In India, farm holdings are very small compared to developed countries. What strategies be used to mechanize harvesting operations, keeping in mind the poor economic condition of small farmers?
Mechanization can be better implemented by small farmers through making use of facilities at custom hiring centers and machinery banks, if it is to be done at small farms . otherwise it could be implemented more efficiently by consolidation of lands for collective farming through farmers associations.
The only option for mechanizing the field operations at small and marginal holdings is to opt for collective/joint farming by pooling the land together which would result in economies of scale. Else mechanization will be a costly affair and will not result in the desired output and outcome.