TECHNOLOGY: A BLESSING or a CURSE in AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY:

The agriculture sector has become so important and cornerstone for any country’s

economic growth and economic development. The modern world is encouraged to use

technology such as irrigation advancement, high equipped machinery, the use of RFID is also in

consideration, information technology and consequent technologies that are yet to be discovered.

There are still many agriculture industries in a different country who hesitate in adopting

technology in the agriculture sector because of an inevitable farmer issue and problems. Farmers

are the cornerstone of any agriculture-based industry and sectors can be progress without

efficient and effective farmers. The question we will try to cover in this essay is whether

modern farming is impacting agriculture development. Technology, a blessing or curse for

the farmers. This essay supports the described statement. The first three paragraphs will

be supporting the statement as technology is a curse for farmers and one paragraph will be

opposing the statement.

The modernization of farming has effected and created issues for the farmers in their

farming and increase issues and problems in reforestation, cultivation, plantation that are

amongst the major discussed issues and problems as a considerable part of our economic

development and is still engaging the agriculture sector (Arun Makal, Abhradip Banerjee, Avik

Roy, 2017). The agriculture industry is transforming and there is an extensive modernization in

the agriculture sector. The advancement in the agriculture-sector initiates many modern process

and protocols that intensify agriculture productivity, which leads to agricultural development

(CSSC, 1974; Bhalla & Tyagi, 1989). The advancement of technology in the agriculture industry

come up with the consequences, having said that farmers are the cornerstone and backbone of

any agriculture industry, it is very hard to convince them to adopt modern procedures,
techniques, and tools for farming (Avik Roy, 2017). Farmers wish to follow their legacy and they

never incline their interest to adopt modern procedures for crop farming and to improve

production (Arun Makal, Abhradip Banerjee, Avik Roy, 2017).

Farmers’ in large number often live in villages, yet they lack adequate idea and training

to use modern farming protocols and techniques. Even sometimes farmers are not aware of the

correct information of the modernize methods of soil preparation, use of different high yield

seeds (Arun Makal, 2017). Agriculture development requires farmers to be well-educated who

can understand the complexity and modern techniques because the low educational level and

lack of effective communication resulted poorly in any agriculture development (Banerjee, 2017)

and consequently these factors decline agricultural development success globally.

Technology is affecting farmers’ legacy of cultivation. It has been analyzed by different

researches that farmers’ intention, their level of education, management of modern techniques

and the physical conditions, all of these factors are affecting farmers to adopt the technology

(Abdullah and Samah, 2013). In Asian countries, agriculture is considered the topmost important

sector in flouring the economy, and technology is opening doors for further development in the

agriculture sector (Abdullah and Samah, 2013). The West farmers are trying to use all the

modern methods to develop their agriculture (Arun Makal, Abhradip Banerjee, Avik Roy, 2017).

Although in incorporating modern farming methods, they face several complications and

problems. Even though on the one hand, these rural farmers have no understanding of modern

agricultural production methods and farming techniques, on the other, they don't really have

much capital to obtain modern farming inputs (Arun Makal, Abhradip Banerjee, Avik Roy,

2017). In order to address these issues, most West farmers use their customary or local

knowledge in conjunction with modern equipment to carry out their agricultural operations and
the problem not only lies within the West but a similar situation can be found throughout the

world (Arun Makal et al., 2017).

There are numerous factors that lead towards low technology adoption that includes low

farmer education (stated in detail), thinking of negative consequences and negative perception,

inadequate capital, physical conditions, limited skilled and efficient labor, etc (Abdullah and

Samah, 2013). The main causes why technology is not adopted are poor expectations of farmers '

technology and low income, low speaking skills, poor understanding among development staff,

incompetence, physical factors, and insufficient infrastructure and resources (Abdullah and

Samah, 2013). In addition, to be able to learn about new technologies, agriculturalists should

have definite training or friendly to the activity of growing rice (Truong, 2008). On the contrary,

Truong a well-known researcher indicates several equipments are just excessively large, causing

problems and issues with movement and mobility that make it hard for the agriculturalists to

move machines (Truong, 2008). Although conventional farmer expects low costs in carrying out

their agricultural practices but the adopters of new technology have founded a much better way

of cultivation (Truong, 2008).

