Comparative study on paddy harvesting technologies in Sylhet region

Mechanized paddy harvesting is currently limited in Bangladesh, but the pace of mechanization is increasing. Harvesting must be done on time to minimize losses and timely harvesting depends on the availability of harvesting machinery. The aim of this study was to find out the state of mechanized paddy harvesting technologies in Sylhet region over the last five years. The study was conducted in all upazilas under the Sylhet region to compare mechanized and manual paddy harvesting technologies. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The survey revealed the changes in mechanization status in 2022 compared to the previous four years. In the study area, the average paddy cultivable area was 0.91 million hectares. The pace of mechanized harvesting in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, and Moulvibazar district were 31.49%, 24.41%, 19.59%, and 15.95%, respectively. On the basis of the provided data, from 2018 to 2022 the number of harvesting machines increased from 547 to 1852. The manual method, combine harvester, and reaper were used to harvest 76.20%, 21.90%, and 1.90% of the total projected area respectively in 2021-2022. The study revealed that combine harvester covered around 87.47% area than reaper. In 2022, among the 40 upazilas, the most machines were found at Nabiganj upazila in Habiganj district =106, and the fewest machines were found at Barlekha upazila in Moulvibazar district =10. The trend of manual paddy harvesting has declined in Sylhet region due to the increase in the number of harvesting machines. So, harvesting machineries are needed in this region to update paddy harvesting mechanization status.