ABSTRACT Access to market plays a vital role in poverty alleviation among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural markets provide income generating opportunities for farmers in rural areas hence improving their livelihoods. Avocado fruit has a high demand in both local and export markets due to its nutritional value and industrial use. However, smallholder avocado farmers have not benefited from this increased demand. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of trans...
ABSTRACT Access to market plays a vital role in poverty alleviation among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural markets provide income generating opportunities for farmers in rural areas hence improving their livelihoods. Avocado fruit has a high demand in both local and export markets due to its nutritional value and industrial use. However, smallholder avocado farmers have not benefited from this increased demand. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of trans...
ABSTRACT To improve agricultural development and to empower farmers to make sound, practical decisions, access to reliable agricultural information and knowledge is required. Farmers who are unable to access agricultural information from formal sources frequently turn to information transmitted through their informal information networks. The study examined existing informal agricultural information networks by using network characteristics, i.e., Network density, Centralization Measures (Deg...
Abstract The present recession of the Lower River Benue has led to some adverse ecological changes and the decline of agricultural production in the face of rapid population growth in the area. The solution to the problem certainly requires a detailed agricultural land use analysis. The existing agricultural systems in the Lower River Benue Basin were identified and analyzed in order to determine their characteristics and spatial trends as a basis for conscious agricultural planning and inte...
ABSTRACT The study aimed at assessing the effects of Fadama II Development Project on Rural Communities in the three (3) agricultural zones of Imo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives include to: identify the socio-economic characteristics of the rural farmers that benefited from the Fadama II project across the three agricultural zones; determine the extent of farmers participation in planning, implementation and evaluation of Fadama II project across the three agricultural zones in the s...
ABSTRACT Despite concerted effort at improving the extension delivery in Ghana, the performance of the Front Line Staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Extension Services has been lower than expected. It is expected that among others, appropriate training will enhance their performance. However it is not clear what the nature and content of such training should be. The study therefore was to find out whether the content of training provided to the extension workers affected their ...
ABSTRACT Indiscriminate use of insecticides in controlling insect pests of agricultural crops has been implicated in the development of resistance in disease vectors such as the Anopheles gambiae s.l Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) populations that breed within farming areas. Since vector control strategies are insecticide based, it is important to study insecticide resistance in farming areas such as irrigation sites where vectors are breeding. The aim of the study was to investigate insecticide ...
Abstract In an effort to evaluate the nutritional value of cowpea - fortified maize-dough, and to assess the availability and utilization of cowpeas in the Ga - district, this study was carried out. The study was designed to ascertain the socioeconomic factors associated with cowpea production, consumption, Post-harvest handling and distribution, as well as the nutritional benefit and efficacy of using cowpea as a fortifying-agent in fermented maize dough, a popular base for both traditional ...
ABSTRACT This study examined the economic effects of crude oil exploitation on cassava production in Delta State. Specifically, the effect of crude oil exploitation on land productivity, farm income and cassava yield was explored. The costs and returns, and hence profitability of cassava production as influenced by oil pollution, the farming systems and socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers were critically examined. Copies of well structured questionnaires were used to collect pri...
Abstract This study assesses the sustainability of locally initiated community gardens as an adaptation strategy against climate change-induced food insecurity in Chikato ward 7 of Shurugwi district. Triangulation approach was employed in this study in which both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. Qualitative techniques included open-ended questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus group discussions and secondary data. Quantitative techniques comprised of clo...
ABSTRACT Maize is a staple food and its adequacy is a measure of food security in Busia County and across Kenya. Despite myriad efforts to increase its yield, the national level has remained low at 1.6 tons/ha relative to world average of 5.5 tons/ha and Busia County experiences much lower yield of 1.2 tons/ha. This low yield in the county coupled by high population growth rate arising from a fertility rate of 6 percent in the county when national level is 4.6 percent and a large population ...
ABSTRACT The study examined the transformation of white settler agriculture in the Molo area during the colonial period. Settler farming was an important aspect of the colonial economy in Kenya. Settler farming in Molo area was introduced due to a combination of economic and geographical factors. The study first discussed the origin of European settlement in Molo in the early colonial period up to 1918. The study further examined agricultural changes in the inter-war period (1919-1938) in Mol...
Majority of the rural households in Kenya depend mainly on agriculture as a source of food and livelihoods. Agricultural productivity has been declining due to many factors including climate change. Declining agricultural productivity has in turn resulted in increased food insecurity in the country. Consequently, there is a renewed interest in promoting drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum, which are known to perform well in the arid and semi-arid lands of the developing world. Owing to its...
Abstract: Small-scale farmlands are dynamic systems crucial to the food-security and livelihoods of more than two billion people and there is political pressure in many developing nations to consolidate and expand small farms into larger units of management. This could have consequences for agro-ecosystem processes and the ecosystem services and disservices that regulate crop production. This thesis aims to highlight and address these issues in smallholder farming landscapes, which are poorl...
Abstract/Overview Edible crickets are among the praised insects that are gaining recognition as human food and livestock feed with a potential of contributing to food security and reduction of malnutrition. Globally, the sustainable use of crickets as food or feed is undermined by lack of information on the number of the edible crickets, the country where they are consumed, and the developmental stages consumed. Furthermore, lack of data on their nutritional content and the potential risk...