Abstract
Status survey on short-term agricultural machinery rental business was conducted to provide basic data for effective and sustainable implementation of the rental system. Selected survey samples were 34 rental management institutions such as city and county level government offices and agricultural technology development centers, and Primary Agricultural Cooperatives. Survey was conducted through mailing of questionnaire papers and direct interviews with the officers in charge of the agricultural machinery short-term rental management. Number of agricultural machinery retained by the 34 management institutions for the machinery rental business was 3,699, and numbers of the machinery were 1630 for upland crops, 929 for rice, 542 for orchard farming, 274 for animal husbandry, and 324 for common use. Regarding size of warehouse for rental agricultural machinery, 50% of the institutes were less than 660 $m^2$, 26.5% were greater than 993 $m^2$, and 23.5% were between 663 and 990 $m^2$. Institutes maintaining machinery washing facilities were only 10 (29%) among the 34 rental management institutions. Agricultural machinery rental business was advertised to farmers by 91% of the institutes, and the methods were leaflet (35.2%), village broadcasting (26.5%), call-up education (23.6%), and TV and radio (14.7%). Major contents of the advertisement were rental procedure (52.9%), rental machinery (26.5%), and rental cost (20.6%).
