ABSTRACT The study estimated the efficiency of resource use among urban waterleaf farmers in Akwa Ibom State using a sample of 60 respondents that were randomly selected (20) from three urban centers in the state. Interview schedules and structured questionnaires were administered to elicit information from the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression and gross margin. The results showed that, most (85%) farmers were within the economically activ...
ABSTRACT Forest, which is a major source of resources in Nigeria, is currently facing accelerated degradation and depletion. The growing demand for ecosystem services from forests has led to over-exploitation of the resources, resulting in the extinction of some valuable species. This has continued to impact negatively on the capacity of the forests to mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity, safeguard wildlife, and protect land and watershed. Approaches to forest management in Nigeri...
Abstract The study was designed to analyze the marketing of banana and plantain in Enugu State. The specific objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of banana and plantain marketers; identify the marketing channels for the crops, examine the structure of the marketing system for both crops, estimate their marketing margins at both wholesale and retail levels, estimate the rate of price transmission and market integration among banana and plantain markets, and identify...
ABSTRACT The main objective of the study was to analyze the resources use in dairy production inKuku farms and specifically to determine the main factors affecting technical inefficiency, to assess the optimum feeding combination and to identify the socio-economic factors that affect the level of efficiency of Farmers. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study purposes. Primary data were collected from a survey conducted in 2016/2017, through a random sampling technique using a...
ABSTRACT In recent times, dairy farming has become a major economic activity for many smallholder farmers in Kiambu County. This has been encouraged by the rising demand for milk and dairy products by the growing population. Following this, there has been an increased demand for dairy cow feeds by the small-scale farmers and therefore the need to do this study. The general objective of the study was to contribute to improved livelihood by determining level of demand of dairy cows feed and pr...
ABSTRACT During the past two decades, agricultural scientists in Kenya in collaboration with International Potato Centre have released numerous new varieties, developed improved Irish potato management practices, and actively worked with government agencies, NGOs and farmer groups to ensure that these improved technologies are widely available to farmers. However data on national Irish potato production in Kenya fail to demonstrate that these efforts have had an impact on national mean yield...
ABSTRACT The African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (AILV) agricultural sub-sector in Kenya has in recent times gained considerable prominence and attention. A diverse number of studies have underpinned the role it can play in improving the economic standing of smallholders, while playing an imperative nutritional role in the diets of many consumers. Stemming from increased awareness on the rise of various lifestyle illnesses and crusaders championing for healthy eating habits, the demand of A...
ABSTRACT Food insecurity is still prevalent in many parts of the world. Despite several research attempts to alleviate food insecurity in Kenya, estimates indicate that approximately 50% of Kenyans are food insecure with 10% in constant need of food relief. One of the causes of food insecurity as it has been reported by other scholars is gender inequality. Women, especially in developing countries have been reported to significantly contribute to food production compared to men while in deci...
ABSTRACT Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the major vegetables grown in Kenya as a commercial crop. It is mainly grown in the open-field under both rain-fed and irrigation production systems. The crop has gained popularity as a cash crop due to declining land sizes as it can be grown on small-scale unlike traditional cash crops like coffee and tea. Since the crop is susceptible to diseases and weather conditions, the country does not have an all year round supply of the produce. Co...
ABSTRACT Kwale County has a vibrant agricultural land rental market due to its relative good climate and fertile soil. However, it is faced with several challenges including inefficiency use of resources such as land. There is evidence in Ethiopia and other parts of the world that participation in agricultural land rental markets can be a solution to solving food insecurity and land inequalities in Sub -Saharan Africa and the world at large. However, there are few studies which have been con...
ABSTRACT Horticultural sector is an important sector in production of food and generation of income. According to Kenya‘s vision 2030, crop cultivation is one of the main pillars of unlocking the potential of Kenya through increased productivity. The importance of snow peas is increasing greatly due to its high demand especially in Europe. In spite of the benefits associated with the production of snow peas, farmers in Nyandarua county have been withdrawing from its production probably due...
ABSTRACT Kenyan dairy sub-sector has been undergoing many changes since the collapse of Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) in 1992. There have been developments in establishment of milk cooling plants which are thought to reduce milk losses and benefit the smallholder dairy farmers besides bulking milk at one point for the processing firms. However, there is evidence of underutilization of the cooling plants and the reasons that inform farmers’ decision to use the cooling plants as milk ma...
ABSTRACT Smallholder farmers produce the bulk of total milk marketed in the country. Despite this, they face high transaction costs in marketing their milk. Theory and empirical evidence indicate that cooperatives can minimize transaction costs. This study assessed how effective cooperatives were in increasing smallholder dairy farmers’ incomes through the minimization of transaction costs. The objectives of this study were to determine socioeconomic factors influencing smallholder farmers...
ABSTRACT Dairy commercialization is constrained by several factors including lack of funds. Access to financial services such as credit and savings were identified as important instruments to curb these financial challenges. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) have been found to play a critical role amongst smallholder farmers in enhancing their access to finance. This study sought to investigate factors influencing credit access and the extent of credit access and how microfinance participatio...
ABSTRACT While number of studies focusing on the effect of technology adoption on alleviating rural poverty is increasing, much remains unclear about effects of shocks and Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices (SAIPs) on household vulnerability to poverty. Furthermore, most literature focuses on household food security without adequately capturing determinants of gender perceptions of food insecurity. Therefore, the study estimated the effects of shocks and SAIPs on household vu...