Farm equipment supply chains

Farm equipment supply chains

Descripción

Experience has shown that a basic prerequisite for successful mechanization of the agricultural sector requires a well-functioning supply chain. To draw lessons for achieving this goal, the FAO Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division commissioned three mechanization supply chain case studies. The studies were conducted in Kenya, Pakistan and Brazil and the information contained in them has been used as the basis for the analysis presented in this Technical Report. Historically, pu blic sector efforts to supply mechanization services have often failed as costs greatly exceeded income and the maintenance of ageing machinery fleets became too great a burden. However it is evident that the public sector does have a role to play in complementing the activities of the private sector in a synergistic partnership. The main role of the public sector is to have the vision of a national mechanization strategy and to cultivate an enabling environment which allows the private sector t o operate effectively. One key possibility described in the Report is that of linking equipment supply chains across continents. This is exemplified by an account of the evolution of no-till technology in Brazil which is now being successfully used by farmers in Asia and Africa. A key stakeholder in this supply chain development has been FAO in conjunction with the international donor community, as they have been in a position to take a holistic view to encourage private sector actors and so dis seminate profitable mechanization technologies from one continent to another. The main recommendations of the Technical Report are aimed at policy makers in the public sector, although there is plenty of interest to other stakeholders, especially machinery suppliers and mechanization service providers. However the ultimate beneficiaries are small and medium scale farmers who are the recipients of the services provided.