Scale to Measure the Utilization of Farm Implements by the Farmers

Abstract

Farm mechanization helps to enhance the overall productivity and production with the lowest cost of production. In the
context of increasing commercialization of agriculture, mechanization is very important. But all the farmers may not
utilize the improved farm implements at the same time and at the same rate. It is very important to know the extent of
utilization of farm implements by the farmers. However, a systematic evaluative study on utilization of farm implements
by the farmers unfortunately has not drawn sufficient research attention which again is due to non availability of a scale to
correctly measure the farm implements utilization. Hence, an effort was made to construct and standardize a scale to
correctly measure the utilization of farm implements by the farmers. The study was conducted in Newasa, Rahuri, Karjat
and Pathardi tahsils of Ahmednagar district and Pandharpur, Malshiras, Karmala and Mohol tahsil of Solapur district. The
method of identification of the parameters, framing and scoring of the parameters and relevancy analysis was followed in
the construction of the scale along with testing of its reliability and validity. The scale developed was found to be highly
reliable and valid to measure the utilization of farm implements by the farmers. Also it can be used to measure the extent of
utilization of farm implements by the farmers beyond the study area with suitable modifications if required.