There is an emerging farm power crisis in some regions. Consider the following:

• A 1994 study by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) found an increase in seasonal labor productivity to be a principal necessity to increase agricultural production in the humid and subhumid tropics of Africa.
• The FAO Panel of Experts on Agricultural Engineering in 1994 emphasized the need to improve labour productivity as an important strategy to increase food production and offset the impact of HIV/AIDS on agricultural labor and crop production.
• Another FAO study the following year confirmed that many African farming systems face power constraints that, in turn, constrain agricultural production.
• Recognizing the low power resources of the small farmer and the important role of timeliness in crop management for higher yields, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has identified a need for research in tillage, planting and weed control as well as post-harvest techniques.
• The FAO study World Agriculture: Towards 2010 estimated that the area not in use for crop production is 2.4 times greater than the area in use in 91 developing countries. Large increases in farm power inputs are required to bring a significant part of this unused potential into production.