ABSTRACT Sesame is among one of important economic crop for smallholder farmers and other actors involved in value chain. However, smallholder farmers have not fully benefited due to fragmented market and unimproved production. This study was conducted to assess the profitability of sesame actors along the value chain in Masasi District. The specific objectives were to identify the structure and functioning of the value chain; to determine the gross margin received by different actors along S...
As we know, nowadays issues in the agriculture field are a major concern. According to the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, 5,579 Indian farmers died by suicide in 2020. There are many conflicting reasons for farmer suicides which are mentioned by Activists and scholars but high debt burdens, crop failure, mental health, and personal issues have been some of the most common causes amongst them. So, what is the solution that would work in farm...
ABSTRACT The study sought to explore the role of block farming in attracting and retaining the youth in farming. The study was conducted in the Techiman Municipal Area and it examined the motivations and participation of farmers, the inputs accessed and profitability of block farming. One hundred and ten (110) farmers in block farming participated in the study. It emerged that income rather than employment is the most important motivation for participation in the programme. All 110 farmers we...
Farmers in the central highlands of Kenya do face problems of low crop yields due to soil fertility decline. This is as a result of continuous cropping, nutrient losses through crop harvests, soil erosion and leaching coupled with inability to replenish the soil through use of external inputs. The situation is aggravated by poor adoption, among farmers, of improved soil fertility management options. This study investigated feasibility of using integrated soil fertility replenishment technol...
ABSTRACT Soybean has the potential of contributing significantly to Kenya’s national objective of enhancing food security. The demand of soybean has increased from roughly 150,000MT in 2008 to 220,000MT in 2011, while supply is roughly between 50,000MT to 120,000MT. Many efforts have been put in place by the government to increase on the production and productivity of soybean. However, soybean farmers are faced with the difficulty in accessing the market, while on the other hand traders are...
ABSTRACT There are lots of constraints facing dry season vegetable production in Nigeria which can be corrected using the group-based extension services platform. Previous studies have focused on individual extension approaches that can only attend to one farmer at a time, thus limiting information dissemination. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of Farmers-Field School (FFS) and Demonstration Extension Methods (DEM) on knowledge and production of vegetables among dry season fa...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Bovine mastitis remains to be the most important disease facing smallholder dairy industry in Zanzibar. Direct and indirect cost incurred during the control of clinical cases of mastitis together with prolonged subclinical mastitis reduces quantity and quality of milk produced, and hence, decrease smallholder dairy farmers’ income. This study was conducted to assess the characteristics and farm management practices of smallholder dairy cattle farming system and their rela...
ABSTRACT Groundnut has been identified as the most important leguminous crop in Ghana both in terms of volume of production and export. Its production has faced numerous challenges over the past decades in Ghana as the productivity of groundnut continues to decline despite the abundant resources that support its growth. The question is, what then is responsible for the declining productivity levels of groundnut in Ghana? The study sought to estimate the productivity levels and technical eff...
ABSTRACT Groundnut has been identified as the most important leguminous crop in Ghana both in terms of volume of production and export. Its production has faced numerous challenges over the past decades in Ghana as the productivity of groundnut continues to decline despite the abundant resources that support its growth. The question is, what then is responsible for the declining productivity levels of groundnut in Ghana? The study sought to estimate the productivity levels and technical ef...
ABSTRACT Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge unique to a given culture or society. It is the basis of decision making in agriculture, healthcare, food preservation and natural resource management. This study was set to establish the existence of Indigenous knowledge in the community of Chwele and Mukuyuni wards of Bungoma Central Sub-County, Bungoma County and its role in seasonal climate forecast. The general objective of this study was to examine the role of indigenous knowledge in ...
Despite the fact that Kenya is a regional innovation hub with the increasing digitalization of the various sectors within the economy, the adoption of technology within the agriculture sector has not been at par with the rest of the economy. This study sought to examine the determinants of the adoption of digital technologies within the agriculture sector. The study sought to establish the effect of resource capability, managerial capability, extension services, and socioeconomic factors...
ABSTRACT The limitations of conventional technology development gave birth to Farming Systems Research perspective which look at farming practices from a holistic view. This however has innate flaws in its implementation. Recent emphasis therefore is strengthening the need to appreciate a hitherto neglected indigenous knowledge systems. This indigenous knowledge for instance, has been influencing the indigenous practices associated with small-scale plantain production. Before now Plantain has...
ABSTRACT Smallholder farmers in Ghana are confronted with the problem of low crop yields as a result of their lack of access to agricultural productive resources. Smallholder farmers within the Dangme East and Dangme West districts are no exception. The objective of this study was to examine the socio-economic and institutional factors that influence smallholder farmers‘ access to productive resources. Data was collected from 150 respondents who were selected from the Dangme East and Dangm...
ABSTRACT Limited access to accurate and timely information by farming communities is perceived as a major drawback in the development of agriculture in Kenya. Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MoALF) has promoted the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve farmers‟ access to information and rapidly transform the delivery of agricultural extension services to them. The initiatives promoted include; mobile telephony, web b...
Abstract: Poultry and fish are important sub-sectors in Kenya providing rural farmer households with income and contributing to their food and nutritional security. Although ownership of these enterprises is not gender specific women are the ones involved in taking care of them. The study utilized cross-section data from a sample of 386 poultry farmers and 278 fish farmers randomly selected from three counties which are Nakuru, Kisii and Kirinyaga Counties. The feed demand for both poultry a...