Effects of the Extensive Use of Mechanization on Farm Labor Use and Patterns in Rice and Corn Production Systems in the Philippines

Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Victor Rodulfo, Jr; Alexis del Rosario; Maria Victoria Larona; Alfrederick Salandanan; Mary Grace Bautista; Nelson Jose Vincent Querijero

doi:10.48196/017.02.2021.03

Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Victor Rodulfo, Jr University of the Philippines Los Baños
Alexis del Rosario University of the Philippines Los Baños
Maria Victoria Larona University of the Philippines Los Baños
Alfrederick Salandanan University of the Philippines Los Baños
Mary Grace Bautista University of the Philippines Los Baños
Nelson Jose Vincent Querijero University of the Philippines Los Baños

DOI: https://doi.org/10.48196/017.02.2021.03

Keywords: mechanization, farm labor,, labor use, labor pattern, farm labor, shifting, landless, farm workers

Abstract

The study assessed the status of farm labor use and changing patterns as a result of extensive mechanization in the farm labor sector. It showed that the extensive use of mechanization, specifically for land preparation, planting, harvesting, threshing, and shelling, decreased the demand for manual labor in terms of man-day per hectare requirement. The study indicated significant reports on the changes in labor arrangements in farm operations from planting-harvesting arrangement to land preparation-harvesting arrangement, payment agreement (daily wage to informal contract), and mode of contracting labor (hired to family labor). The study also showed significant reports of labor shifting of farm workers from on-farm to off-farm activities. Three (3) policy recommendations were provided as a result of the study: (1) organization and recognition of landless farmworkers; (2) provision of training, upskilling, and employment opportunities; and (3) integration of the organized landless farm workers as human capital input needed in the establishment of Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation Program (F2C2) of the government.

Citation:

RODULFO, V., JR., DEL ROSARIO, A., LARONA, M. V., SALANDANAN, A., BAUTISTA, M. G., & QUERIJERO, N. (2021). Effects of the Extensive Use of Mechanization on Farm Labor Use and Patterns in Rice and Corn Production Systems in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, 17(2), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.48196/017.02.2021.03