Abstract
Food supply security in agricultural production is becoming an increasingly important issue for societies. In this context, developed and developing countries are creating stronger investment areas for machinery and equipment used in agricultural activities. Particularly in the last quarter of a century, the increase in the production of these tools, the reduction in their costs, and the provision of their affordability have enabled their acquisition by a greater number of people within the agricultural sector. Recent developments in technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, and unmanned vehicles have also found extensive application in the field of agricultural machinery. This entire mechanisation process is explained by agricultural mechanisation. The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of changes in agricultural mechanisation between 2005 and 2024, covering the last 20 years of data in Türkiye, on agricultural production and labour. To this end, data on agricultural mechanisation, tractors, combine harvesters, and other agricultural tools were converted into a mechanisation index using Principal Component Analysis and analysed using linear regression with agricultural production and labour force data. Agricultural production was analysed using statistics on cereals and other crop products, as well as fruit, beverage, and spice crop production. Labour force data registered under insurance types 4-A and 4-B were also analysed. The study found that agricultural mechanisation has a positive and very strong effect on the production quantities of cereals and other plant products, as well as fruits, beverages, and spice plants, which are indicators of agricultural production. It was determined that it has a very strong and negative effect on the labour force.
| Keywords: | Agricultural Mechanisation Agricultural Production Labour Force |