Briefing Paper

Agricultural Mechanization and South-South Knowledge Exchange: What can Ghanaian and Nigerian Policymakers Learn from Bangladesh’s Experience

Bangladesh recently has experienced fast growth in agri-cultural mechanization.Bangladesh’s experience can provide useful insights for many African countries that are seeking sustainable ways to promote agricultural mechanization. In Ghana and Nigeria, the role of the private sector in mechanization service provision has become increasingly recog-nized. Ghana and Nigeria have shifted from traditional systems of government-managed hiring units to private-sector managed hiring enterprises. Past agricultural mechanization efforts in Ghana and Nigeria have focused more on the styles of machinery used in western countries or Latin America, where average farm sizes are much larger. While West African countries, particularly Ghana, are still relatively land abundant compared to Bangladesh, seeking the right balance across various models is important for achieving mechanization growth across diverse types of farms.