Regardless of the stage of mechanization, new power sources are always used first for power-intensive operations. Furthermore, it appears that the price of labor matters less for the mechanization of power-intensive operations than for control-intensive ones-that is, it often pays to move to a higher stage of mechanization in power-intensive operations, even at low wages, when mechanization of control-intensive operations is not profitable.
Milling, threshing, chopping, sugarcane crushing, pumping of water, and the like are extremely power-intensive but need little control. Moreover, both stationary and mobile sources of power can be used for them.
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