While we have discussed in detail how modern technologies and techniques has disturbed

farmers life and farming, we would also discuss the other side of the coin as well. When we pray

for the rain we should also prepare ourself to face the mud that rain will cause. This phrase

reflects that technology also has two faces, one that is disturbing the farming of our poor farmers

with complex process and techniques, on the other hand, it also provide ease of doing farming,

cultivation, reforestation and provide better ways and ideas that will not only increase the

farmers productivity but also help in decreasing the poverty as stated by (Abdullah and Samah,

2013), where Malaysia has declared agriculture as their third largest income generator and assist
in reducing the scarcity. Other issues pertaining to technology as the most important factor is the

aging of farmers. The normal stage of the agriculturalist is just below 50 years and it would

become very stressful for the farmers to work as conventional farming from field to field

(Abdullah and Samah, 2013). Technology in farming can help farmers to reduce their stress and

engage in a more productive cultivation. Farming also needs more young people to join the farm

with proper knowledge of farming and people who are able to exceed the modern methods and

procedures because many employers hire foreign farmers to come and harvest and that will be of

no benefit or productive if the farmers still follow the conventional methods and procedures

(Abdullah and Samah, 2013).

The mastering of ICT skills and knowledge helps in developing the agriculture sector

is one of the best ways (Abdullah and Samah, 2013). Among many of the hard work to grow the

agriculture division, numerous efforts have been prepared to motivate the acceptance of

technology between agriculturalists (Abdullah and Samah, 2013). The Agro-based databases are

quite useful; for instance, the Ministry of Farming and Agro-based Business's website delivers a

great deal of evidence that the farming community needs for their assistance (Abdullah and

Samah, 2013). Apart from the ICT technology, the business of agriculture initiated a role that

entirely supports agriculture growth and agro-based industry. The policy recognizes nationally

put up to minimize and reduce labor dependency, mainly foreign labor who are brought to

compensate the aged farmers, encourages the sector to approve capital management, modern

techniques and automation in the technologies (Abdullah and Samah, 2013). We conclude this

part by taking account technology importance in the agriculture sector and how it transforms not

only the economic condition but also farmers' ease of doing farming and increase productivity.

Other technological factors that help farmers in doing their farming with ease are information
technology, that helps farmers to communicate other farmers who are by far sitting at the other

side of the world, also integrate all the production data, provide necessary techniques to

overcome losses and damages that lead to increase the profitability of the farmers (Schiefer,

2003).

We would conclude this argument by stating that technology comes with benefits and

issues at the same time, it is up to the people how they facing the technology. We are living in a

world where the arrival of technologies are beyond the needs of the customers, at the time

customer comprehended the previous technology, a new technology enters the market. As an

adopter, we are slow, and as a technological perspective, the advancement of technology is at a

rapid pace. In this essay, we have discussed technology adoption in the agriculture industry by

farmers; is it a blessing or a curse? We found that technology can be a blessing and a curse as

well, depending upon the user's intention. The agricultural sector has become so critical and a

foundation for the economic growth and development of any nation. The modern world is

expected to use engineering such as the development of agriculture, fully designed equipment,

the use of RFID, information technology and consequent innovations that are still to be explored

are also in consideration. In the agriculture sector, one cannot forget farmers. Farmers are the

backbone of any industry based on agriculture, and without efficient and effective farmers,

sectors can be developed. The modernization of farming has effected and created issues for the

farmers in their farming and increase issues and problems in reforestation, cultivation, plantation

that are amongst the major discussed issues and problems as a considerable part of our economic

development and is still engaging the agriculture sector. On the other hand, Agricultural

technology can help farmers reduce stress and participate in more efficient farming. Farming also

requires more young people to join the farm with appropriate farming knowledge and people
who can go beyond modern techniques and procedures because so many companies hire foreign

farmers to come and harvest, and this will not be profitable or successful if the farmers continue

to follow traditional methods and procedures.