11 on Implementation of the National

 Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization Program which stated, among others:
AMTEC, in partnership with PSAE and other concerned agencies, shall be charged with
the formulation and development of the official agriculture and fisheries machinery
standards.
 AMTEC implemented a series of projects on the development of the Philippine
Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES).
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 Breakdown of standards developed:

PRODUCTION POSTHARVEST ENGINEERING AGRICULTURAL

TOTAL
MACHINERY MACHINERY MATERIALS STRUCTURES
PAES I 15 11 6 3 35
PAES
8 - 7 10 25
II
PAES
7 - 7 8 22
III
PAES
10 11 - - 21
IV
PAES V 6 8 - - 14
TOTAL 46 30 20 21 117

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 Flowchart of standards development:

Preparation of Draft Standards

(Secretariat)

Review & Modification of Draft Standards

(Technical Committee)

Circulation & Public Hearing of Draft Standards

(Secretariat and NAFC)

Finalization of Draft Standards

(Secretariat)

Recommend adoption of Draft Standards Recommend adoption of Draft Standards

(NAFC) (PSAE)

Adoption of PAES Adoption of PAES

(DA) (BOAE-PRC)

Publication
(Secretariat)

 Public hearing conducted on standards developed:

No. of
STANDARDS DATE (S) VENUE (S)
Participants
Apacible Hall, NAFC,
PAES I August 27, 2001 Quezon City 70

PhilRice, Muñoz, Nueva

October I, 2002 Ecija 38

Felis Resort, Matina, Davao

PAES II October 8, 2002 26
City
DA-Region VII,
October I0, 2002 Cebu City 33

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Apacible Hall, NAFC,

PAES III March 12, 2003 Quezon City 70

Apacible Hall, NAFC,

PAES IV October 15, 2004 Quezon City 60

 Adoption of standards:

STANDARDS DA BOAE-PRC
PAES I AO 10 Series of 2002 BR 05 Series of 2002
PAES II AO 06 Series of 2003 BR 01 Series of 2003
PAES III AO 11 Series of 2003 BR 02 Series of 2003
PAES IV AO 05 Series of 2005 -
 DA adoption of standards:

 Require all offices of the DA to adopt and comply with the standards as Philippine
 Agricultural Engineering Standards.

 PRC adoption of standards:

Adopt PAES as a Code of Technical Standards of Agricultural Engineering, and shall

serve as technical reference by all agricultural engineers in the signing and sealing of
plans, designs and specifications, and other related works in the practice of their
profession.

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 Publication of standards:

PAES Volume I PAES Volume II

PAES Volume III PAES Volume IV

st nd
PAES CD 1 Edition PAES CD 2 Edition

Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization