Introducing mechanization into agricultural production: Farmers lack mechanics!

(Baonghean) - After two years of promoting land consolidation and exchange according to Directive 08 of the Provincial Party Committee, the application of mechanization in production has been actively implemented by farmers in the province, with a significant increase in the number of agricultural machinery and equipment. However, repairing and replacing spare parts for these devices when they break down remains a "difficult" problem for many farming households.

According to the latest statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of 2014, the province had 13,654 multi-functional plows, 8,888 hand-held harvesters, 75 rice transplanters, over 10,000 motorized rice threshing machines, nearly 4,000 sprayers, 9,200 aquaculture machines, 123 agricultural product dryers, etc. This shows that machinery is playing an increasingly important role in agricultural production in our province, truly demonstrating its effectiveness in replacing human labor, increasing productivity and labor efficiency. Simultaneously, there is a great need for repair and replacement of spare parts when these machines break down.

Mr. Lang Van Duong in Binh 2 village, Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau district) repairs his own tractor for agricultural production. Photo: Nguyen Son

Yen Thanh District is the largest rice granary in the province and also a place where farmers have successfully applied many scientific and technological advancements to agricultural production, including mechanization. In Lien Thanh commune, we met Mr. Vu Huu Vinh, who was transporting his broken tractor to a repair shop. He said: “My house is in Bao Thanh commune, more than 10 kilometers away. Whenever my machine breaks down, I have to bring it all the way here for repairs. Nowadays, many people use tractors and rice transplanters, but there are very few places to repair them.” According to Mr. Vinh, while there are on-site machinery repair services, they are not very effective. Repairmen cannot bring enough tools and equipment to replace or repair parts without knowing the specific problem with the machine. Therefore, during the busy harvest season, the machine sometimes breaks down and sits idle for many days, causing great anxiety.

Visiting the agricultural machinery repair facility of Mr. Phan Hoang Tien (Lien Giang hamlet, Lien Thanh commune), we saw a plethora of machines from the entrance of the alley to inside his workshop, ranging from plows and transplanters to harvesters and threshers, along with a wide array of spare parts. Workers at the facility were constantly receiving machinery brought in by farmers from neighboring areas. Mr. Tien said: “I opened this repair workshop in 2008, when agricultural machinery began to be widely used by the people. To this day, there aren't many repair facilities like mine in the entire district. On average, our workshop repairs around 10 machines a day, of all different types. During the harvest season, we sometimes have to repair dozens of machines urgently, working continuously until midnight to ensure farmers have machines ready for use.” Mr. Tien added that for common malfunctions, the repair cost ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 VND per machine. After deducting the salaries of 4 regular workers (5-6 million VND per person per month) and the cost of spare parts, he earns hundreds of millions of VND annually from this profession. "People are using more and more machinery, so the demand for repairs is huge. I'm having my youngest son study mechanics so he can repair machines right in the workshop and develop the business," Mr. Tien said.

In Thanh Chuong district, after land consolidation, farmers introduced various types of machinery into agricultural production, such as plows, transplanters, and tea pickers. However, the area lacks repair facilities. When these machines break down, they have to wait in long lines for repair, disrupting farmers' production time, affecting productivity, and causing financial losses. Mr. Le Dinh Thanh, Head of the Agriculture Department of Thanh Chuong, said: "For equipment with simple structures, if farmers learn basic skills such as changing oil and replacing screws, they can still repair them themselves. But for large-capacity, complex machinery, repairs require the skills of local skilled technicians or support from machinery suppliers."

Trainees learning to repair agricultural machinery at the Nam Dan Vocational Training Center (photo provided by the Nam Dan Vocational Training Center)

Will businesses partner with farmers, and what is the best solution to this situation? When asked about this issue, Mr. Phan Duy Thieu, Deputy Head of the Planning and Finance Department of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “Many farmers have financial capacity but limited technical skills. When they have money and need machinery, they buy it but do not thoroughly understand the operating mechanism or basic knowledge of the machinery, leading to frequent breakdowns and farmers being stuck in the repair process. To help solve this problem, in parallel with supporting and encouraging farmers to buy machinery, the province has also assigned six businesses in the area to supply and be responsible for the maintenance and servicing of the farmers' machinery. These businesses have organized training sessions and provided guidance on how to use the machinery, while also applying periodic warranty policies, depending on the type of machine.” According to Mr. Thieu, since 2015, the responsibility for linking the government and agricultural machinery businesses has been assigned to the districts, but the province still recommends purchasing machinery from these establishments to ensure the rights of the people. On the other hand, farmers themselves need to accumulate experience and improve their technical knowledge of operating machinery better in order to extend the lifespan of the machines and be able to repair minor malfunctions themselves.

In response to this trend and demand, and in implementation of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1956/QD-TTg on "vocational training for rural laborers by 2020," many vocational guidance and training centers have included agricultural machinery repair in their curriculum. At the Nam Dan District Vocational Guidance and Training Center, this field of study officially began in 2012. Since then, the number of students has steadily increased. Mr. Hoang Nguyen Tu, Deputy Director of the Center, stated: "Although this field is relatively new, the number of registered students is quite large, with 1-2 classes per year, each with approximately 30 students. Depending on the policies of higher authorities and the actual needs of students, the center will adjust the training program accordingly in the future."

Learning a trade and accumulating experience in repairing agricultural machinery not only helps farmers maximize the efficiency of their machines, but also helps them improve their technical skills, becoming skilled mechanics who can open repair shops right in their local area. This is a promising and practical direction in the current situation where agriculture is increasingly developing, and households are actively applying scientific and technological advancements and promoting mechanization in production.

Phuong Thao