Framework for research on the economics of farm mechanization in developing countries

The paper first explores conceptually how mechanization and other technological changes in agriculture affect social and economic conditions in both the village and the developing country as a whole. Secondly, the authors consider the short-, medium-, and long-term decisions which governments must make concerning farm mechanization and examine the types of economic research which may be relevant to each class of decisions. The third major part of the paper reviews the existing body of economic studies on farm mechanization within the earlier presented conceptual framework and with particular attention to the question of how fully such studies have met the needs of policymakers. Detailed treatment is given to questions concerning the collection of data, the nature of the economic analysis, and the warranted policy implications from existing studies. Finally, the authors make a number of suggestions for the redirection of economic research on mechanization.