Agricultural Machinery Boosts Rice Farmers' Income and Productivity in Indonesia
The study looked at how using agricultural machinery affects income, productivity, and labor for lowland rice farmers. They surveyed 41 farmers, with 23 using machinery and 18 not using it. Farmers using machinery earned more income, produced more rice, and needed less labor compared to those not using machinery. Farmers with machinery made Rp. 15,117,478, while those without made only Rp. 7,262,223. Productivity was 6,825 kg/hectare/season for machinery users, higher than the 6,066 kg/hectare/season for non-users. Labor was 69 working days/hectare/season for machinery users, less than the 111 working days/hectare/season for non-users.