ABSTRACT The study analyzed small-scale cassava-based farmers’ demand and utilization for microfinance banks credit in Imo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: examine the socio-economic characteristics of small-scale cassava-based farmers; determine the amount of credit demanded and obtained by small-scale cassava-based farmers; estimate the factors influencing the amount of credit demanded by small-scale cassava-based farmers; estimate the determinants on the amount of credit...
ABSTRACT Microbial diversity and function in agro-ecosystems is influenced by various aspects linked to soil and agronomic practices for example, tillage, irrigation, crop rotation and application of organic and inorganic inputs. Farming systems practices may affect the dynamic interactions existing between soil, plant and microorganisms in different agricultural biomes. Due to limitations associated with conventional microbial cultivation strategies, only a fractional number of cultivable sp...
Abstract Microbial diversity and function in agro-ecosystems is influenced by various aspects linked to soil and agronomic practices for example, tillage, irrigation, crop rotation and application of organic and inorganic inputs. Farming systems practices may affect the dynamic interactions existing between soil, plant and microorganisms in different agricultural biomes. Due to limitations associated with conventional microbial cultivation strategies, only a fractional number of cultivable s...
ABSTRACT This study aimed at analyzing the contribution of sunflower production to the livelihood of farmers and development of small scale industries. The study collected information from 101 sample size. The methods used to collect data were Interview, Questionnaires, Participatory Observation, Focus Group Discussion and Institutional Capacity Assessment (ICA). The findings revealed that Production trend of sunflower for the past five years in 2007-20011 has a tendency of falling and rising...
ABSTRACT Empirical studies across many developing countries document that improving crop farming is the main pathway out of poverty .It’s for this reason that the main Objectives of the study was to find out the contribution of crop farming on economic welfare and other objectives were to identify major factors that affect crop farming and to establish the relationship between crop farming and economic welfare. This study considered crop farming as the independent variable and economic welf...
ABSTRACT This paper presents a review on the literature of tobacco farming on the observed research on the impact of tobacco farming on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers as well its impact on poverty alleviation. In this study I drew on the existing academic structure on tobacco farming in Zimbabwe. An examination of the factors that led farmers in partaking tobacco farming was carried out on 86smallholder farmers. The case was in Centenary District. This study was therefore initiated wi...
ABSTRACT The rise of contract farming and vertically integrated firms of production and marketing is undoubtly one of the most important changes in Tanzania economy. The study examined new role of contract farming (CF) in Tanzania towards designing partnership model in the light of transformation and industrialization of agriculture. The specific objectives were (i) To describe contractual arrangement found in the study area (ii) To examine the role of contractual arrangement in reducing tra...
Abstract: Despite their important ecological roles for soil health and soil fertility, free-living nematodes (FLN) have received relatively limited research attention. The present study evaluated the community structure and diversity of FLN in a field setting. The experiments were conducted in on-farm and on-station field plots sown to maize (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) under four cropping practices. These farming systems included organic (compost and biopesticide use), conventi...
ABSTRACT The present study was carried out in 2014 in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, in order to classify Chagga agroforestry home gardens and establish their relative contributions to food, income and wood energy to the local communities. The study methodology included random selection of four divisions, one ward from each division, one village from each ward and 30 households per village forming a total sample of 120 households. A social survey was subsequently carried out using q...
ABSTRACT Traditional farming embraces the use of local tools like hoes, jembes, sticks and indigenous farming technology for a wide range of farm operations from land preparation to planting, harvesting, storage and selling the surplus harvests while the impacts of traditional farming include soil degradation, soil erosion and others. This study was therefore to assess the degree of traditional farming and its impacts on soil degradation in Kasemeni division in Kwale County, Kenya. The study ...
ABSTRACT Agriculture contributes the highest in the country’s economy. Despite agriculture being taught in secondary schools, many secondary school graduates seem not to participate in farming activities in Nyandarua West Sub-County. Although it is not clear whether farmers who have studied agriculture in secondary school are making use of the knowledge gained and whether they find it helpful in their careers, there has never been any comprehensive study to investigate the relationship betw...
ABSTRACT This study analyses the performance of small-scale-tobacco producers under contract farming system and farmer characteristics that influences tobacco production in Songea district. The Specific objectives were: (i) To examine the cost and return of tobacco small-scale farmers under contract farming scheme in the study area; (ii) To assess the influence of contract farming characteristics on tobacco production; (iii) To examine the resource use efficiency in contract farming; (iv) T...
ABSTRACT This study examined youth participation and productivity in cocoa farming in the Western North Cocoa Region of Ghana using primary data from 958 respondents through the field assistance of Solidaridad West Africa. Systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to sample 588 youth (35years) from Sefwi Bekwai, Boako, Akontombra, Bodi and Asempaneye. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution in the roles played by the youth in cocoa farming in the study are...
ABSTRACT This study examined youth participation and productivity in cocoa farming in the Western North Cocoa Region of Ghana using primary data from 958 respondents through the field assistance of Solidaridad West Africa. Systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to sample 588 youth (35years) from Sefwi Bekwai, Boako, Akontombra, Bodi and Asempaneye. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution in the roles played by the youth in cocoa farming in the study area...
ABSTRACT Banana farming is a practice carried out in many countries in the world for commercial and subsistence purpose. India is the world largest producer of banana and Uganda the second. However, Uganda is the leading producer of banana in Africa. On the other hand, Kenya is one of the countries practicing banana farming with several regions in the country growing the crop for subsistence and local markets. Meru County, specifically Imenti South sub-County, has embraced this activity ...