Agricultural mechanization and testing of agricultural machinery in the Asia-Pacific region

Abstract

Agriculture remains the backbone of national economy in most developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Agriculture is not only the producer of food and but also employer of approximately 60% of the working population in this region, according to ESCAP’s survey in 2013. However, achieving and ensuring sustained food security in the region remains a challenge. In recent years, countries across the region start embracing agricultural mechanization to increase labor and land productivity in order to meet the growing demand for food. Sustainable agricultural mechanization plays an increasingly important role in improving efficiency in the agricultural systems, filling the rural labour gaps and enhancing farmers’ income through rural business/enterprise development.