ABSTRACT The dissemination of the relevant information for agricultural production is the institutional duty of all stakeholders committed to the development of agriculture of which the agricultural extension agent and his organisation play a prominent role. As a formal public (government funded) institution, the agricultural extension service has been observed to be undergoing a period of change in respect to the provision of material and financial resources to carry extension activities. As...
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 Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) has been among major challenge to sustainable smallholder cassava production in Kisarawe District. A smallholder cassava farmer’s survey was conducted using personal interviews to determine the implication of CBSD on cassava production and income at smallholder farmer’s level in Kisarawe District. Data were collected using structured questionnaires in a cross-sectional survey involving 107 respondents in two selected wards and villages in Kisar...
ABSTRACT This study explored the perspectives of farmers in the Shai Osu-Doku district about social security pensions in the Informal Sector. On the whole Small Holder Farmers are known to be low irregular income earners who despite their entire years of contributing to GDP, employment and the food basket in Ghana lope into abject poverty at old age. Social security pensions become a necessary tool for securing the minimal meaningful livelihood of farmers at old age. The study purposed to asc...
ABSTRACT The livelihoods of farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana, is based on crop production which is often been affected by floods. As a result, farmers have continuously been adjusting their livelihood against the impacts of floods. This study examined the effects of flooding on farmers‟ livelihood and the adaptation strategies of farmers to ensure food security. Using cross-sectional and descriptive designs, a concurrent mixed method approach involving both quantitative and qualit...
ABSTRACT Research and extension must collaborate effectively through research - extension –farmer linkages in order to bring increased agricultural productivity, income and reduction of rural poverty. However, these linkages have been reported to be weak. This study examined factors influencing research – extension – farmer linkages in the Western Agricultural Research Zone of Tanzania. It focused on four districts in the zone namely Kasulu and Kigoma in Kigoma Region and Urambo and Uyu...
ABSTRACT Climate variability is one of the great challenges facing smallholder farmers in Ghana and more specifically rice farmers. The main objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and adaptation strategies of rice farmers to climate change in Adaklu district. Specifically, the study sought to, i) determines rice farmers’ perceptions of climate change; ii) estimate the adaptive capacities of rice farmers to climate change; iii) identify the adaptation strategies used by rice ...
ABSTRACT Farmers’ access to relevant and useful agricultural information is key to improving their productivity. Research shows that the information needs of farmers differ and that the behaviour of farmers in seeking information is as varied as their production systems. The study was conducted to identify the information needs and assess the information seeking behaviour of urban vegetable farmers whose activities supplement the food needs of an increasingly urbanised population in sub-Sah...
ABSTRACT Cassava is an important staple crop and its starch is an important source of biomaterial for food and non-food industries. Processing of cassava is very important due to its rapid postharvest deterioration and cyanide content, but it can also add value and provides employment opportunities. There is a correlation between cyanogenic poison and poverty in communities where cassava is a staple food. Therefore development of starches occupies a central position in the quest for cassava c...
ABSTRACT A Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) is important in a paddy value chain because the commodity requires storage before it reaches consumers. Furthermore, a WRS may enhance speed of transactions and lower costs along the supply chain. However, little is known about the overall profit efficiency of paddy-rice farmers using warehouses. This study investigates the profit of the farmers in Kilombero District by examining the role of WRS on profit. In this study, a stochastic profit frontier ...
Abstract: Edible insects are increasingly being considered as sustainable alternatives to fish and soybean meals in animal feed because of their high nutritional quality and environmental benefits. However, successful introduction of a new product to the market depends on the target user’s acceptance. Thus, evaluating the potential demand of insect-based feeds would provide relevant information for policy development. The present study assessed farmers’knowledge on edible insects as feed...
ABSTRACT Lack of credit, especially among small-scale farmers. has been one of the factors that impede the adoption of numerous innovations recommended by Agricultural Extension services in MALI. The situation has been mainly attributed to inadequate establishment of services in areas where poor and marginalized farmers (especially women) live. An unfortunate assumption has been that poor farmers do not save and, therefore. constitute a high credit risk. To address this state of affairs, Sasa...
ABSTRACT Small-holder farmers in the urban and peri-urban areas have become very vulnerable to land use change patterns due to rapid increase in population and urbanization. Farmlands are gradually being converted to residential facilities, posing significant threat to the livelihood of farmers who depend on such lands. Land use change at Abokobi dates back to the 2004, but the phenomena became more pronounced in 2008 when the Ga East District attained municipal status. With support from the ...
An analysis of economic effects of Neglected and Underutilized crops (NUACs) in Kenya, case of yam in Embu County. ABSTRACT Nations in Africa i.e. Kenya has great potential of realizing their goal of eradicating poverty and hunger in all its forms and everywhere through the neglected and underutilized crops i.e. yams Dioscorea spp (Berchie, 2009) but have been adversely aggrieved by institutional failure, policies without the clear framework of the institutions capability to ...
ABSTRACT The research used a qualitative case study based on an agricultural extension organisation in Okombahe Settlement Area. The pressure on the public agricultural extension organisation to improve its responsiveness to meet the stock-raising needs of communal farmers has increased after Namibia attained her independence in 1990. Extensive livestock farming remains the main land-based economic activity in the communal farming area of the Okombahe Settlement. To improve agricultural prod...