pakistan geographical review 1954 - University of the Punjab

Cost of Tractor Cultivation.-It is reckoned that cultivating with a Tractor
using a Cultivators or Disc plough and doing the work better than a pair of
bullocks would be about Rs. 5 per acre whereas bullock cultivation would cost
at least Rs. 8. If slow speed Light Diesel Tractors are used the cost would be
under Rs. 3 per acre. There is no doubt Tractor Cultivation is cheaper than
bnllock cultivation so long as wheat prices are over Rs. 5 and cotton over
Rs. 15 per maund.
Displacement of Labour.-It is reckoned that on a unit of 300 acres with
Tractor Cultivation we would require at most 12 men instead of 36 employed
with bullock cultivation. This means a very serious displacement of labour or
tenants and hence the use of Tractors on settled areas must be very gradual.
The excess labour can gradually be absorbed by industrialisation, -but this
problem is a serious one.
111echanisatior; by Co-operative Societies.--It IS sometimes argued that in
settled areas the best way of mechanising is through a (a-operative Society of
Farmers. If 20 tenants owning of cultivating between them a unit of 300 acres
decide to co-operate, they can keep a 25 H.P. to 35 H.P. Tractor fully occupied,
but there will be no work for at least 66% of them as 33% can easily do all that
is necessary except at harvest time and cotton picking time when more temporary
labour is required. Only one out of every eight pairs of bullocks will
need to be kept, so excepting for milking cows or buffaloes very little fodder is
required-say at most 20% of the cropped area. Thus the increased cropping
under cash and human food will be 100/85 X 13= 15'3% increase. It may be
pointed out that in other mechanised countr-ies ego in U. K. the horse is completely
eliminated. In the early stages of mech auisat ion in Pakistan it is
advisable to keep one pai. uf cattle ptr 100 acres for miscellaneous levelling,
sowing smail vegetable pluts and other iuiscellaneous works.
Other advantages
of mechanization.
1. Saving of water in irrigation. As in a block of 300 acres the cotton
crop will be generally in large blocks the irrigation water will be running in
channels
in the crop and losses by percola tion are sa ved.
2. The cultivation is better than that done by bullocks and occasional
deep ploughings even once in 2 or a years gradually improve fertility.
3. Operations can be done in time. It is possible to work a Tractor
24 hours a day if necessary. In the case of wheat harvesting this often leads to
saving of grain from shedding.
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