Abstract: Homegarden is a land use system involving deliberate management of multipurpose trees and shrubs in intimate association with annual and perennial agricultural crops and invariably livestock within the compounds of individual houses. The high diversity of species in HG has wide socioeconomic and agro-ecological roles. Recently, there has been a decline in yields and income earnings from homegardens. These declines required a strategic plan that will enhance the balancing of the pro...
Abstract: Markets are important for economic growth and sustainable development of a given country. However, in the absence of well-functioning markets, agricultural production can experience several drawbacks. With the main objective of examining vegetables marketing system in Kombolcha district of eastern Hararghe zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia, primary data from 123 randomly selected vegetable farmers and time series data from CSA were used. Descriptive statistics and econometric models we...
Abstract: The objectives of the study were to analyze the level of technical efficiency and to identify the determinants of technical inefficiency of maize production in South Achefer District of Amhara National Regional State. The study was conducted based on cross-sectional data obtained from a random sample of 155 maize producer households in the District. Parametric approach of stochastic frontier using Cobb-Douglas production function in single stage estimation. Data were collected from...
Abstract: Potato is the most important root crop in Jeldu district, which is used for home consumption and market. However, lower production and productivity, and lower rate of adoption of improved potato varieties were the major problems constraining the potential benefit that can be obtained from the sector in the study area. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to identify factors that affect adoption and intensity of adoption of improved potato varieties in Jeldu district. The study...
Abstract: This study considers a business scenario involving three participants. The first participant, in this case the farmer sells the cattle to the second participant, in this case the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) which, in turn sells the processed beef to the European Union (EU). The BMC offers a price, S1(t), to the farmer for the cattle. The EU offers a price, S2(t), to the BMC. To estimate the parameters spot prices of beef-cattle from the BMC and the EU markets for years 1992 to 2...
Abstract: The need to diversify the economy so as to ensure sustainable economic growth has been of great concern. Accelerating productivity in agriculture is seen as one of the alternatives to support the diversification initiatives by the government and drive growth in Botswana. This study discusses the factors contributing to increased long term agricultural productivity and hence its subsequent impact on growth in the short. The study employs the vector error correction model and annual ...
Abstract: Demonstrating how agricultural research contributes to development outcomes is difficult but necessary given competing demands for scarce resources. This article summarises an adaptation of the “theory of change” approach and lessons derived from its application to improve the design and implementation of an agricultural research for development programme for greater impact. It was applied to Maziwa Zaidi, a programme that tested integrated interventions to catalyse the transfo...
Abstract: We estimate the impacts of a bundle of integrated pest management (IPM) practices on mango yield, mango net income, insecticide use, human health and the environment, using recent household survey data of mango growers in Kenya. We employ a multinomial endogenous switching treatment regression model with an ordered probit selection rule to establish counterfactual outcomes. Our results indicate that IPM-adopting farmers have higher mango yields and mango net income, and also use lo...
Abstract: Cultivation of drought-tolerant (DT) maize seed reduces drought risk in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from eastern Uganda reveal gender gaps in awareness and adoption of DT maize. Among surveyed male household heads, 67.6 percent had awareness of DT maize varieties and 29.2 percent grew them. Corresponding figures for female household heads were 43.3 percent (awareness) and 5.3 percent (adoption) and those for wives in spousal couple households were 51.0 percent and 11.1 percent. Propen...
Abstract: We estimate the impacts of a bundle of integrated pest management (IPM) practices on mango yield, mango net income, insecticide use, human health and the environment, using recent household survey data of mango growers in Kenya. We employ a multinomial endogenous switching treatment regression model with an ordered probit selection rule to establish counterfactual outcomes. Our results indicate that IPM-adopting farmers have higher mango yields and mango net income,and also use low...
Abstract: Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith), an economically important pest native to tropical and subtropical America has recently invaded Africa, causing substantial damage to maize and other crops. We evaluated functionality of a companion cropping system, ‘climate-adapted push-pull’, developed for control of cereal stemborers in drier agro-ecologies, as an added tool for the management of fall armyworm. The technology comprises intercropping maize with drought-tolerant...
Abstract: This paper documents a positive relationship between maize productivity in western Kenya and women’s empowerment in agriculture, measured using indicators derived from the abbreviated version of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Applying a cross-sectional instrumental-variable regression method to a data set of 707 maize farm households from western Kenya, we find that women’s empowerment in agriculture significantly increases maize productivity. Although all indi...
Abstract: While it is often recognised that agricultural technology adoption decisions areintertwined and best characterised by multivariate models, typical approaches toexamining adoption and impacts of agricultural technology have focused on singletechnology adoption choice and ignored interdependence among technologies. Weexamine farm- and market-level impacts of multiple technology adoption choicesusing comprehensive household survey data collected in 2010/11 and 2012/13 inEthiopia. Econ...
Abstract: This study was carried out to assess individuals’ willingness to pay (WTP) for UZIMAX, a novel plant-based biopesticide developed for malaria vector control. The biopesticide is estimated to kill up to 100% of Anopheles larvae within 48 h of application and poses no risks to human health and the environment. However, scaling-up of its adoption requires clear evidence of its acceptance by individuals in malaria-prone areas. We conducted Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) revealed prefe...
Abstract: Using new survey data from rural Kenya, this paper assesses the moderating effect of women’s empowerment on the relationship between agricultural technology adoption and women’s dietary diversity. We use a multiple treatment endogenous switching regression framework to control for potential endogeneity of women’s empowerment and technology adoption. We find that women’s empowerment has a positive and significant effect on the women’s dietary diversity score regardless of ...