Economics of Using Agricultural Mechanization in Sesame Production in Egypt "Case Study in Gharbia Governorate"

The research aimed to study and analyze the efficiency of using agricultural mechanization in different production systems for sesame crop according to different traditional and modern production methods in Gharbia Governorate, by analyzing the productive and economic efficiency of the farms in the study sample in Gharbia Governorate, and The study was based on data from a stratified random sample of sesame farmers in Gharbia Governorate during the agricultural season 2023/2024. It also adopted two basic approaches: the non-parametric analysis approach using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, and the income and cost analysis approach for different production methods. The results of the research showed that:Increase in net yield per acre, yield per pound spent, product margin, and lower production cost per acre for the second production system compared to the first production system for the first and second holding categories, and increase in the economic efficiency of the third production system over the second production system in the third holding category.The average technical efficiency index increased according to the concept of variable capacity return compared to the technical efficiency index according to the concept of fixed capacity return in the farms of the first and second production systems in the first holding category, where its average 0.953, 0.960, respectively, while its average about 1, .0995 in the farms of the first and second production systems in the second holding category, and its average about 1, .0998 in the farms of the second and third production systems in the third holding category, respectively.The distributional efficiency of the resources used in the production of sesame crop in the first and second production systems in the first holding category according to the concept of variable return to capacity reached an average 0.923, 0.864 respectively, while it reached an average 0.831, 0.697 in the farms of the first and second production systems in the second holding category, and its average about 0.823, 0.786 in the farms of the second and third production systems in the third holding category respectively.The average economic efficiency of the farmers of the first and second production systems in the first holding category according to the concept of variable return on capacity was about 0.880 and 0.829 respectively, while it was about 0.831 and 0.694 for each of the farms of the first and second production systems in the second holding category and about 0.823 and 0.785 for each of the farms of the second and third production systems in the third holding category respectively.The study recommended using the optimal combinations of productive resources and appropriate mechanical and human labor for each farmer based on the acre holding, in order to achieve the optimal economic efficiency and the highest return for sesame farmers in Egypt.