Adoption of Labour-Saving Technologies in Selected Five Southern-District of Bhutan

Abstract

This study assessed the adoption of labour-saving agricultural technologies and the factors associated with their use across five districts in Bhutan. Data were collected in May and June 2024 from 1,142 farming households selected through a multistage sampling design. Descriptive statistics and probit regression were used to examine the adoption of power tillers, mini tillers, tractors, threshers, hullers, grass cutters, and rice millers. The pooled power tiller adoption rate was 21.9%, although adoption varied substantially among districts. Power tillers were the most widely adopted land-preparation technology, while machinery users generally preferred hiring services to individual ownership, particularly for power tillers and tractors. Reduced agricultural drudgery was the most frequently reported reason for adopting power tillers, accounting for 65% of adopter responses. High machinery costs were the principal barrier reported by non-adopters. Probit estimates indicated that cultivated area, educational attainment, family literacy, smartphone use, and the prevalence of the same technology within the local gewog were associated with adoption, although the direction and statistical significance varied across technologies. The strong association with local technology prevalence may reflect peer learning and improved access through machinery-hiring markets. The findings indicate that expanding affordable state-managed or privately managed hiring services, together with targeted financial support, operator training, and improved rural infrastructure, may facilitate broader and more inclusive access to labour-saving technologies among small-scale farming households in Bhutan.