Participation in ICT-based market information projects, smallholder farmers’ commercialisation, and agricultural income effects: findings from Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1043-1057
Author(s):  
Julius J. Okello ◽  
Oliver K. Kirui ◽  
Zachary M. Gitonga
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Income Effects ◽  
Agricultural Income

Awareness and the Use of Mobile Phones for Market Linkage by Smallholder Farmers in Kenya

2010 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Juma Okello ◽  
Ruth M. Okello ◽  
Edith Ofwona-Adera
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Ict Adoption ◽  
Market Linkage ◽  
Female Farmers ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Agricultural Input

In many developing countries smallholder farmer participation in agricultural input and output markets continues to be constrained by lack of market information. Actors in most developing country markets operate under conditions of information asymmetry which increases the costs of doing business and locks out smallholder farmers. Attempts to address this problem are currently focusing on the use of ICT technologies to provide market information and link farmers to markets. This study examines the awareness and use of one such technology – mobile phones. It finds for male and female smallholder farmers in Kenya a high level of awareness and widespread use of mobile phones, mainly for social purposes. This study further finds that a low level of education, the cost of mobile phone airtime recharge vouchers and the lack of electricity for recharging phone batteries are the major impediments to the ownership and use of mobile phones, with female farmers more constrained than males. A high awareness of mobile phones among smallholder farmers presents an opportunity to strengthen smallholder farmers’ market linkage. However constraints to the usage of mobile phones will need to be addressed. The study findings indicate priorities for policymakers dealing with the specifics of ICT adoption as a tool to promote rural viability via rationalization of Kenyan agricultural markets.

scholarly journals Near Real-Time Biophysical Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Yield Estimation to Support Crop Insurance Implementation in India

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Ponraj Arumugam ◽  
Abel Chemura ◽  
Bernhard Schauberger ◽  
Christoph Gornott
Keyword(s):  
Oryza Sativa ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Yield Loss ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Oryza Sativa L ◽  
Crop Insurance ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Insurance Scheme ◽  
Agricultural Income

Immediate yield loss information is required to trigger crop insurance payouts, which are important to secure agricultural income stability for millions of smallholder farmers. Techniques for monitoring crop growth in real-time and at 5 km spatial resolution may also aid in designing price interventions or storage strategies for domestic production. In India, the current government-backed PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana) insurance scheme is seeking such technologies to enable cost-efficient insurance premiums for Indian farmers. In this study, we used the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) to estimate yield and yield anomalies at 5 km spatial resolution for Kharif rice (Oryza sativa L.) over India between 2001 and 2017. We calibrated the model using publicly available data: namely, gridded weather data, nutrient applications, sowing dates, crop mask, irrigation information, and genetic coefficients of staple varieties. The model performance over the model calibration years (2001–2015) was exceptionally good, with 13 of 15 years achieving more than 0.7 correlation coefficient (r), and more than half of the years with above 0.75 correlation with observed yields. Around 52% (67%) of the districts obtained a relative Root Mean Square Error (rRMSE) of less than 20% (25%) after calibration in the major rice-growing districts (>25% area under cultivation). An out-of-sample validation of the calibrated model in Kharif seasons 2016 and 2017 resulted in differences between state-wise observed and simulated yield anomalies from –16% to 20%. Overall, the good ability of the model in the simulations of rice yield indicates that the model is applicable in selected states of India, and its outputs are useful as a yield loss assessment index for the crop insurance scheme PMFBY.

Effect of Access to Formal Market Information on Prices Received by Smallholder Farmers in Uganda

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barnabas Kiiza ◽  
Johnny Mugisha ◽  
Stephen Lwasa
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Technology ◽  
Mobile Telephony ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Radio Stations ◽  
Remote Locations ◽  
Fm Radio ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Information Channels

Much work has been done to improve smallholder farmers’ adoption of new agricultural technology packages in Uganda; however, little commensurate effort has been made to improve their access to formal market information channels like mobile telephony, FM radio stations, Internet, and other information centers. This study is based on data obtained in 2006 from farmers affiliated to Uganda Cooperative Alliance and those who are not; however, both cohorts are located in the districts of Mukono and Masaka. Findings show that households in more remote locations are less likely to use formal channels, and conversely, perception of reliability of the information, membership in a farmers’ group and commercial orientation of the farmer, all increase the likelihood of their use. The authors’ findings indicate that farmers who have access to information from formal channels consistently obtain higher farm-gate prices than those who obtain information from informal channels.

scholarly journals Status, challenges and marketing opportunities for canning navy bean in Kenya

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (65) ◽  
pp. 9272-9287
Author(s):  
GN Chemining’wa ◽  
◽  
OM Kitonyo ◽  
JH Nderitu ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Seed Systems ◽  
Navy Bean ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Navy Beans ◽  
White Bean

