ABSTRACT Agro-forestry has continued to receive increasing attention from researchers and policy makers especially in coffee farming systems but there is lack of sufficient evidence on its role in productivity and profitability of coffee farming in Kenya. There is also lack of empirical evidence on whether factors that influence adoption of shade technology have the same effect on productivity and profitability of coffee. The general objective of the study was to examine the adoption of agro...
ABSTRACT Tobacco has been the most important traditional cash crop in Urambo district since. But 1960s, the production of tobacco in the district has been declining due to world market price. Due to this price decline, farmers have now shifted to paprika production. The economic benefit of tobacco vis a vis paprika production in Urambo district has not yet been exploited. This study describes and analyses two crop production systems namely tobacco and paprika growers. Specifically, the objec...
ABSTRACT Despite potential contribution livestock marketing has in Tanzania to national economy, quality beef marketing has received less priority in national investments, research and export development. This study attempts to bridge the gap by assessing beef marketing efficiency focusing on Dar es Salaam and Arusha. The general objective of the study was to evaluate the relative efficiency of existing beef marketing system and explore potential market opportunities for quality beef in Tanz...
ABSTRACT This study identifies the perceptions and adoption decisions of Enhanced Freshness Formulation (EFF) technologies among potentially banana growers in Morogoro, Tanzania. The study establishes whether men and women are likely to have equal preferences in adoption of new technologies and explores whether women who are able and those who are unable to adopt technologies face similar adoption challenges. The present study revealed that, potential adopters of EFF technologies seem to att...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Smallholder dairy farmers produce about 70% of cow milk in Tanzania. As the dairy industry grows, it is increasingly becoming important to focus on milk quality and safety in order to produce and retain the existing markets. This study was conducted in order to assess the milk quality and safety in smallholder dairy farming systems in Mbeya rural and Mbozi districts. A cross sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire, observation as well as collection of...
ABSTRACT The phenomenon of increasing rice importation defying several policy interventions has been of great concern in Nigeria. This rising importation is however driven by increasing demand, shortage in domestic supply and consumers’ preference for imported rice. Yet, comprehensive national studies on determinants of demand, supply response and preference switch for rice are scarce. Thus, the determinants of demand, supply response and preference switch for rice were investigated. Seco...
ABSTRACT The study was conducted in Dodoma Rural and Kongwa districts both from Dodoma region in 2007 and the number of respondents was 160. This study aimed at examining the impact of micro finance institutions on poverty reduction among smallholder farmers. The paper focused on SACCOS’ beneficiaries to know whether the credit provided have helped them to move out of poverty and the extent to which that has been done. This is because many have hailed microfinance as an effective means of ...
ABSTRACT Although Agricultural Marketing Co-operative Societies (AMCOS) play a major role in coffee marketing, not all members seem to use them effectively since some of them are using private traders as their coffee marketing channel. The question now is what influences their choices on which channel to use on coffee marketing. The main objective of this study was to analyze co-operative members’ decisions on coffee marketing channels and factors influencing their choices in Rombo distric...
ABSTRACT This study assessed the effects of rural-urban linkages on markets access in Kibaigwa Emerging Urban Centre (EUC), in Kongwa District. Specifically, the study aimed at characterizing the agricultural markets; examining factors affecting market accessibility to smallholder farmers; determining the contribution of rural-urban linkages on expansion of markets, market networks, and access to market and livelihood strategies in Kongwa District. A total of 202 respondents were randomly se...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to examine determinants of adaptive capacity to climate change among men, women and other vulnerable groups of smallholder farmers in Meatu and Iramba districts, Tanzania. Purposively the study intended to analyze community perception to climate change; analyze adaptation practices developed and used by farmers for livelihood; examine elements of adaptive capacity including institutions and knowledge; and determine factors responsible for adaptive capacity. ...
ABSTRACT The study to compare performance of private and cooperative institutional arrangements of irrigation schemes was conducted in Mbarali District. Two irrigation schemes; Igomero cooperative institution scheme and Mbarali Estate private institution scheme were compared. The study was directed by a hypothesis that there is no difference in performance of irrigation schemes under each institutional arrangement. Both primary and secondary data were collected and then analysed using regre...
ABSTRACT The study intended to assess sorghum production responses through multiple uses promotion strategies. The inspiration of this study was inadequately information on how much sorghum can be put into multiple uses thus can be used as a pull factor in increasing smallholder’s production. Specific objectives were (i) examine multiple uses of sorghum in each district, (ii) determine the influence of sorghum multiple uses on sorghum production and (iii) predict future production of sorgh...
Abstract The study was conducted in nine Local Government Areas selected from Enugu State. Six five micro Credit Groups from each Area were randomly selected. This gave a total of forty-five (45) micro-credit groups. This was done using multi-stage sampling techniques. Sources of data were primary and secondary. Structured questioners were used to interview respondents to generate primary data while secondary data were sourced from relevant publications. Descriptive statistics and Ordinary L...
ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to analyse the cost efficiency of sunflower processing firms in Dodoma Region. The specific objectives were to: (i) analyse the level of cost efficiency, and (ii) determine the factors affecting the cost efficiency in small scale sunflower processors. Simple random sampling was employed to select 70 sunflower processors from Kongwa and Dodoma urban districts in Dodoma Region who were then interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis tech...
ABSTRACT The study assessed the performance of sesame marketing system and the qualitative and quantitative impact of social capital. For primary data, the sampling procedure involved a systematic random selection of 120 sesame farmers, 40 wholesalers, and 60 retailers of the produce after determining the sampling frame. The farmers were proportionately drawn from the main and minor producing areas. Similarly, the wholesalers and retailers were proportionately selected from 13 rural and urba...