Contract farming (CF) is emerging as a critical intervention to improve the livelihoods of Ghanaian small-scale soybean farmers. Farmers can achieve this if they become more efficient. Government and non-governmental organizations, including the Savanna Farmers Marketing Company (SFMC), the Northern Development Authority (NDA), and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), have begun contracting farmers to cultivate soybeans in Ghana's northern region. Farmers are provided with inputs s...
A producer and a buyer enter into a two-party contract when they practice contract farming. A buyer commits to purchasing output from a producer at a predetermined price, quality and timing (Bellemare & Bloem, 2018). In many nations around the globe, contract farming is used to link smallholders’ farmers to profitable markets for higher incomes and better living conditions (Barrett et al., 2012). Early in the nineteenth century, the North American agricultural sector saw the introduction of...
The use of radio programmes in agricultural extension became the best strategy employed to improve access to livestock farming information. This research work was to unveil and demonstrate the level of contributions of the Koob-Ne-Guliuk Radio Programme as an effective tool in enhancing technology adoption in livestock farming and to unearth the factors that affect livestock farmers' access to and adoption of agricultural information in the Bawku West District. The study used a mixed research...
Abstract: In 2010, the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) was initiated by the Government of Kenya with the aim of encouraging aquaculture in Kenya. Kitui Central Sub- County benefited with 200 fish ponds under ESP. However, their status is not known in terms of production, challenges and the contribution of fish farming to household wellbeing. To address this, a sample of sixty (60) fish farmers were used from the targeted 200 fish farmers who benefited from the Government’s support. The pri...
Abstract: The need to enhance food production and the efforts by stakeholders to introduce newfarming innovations in addition to enhancement of agricultural extension servicesin farming areas of Kenya is largely under reported. This study was undertaken at YattaDivision of Kitui County to assess new maize farming technologies, diffusion andadoption by farmers in Yatta Division. Specific objectives were to identify maize farmingtechnologies that exist in Yatta, to identify factors determining...
Abstract: Land degradation is a global, ongoing and relentless problem diminishing the functions and services provided by land resources. The problem is most serious in tropical regions, high in population density and mainly dependent on subsistence agriculture. Ethiopia can be viewed as a vivid example of countries in these regions most affected by land degradation. Although its extent varies, the problem is widespread in all regions of the country. The highlands, originally endowed with ab...
Abstract: Agricultural practices of smallholders with low external and internal inputs fluxes cause the risk of depleting soil nutrient stocks, seriously threatening future agricultural production potentials in Ethiopia. To curb soil fertility depletion in these areas, it needs quantification of fluxes that are responsible for nutrient import into and export out of the farming system. The objective of this study was to quantify nutrient fluxes, pools and NPK balances at farm and field scales...
Abstract: This PhD dissertation is based on three studies. The first was a survey work aiming to describe and compare the current pig production practices in and around Bishoftu and Holeta towns, central Ethiopia. A total of 20 and 23 pig farms from Bishoftu and Holeta towns respectively were visited. The second study was aimed at establishing the effects of inclusion of sun dried bovine rumen content (SDRC) as ingredients in diets of pigs during post weaning growth phase for 90 days. A tota...
Abstract: Recently, due attention was given to whether contract farming brings a holistic impact on the livelihood of smallholder farmers or not. Hence, the objectives of this study were to identify the determinants of dairy contract farming, its enforcement, and impact on milk production efficiency and annual income using data collected from 424 (192 participants and 232 non-participants) randomly selected milk-producing farmers from three districts of the North Shewa zone of Oromia Regiona...
Abstract: Contract farming has become a main pillar of the strategy to promote agricultural development in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aims at analyzing perceived risks, determinants of contract enforcement mechanisms and impacts of vegetables contract farming on production efficiency and income, using data collected from 423 smallholder vegetable producing households from four districts of East Shewa zone, central rift valley of Ethiopia. The study combines both quantitative and qualitative...
Abstract: The study assesses the risk behavior, perceived vulnerability and adaptation behavior of farm households and the determinants using an integrative insight of the social-ecological system model and semi-quantitative research methodology. Besides, RSSH theory, integrative vulnerability analysis theory, and SMMA were applied to explain the farm households’ risk behavior, perceived vulnerability and adaptation behavior respectively. Survey data collected from the randomly selected 39...
Abstract: Agriculture is the main focus of Ethiopia's economic development. Wheat is one of the major cereal crops produced by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Wheat demand is rising quickly in Ethiopia despite efforts to improve wheat production. Recently, to curb this problem, the government of Ethiopia has implemented a cluster farming system for high-potential agricultural commodities like wheat as a means of poverty reduction and smallholders’ income maximization. In light of the prob...
Abstract: Barley, including food and malt barley, is one of the major cereals produced by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Though malt barley is the fastest-growing industry, its domestic supply currently lags far behind the demand. As a result, Ethiopia is a net importer of malt barley. Recently, contract farming was implemented to address this issue in malt barley-potential areas. It has been one of the strategies utilized to enhance the productivity and production of malt barley and repla...
Abstract: Despite, increasing the agricultural sector's productivity is seen as the main path out of poverty in the country; Ethiopia has not yet realized its full agricultural potential as farming practices are still subsistence-oriented. In this regard, Cluster Farming (CF) is practiced more recently as an effort to transform subsistence farming. However, little is known about CF in the study areas. To this end, this study aimed at identifying the determinants of cluster farming participat...
Abstract: Barley, including food and malt barley, is one of the major cereals produced by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Though malt barley is the fastest-growing industry, its domestic supply currently lags far behind the demand. As a result, Ethiopia is a net importer of malt barley. Recently, contract farming was implemented to address this issue in malt barley-potential areas. It has been one of the strategies utilized to enhance the productivity and production of malt barley and repla...