Agricultural mechanisation in sub-Saharan Africa

The issue of agricultural mechanisation in sub-Saharan Africa in general and in the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular requires more attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the willingness of farmers in the Kimpese district to adopt mechanised farming systems, so as to enable those involved in the agricultural sector to better identify the factors that might influence the adoption of mechanised farming systems in this district. After analysis, it was found that 80% of respondents were willing to adopt farm mechanisation. The inherent factors that could positively influence adoption were gender, income and farm size. On the other hand, age and marital status had a negative influence on the intention to adopt mechanised farming. In view of the results obtained in this study, the success of the process of agricultural mechanisation depends on popularising the use of this new technology among farmers, setting up a programme to help farmers diversify their sources of income, and encouraging the education of rural people.