Navy bean ( white bean ) is an export crop with potential to significantly improve incomes of smallholder farmers in Kenya; its production and marketing has, however, stagnated. A study was conducted to determine the status, challenges and marketing opportunities for navy bean. Primary data were obtained by interviewing white bean producers, processors, key resource experts, regulators and consumers using category - specific semi -structured questionnaires. Secondary data were collected from published work and available statistics. The study demonstrated that navy bean production in several parts of Kenya dates back to the 1950s, but it is now confined (though with very low production levels) to Nakuru County districts of Rongai and Nakuru north. Decline in production is partly attributed to the collapse of contractual arrangements between producers and processors. Currently, local processors import most of their navy beans from Ethiopia . There are two navy bean market channels : local channel initiated by local chain actors and an Ethiopian channel initiated by wholesale traders who supply current processors and other traders . Main challenge s include low producer prices, poor agronomic and postharvest practices, low value addition and processing and lack of market information , particularly to farmers . Opportunities identified for participants in the value chain include the presence of the Ken ya Plant Health Inspectorate Service ( KEPHIS ) for seed inspection and certification, increase in processing capacity, improved breeding and seed production systems and the exploration of new markets coupled with innovative crop promotion strategies. Strategies for improving the competitiveness of navy bean subsector hinges on accelerated navy bean breeding and seed systems (including informal seed systems) , processing/canning and sufficient market information to all participants in the value chain . Evidence shows that the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT ) in collaboration with the University of Nairobi are doing some breeding work on navy beans . Moreover, several materials are under farmer participatory evaluation trials in historically navy been producing areas in the rift valley, central and upper eastern.

Application of Telecommunications Technologies to Agricultural Market Information Systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 60-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Chalemba
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Agricultural Market ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Telecommunications Services ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Donor Agencies

This review presents a comparison of the potential of offering agricultural market information services that incorporate information and communications technology (ICT) in Ghana and Malawi. A comprehensive analysis was done involving data on economic indicators related to telecommunications services provided by the statistics division of the United Nations, and the current initiatives on agricultural market information systems in the two countries. The review reveals that Malawi needs more work to be done to improve service delivery of its ICT-based market information system projects than Ghana. Main areas for improvement are mobile phone subscriptions by low-income smallholder farmers, Internet access by the same category of farmers, and sustainability of offering the services in question without heavy reliance on governments and international donor agencies. The recommendations drawn from this review do not only apply to Malawi and Ghana but also to other Sub-Saharan African countries.

scholarly journals Adoption of ICT-Based Information Sources and Market Participation among Smallholder Livestock Farmers in South Africa

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Ugochukwu Nwafor ◽  
Abiodun A. Ogundeji ◽  
Carlu van der Westhuizen
Keyword(s):  
Information Sources ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Significant Other ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Market Participation ◽  
Farmer Cooperatives ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Livestock Farmers ◽  
Additional Income ◽  
Analyze Data

The study explored the contribution of information and communication technology (ICT)-based information sources to market participation among smallholder livestock farmers. Use of ICTs is considered paramount for providing smallholder farmers with required market information, and also to reduce market asymmetries. A double hurdle regression was utilized to analyze data collected from 150 smallholder livestock farmers in the study area. The results show that while use of ICT-based market information sources significantly influenced market participation, the effect of using ICT-based information sources on the intensity of market participation was not significant. Other variables shown to influence both market participation and the intensity of market participation were age, additional income and membership of farmer cooperatives. This suggests the need to consider other associated factors in the application and design of interventions that utilize ICT-based information sources to achieve market engagement among smallholders.

A Framework for Analyzing the Role of ICT on Agricultural Commercialization and Household Food Security

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius J. Okello ◽  
Ramatu Al-Hassan ◽  
Ruth M. Okello
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Smallholder Agriculture ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Commercial Agriculture ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Context Specific

Lack of agricultural information has been attributed to the inability of smallholder farmers to transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture. Recent efforts to improve smallholder access to agricultural information have seen increased application of ICT technologies in developing agriculture. These efforts use ICT-based market information to reduce transaction costs of smallholder participation in markets, promote commercialization, and improve household food security. Emerging studies document the benefits of such ICT-based applications in agriculture, including increased incomes and improved performance of agricultural markets. Unfortunately these studies have been context specific and the link between provision of ICT-based market information, smallholder commercialization and household security remains unclear. This paper develops a framework that can be used to analyze the link between ICT application in smallholder agriculture, household commercialization, and food security. The paper generates testable hypotheses relating ICT application in agriculture and reduction in transactions costs, smallholder farmer commercialization, and household food security. It then provides illustrative cases where ICT application in agriculture has benefited smallholder production and improved market performance. However, more research must be done to test the generated hypotheses. The paper discusses the implications of the framework for practitioners.

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