ABSTRACT The study analysed the marketing of dry season vegetables in South-East Nigeria. This study was carried out with five specific objectives. The specific objectives included (i) description of the channel, as well as the analysis of the structure and conduct of marketing of dry season vegetables in South-East Nigeria; Objective (ii) determined the marketing margins of dry season vegetables marketers; (iii) determined the effect of the constraints on the margins of dry season vegetable...
ABSTRACT Commercialization of agriculture provides farm households with a means to alleviate poverty and food insecurity in rural areas. This is due to the fact that commercialization increases farm household income and widens the ability to attain food diversity. In Rwanda, common bean is grown by a large proportion of the rural population for both domestic and market purposes. Based on the nutritional and agronomic attributes, there is rising national and regional demand for common bean. Si...
ABSTRACT This study was designed to determine the integration of rice markets in Enugu state. Factors considered include: socio-economic characteristics, existing market structure and channels, integration of rice markets, structural factors that affect the integration of rice markets and the problems affecting rice traders in the state. Forty wholesalers and forty retailers were selected for the study. Primary data and secondary data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics,...
ABSTRACT The World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control reiterates the global effort toward tobacco control. The treaty seeks to decrease both the supply and demand of tobacco related products by reducing their production and consumption through legislation. Kenya, a party to the treaty, has put legislation in place to the same effect. However, not enough evaluation has been done to explain whether the passage of this legislation has trickled down to the extent that cha...
ABSTRACT Liberalization of the Cotton market in Malawi permitted private sector participation in the market. As such it was expected that the liberalized market would afford both the sellers as well as the buyers of cotton a fair return on investment as compared to the days when the Government was controlling the cotton prices. A major consequence of the market liberalization policy was that a new market structure has emerged because of the entrance of individuals firms and corporate organiza...
ABSTRACT Despite the policy interest of the Ethiopian government to expand teff (Eragrostis tef), wheat and chickpea production for exports, domestic consumption and food and nutritional security for the rural poor the production system is not adequately market-oriented and productivity is at its lowest level. Besides, there is dearth of information on how limited resources in crops production are being used so as to optimize outputs in the country. Thus, this study was conducted to assess re...
ABSTRACT The Maasai of Narok and Kajiado counties have started embracing agro-pastoralism as a livelihood diversification strategy. Among the crop enterprises they have incorporated are African Indigenous Vegetables in abid to take advantage of their resilience to the changing environment. However, for African Indigenous Vegetables to be beneficial, it requires efficient marketing. A marketing analysis of African Indigenous Vegetables was conducted in Narok and Kajiado counties to determine t...
ABSTRACT Exports are a vital component of a nation’s balance of payments as they are source of foreign exchange and economic growth. Much of the economic growth in Zambia has been driven by copper exports, which have suffered from external shocks such as plummeting prices on the world market. It is against this background that the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has devised a number of measures to promote export diversification to non-traditional exports with a view to reducing h...
ABSTRACT The contribution of common bean to nutrition and income has not been fully felt by smallholder farmers in western Kenya due to low yields. Good quality seed, if used with complementary practices can increase bean productivity. This study was conducted in Bondo sub-County to determine the methods used by farmers in seed quality control; factors affecting the choice preferences for informal bean seed sources; the structure and contribution of social networks in seed quality control. Pr...
ABSTRACT Legumes are important food and cash crops in developing countries. In Tanzania, more than half the farmers grow several species of grain legumes which include common bean, groundnut, pigeon pea, cowpea, chickpea, peas and soybean. However, productivity of all grain legumes is still low and far below potential and this has impacted on profitability. The aim of this study was to contribute to common bean improved profitability facts for income and food security in Tanzania. The specifi...
ABSTRACT Tissue culture technology was developed, and disseminated to farmers with active participation of actors along the value chain. However, the potential benefits of the technology are yet to be achieved. This is attributed to diverse challenges that have not been addressed. This study was designed to contribute to this information gap. Primary farm household and trader data were collected through a survey carried out in 2012. Multistage sampling approach was used to select counties, su...
ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to analyze resource productivity in ornamental plants production within Jos metropolis of Nigeria. The study covered Jos North and Jos South local government areas. The specific objectives include: identifying the effect of socio-economic factors on resource productivity, determining costs and returns, and resource productivity in ornamental plants production. An extensive literature review was carried out to provide an indepth knowledge of the study. The c...
ABSTRACT Kenya like most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to depend largely on agriculture in the foreseeable future. Agricultural activities have however been shown to create problems such as soil erosion, soil nutrient depletion and fuel wood and timber shortages. These problems can be mitigated through planting of trees but this is hindered by lack of availability and accessibility of tree seedlings to farmers. To identify the sources of this marketing inefficiency, this stud...
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...