ABSTRACT This study aimed at investigating the impact of price and non-price factors on cashew and sesame acreage in Nachingwea and Mtwara rural Districts. Growth rates analyses were also conducted through linearlized exponential growth model to trace the trends for area, yield (productivity) and production of the two crops for the period 1995-2010. The general trend showed positive growth rates in area, yield and production, but with few exceptions. Meanwhile, the logarithmic functional for...
ABSTRACT The poultry sub-sector in Kenya accounts for about fifty five percent of the livestock sector and thirty percent of the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. However, gains from the Indigenous Chicken (IC) enterprises have been challenged by market inefficiencies characterised by high transaction costs and poor accessibility of market information. In response to this, the Kenyan government private sector partnership has in the recent times, been promoting the formation and developm...
ABSTRACT The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of certified organic production systems on the livelihood of smallholder producers in Kenya. The study followed explanatory research design using two purposively pro-poor chosen case studies (honey production in Mwingi district and vegetables production in Ngong district). Collection of primary data was through face-to-face interviews using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Collection of contextual data was through focu...
ABSTRACT Botswana’s agricultural backbone the beef subsector, is threatened by recurrent foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks. The current study was generally carried out to contribute towards better livelihoods of smallholder beef producers through enhanced resilience of their production systems to FMD in North East district, Botswana. Specifically, the study intended to; determine smallholder producers’ perceived risk factors of the 2011 FMD outbreak, determine economic losses, and fu...
ABSTRACT East Africa region has imbalances in the supply and demand of common bean. This can be offset by improving marketing infrastructure. The objectives of the study were to determine the characteristics of common bean traders, to determine the constraints to the observed trade in common bean varieties and finally to assess the extent to which markets have integrated in key selected markets. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 240 respondents (120 traders from th...
ABSTRACT Tobacco farming is well established as the traditional cash crop in Tabora region. However, in recent years, groundnut is one among the cash crops which have been introduced in the area as an alternative source of income for smallholder farmers. Using 2007/2008 cropping season survey and the data from 121 randomly selected smallholder farmers from three villages, this study provides a comparative economic analysis for tobacco and groundnut farming systems. The analysis of quantitati...
ABSTRACT With increasing population in the main consumption regions of Zambia, there is a persistent shortage in the supply of groundnuts especially in Lusaka and the Copperbelt regions. This is despite the major producing areas of Eastern and Northern regions having significant surpluses. This is a clear indication of market failure to stimulate groundnut production and distribution in addition to excessive price volatility, information asymmetry, and lack of organized and consistent markets...
ABSTRACT Vegetable production is of great importance in terms of nutrition improvement, income generation and food security. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISNG) action research project actively integrates vegetable farming and marketing practices in order to reduce the vulnerability of indigenous populations of Babati district located in the Manyara region of Tanzania. In Tanzania smallholder vegetable famers receive asymmetrical and incomplet...
ABSTRACT Commercialization has potential of enabling rural households to advance in vegetable production through better access to financial services, and enriched market coordination and participation. In recent years, there have been efforts to boost vegetable commercialization particularly among smallholder female farmers in Kilifi County. Since risk attitudes vary from male to female farmers, the differences in risks and risk perceptions of farmers may in part explain the unwillingness of ...
Abstract This research work was carried out to assess the effects of the Benue ADP’s cassava production technologies on the production and incomes of women farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to identify and describe the cassava production technologies available in the study area; to describe the socio-economic characteristics o f cassava women farmers in the study area and determine their effect correspondents productivity and incomes; to determine and compa...
ABSTRACT The study to assess the economics of the Warehouse Receipts System (WRS) for cashew nut marketing was conducted in the Mtwara region, in southern Tanzania. Three districts namely: Masasi, Newala, and Nanyumbu were randomly selected. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect primary data from 90 farmers, 30 primary cooperative societies, three bank institutions, six exporters, six processors, and three input suppliers. Secondary data were secured from CBT, TANECU, MAMCU, MDC,...
ABSTRACT This study assesses the contribution of Agricultural Marketing Co-operatives (AMCOS) in poverty reduction to cashew nut farmers. The study was conducted in the Mtwara region, in southern Tanzania. The two Divisions of Newala District namely Newala and Kitangari were purposefully selected followed by a random selection of seven wards. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect primary data from 200 farmers, and seven Agriculture Marketing Cooperative Societies. Secondary data ...
ABSTRACT Global economy, trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) has grown by approximately 20 times since 1980. Developing countries receive about a third of world FDI inflows. Tanzania has been receiving an average of US $ 489 million FDI inflows for the past 10 years. Sectoral distribution of Tanzanian FDI favors mining, trade and manufacturing sectors. However agriculture sector, which contributes about 26% of GDP in 2008 and employs 74% of the population, is among the sectors receivin...
ABSTRACT Farmer’ organisations are seen as key vehicles to achieve intensification and increased market orientation of the smallholder farm sector; however there are contradicting reports regarding the effectiveness of these farmer organisations to achieve these goals. In the study, the role of collective action on cocoa marketing among rural smallholder farmers in Kyela District was analyzed. Cross-sectional household data were used to analyze the effect of farmer group membership on inco...
ABSTRACT This study analyses the performance of small-scale-tobacco producers under contract farming system and farmer characteristics that influences tobacco production in Songea district. The Specific objectives were: (i) To examine the cost and return of tobacco small-scale farmers under contract farming scheme in the study area; (ii) To assess the influence of contract farming characteristics on tobacco production; (iii) To examine the resource use efficiency in contract farming; (iv) T...