Assessment of Farm Power Sources and Mechanisation Levels Among Crop Farmers in Ogun State

This study assesses the current sources of farm power and levels of agricultural mechanisation among crop farmers in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Farm power availability and mechanisation adoption directly determine operational efficiency, timeliness of planting, and labour productivity in crop production. Ogun State, with its diverse mix of smallholder and medium-scale crop farming, provides a useful context for examining mechanisation dynamics in Southwest Nigeria. This study adopts a descriptive survey design, collecting data from 220 crop farmers in Abeokuta South, Sagamu, and Ijebu North local government areas through structured questionnaires and farm power inventory assessments. Farm power sources are categorised as human power, animal traction, and mechanical power. Mechanisation index values are computed for each sampled farm. Findings reveal that human power dominates across all farm size categories, accounting for 78 percent of total farm energy input. Only 14 percent of sampled farmers access tractor services, primarily through government hire schemes. Animal traction use is negligible in the Southwest, unlike northern zones. Land preparation and harvesting are the most mechanised operations, while planting, weeding, and post-harvest handling remain predominantly manual. Tractor hire cost and seasonal unavailability are the most frequently cited mechanisation barriers. The study concludes that mechanisation levels in Ogun State remain inadequate for the operational demands of modern crop farming. It recommends expanded tractor hire services, private sector mechanisation investment, and implement bank development in the state.

Keywords: farm mechanisation, farm power, Ogun State, tractor services, agricultural operations.