Economic Performance of Using Combine Harvesters in Rice Cultivation in Northwest Cambodia

抄録

Labor scarcity is the most common problem for Cambodian farmers during harvesting season since they commonly harvest rice manually. To reduce harvesting loss, expenses and time, a well-designed combine harvester is gaining popularity. This study aims to evaluate the economic performance of using combine harvesters in rice cultivation. Specifically, this study aims to (1) clarify the reasons farmers adopted the use of combine harvesters, and (2) compare the profitability of rice farming between combine harvester owner-farmer and non-owner-farmer. This study was conducted in Banan district, Battambang province, where utilization of combine harvesters is prevalent. A total of 68 respondents who use combine harvesters were randomly selected and interviewed using a questionnaire and further categorized into 34 combine harvester owner-farmers and 34 non-owner-farmers. The study has four main findings. First, most farmers started using combine harvesters in 2010 due to labor shortage and high wagers. Combine harvester owner-farmers spent lesser total production cost compared to non-owner-farmers. Second, the total production cost of both farmer types varied mainly on the variable cost since the non-owner-farmers spent more on rice harvesting fee, while combine harvester owner-farmers spent only on the cost of diesel, depreciation, and driver. Third, combine harvester owner-farmers received the higher profitability compared with the other. Fourth, the three main reasons for adopting the use of combine harvester were labor shortage during peak harvesting season, convenient harvesting on time, and opportunity to provide custom service to other farmers.