scholarly journals Effect of input credit on smallholder farmers’ output and income

2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Iddrisu ◽  
Isaac Gershon Kodwo Ansah ◽  
Paul Kwame Nkegbe
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
On Farm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of input credit on smallholder farmers’ output and income using Masara N’Arziki support project in Northern Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional primary data set was used to estimate the effect of project participation on farm output, yield and income using propensity score matching (PSM) methods. Findings The findings are that project participation is skewed towards experienced farmers with big-sized households and farms. The effect of project on outcomes is somewhat unsatisfactory in the sense that participation only raises output and yield, but not income. Research limitations/implications The paper only examined the project effect on farm outcomes among smallholder farmers participating in the programme in just one operational area in the Northern region. Future research should consider all the operational areas for an informed generalisation of findings. Practical implications Greater benefits to farmers from programme participation would require project management to review the contractual arrangement so that the high cost of input credit is significantly reduced. Originality/value The paper applied the PSM to estimate the effect of project participation on farm output, yield and income among smallholder farmers which is non-existent in the literature on the study area, at least as far as we know. This paper can inform future policy on the direction and nature of support for smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.

Effects of village savings and loan association on agricultural value productivity in Northern Region of Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dawuni ◽  
Franklin Nantui Mabe ◽  
Osman Damba Tahidu
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Savings And Loan

PurposeAgriculture in Ghana is dominated by smallholder farmers in rural areas. Majority of these farmers are resource-poor and faced with serious challenges in accessing formal financial services towards farming needs attributed to the stringent requirements. To bridge this gap, village savings and loan associations (VSLA) have been promoted in rural areas as an alternative to meeting the credit needs of smallholder farmers. Credit plays a vital role in input acquisition among farmers for improved agricultural value productivity. This study assesses the contribution of VSLA to agricultural value productivity in the Northern Region of Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is a primary cross-sectional data collected with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. This study, therefore, applied a propensity score matching (PSM) to assess the effects of VSLA on agricultural value productivity.FindingsResults from the PSM revealed that extension contact, contract farming, television set ownership, participating in “Planting for Food and Jobs” and nature of roads, including receiving VSLA information from members' increases participation decision of farmers in VSLA. Conversely, age of a farmer, household size, distance to output market and farmers in the Sagnarigu Municipality have negatively influenced VSLA participation. The propensity score matching estimates showed that members of VSLA obtained 38.2% higher agricultural value productivity than non-members.Originality/valueVillage savings and loans associations can be promoted among smallholder farmers as an effective alternative to formal financial service for inclusive development.

Impact of occupational migration of unskilled labourer from domestic agriculture on farm business income in source households of Assam, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 1561-1576
Author(s):  
Bodrul Islam ◽  
Pradyut Guha
Keyword(s):  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brahmaputra Valley ◽  
Business Income ◽  
Farm Business ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Unskilled Labourer

PurposeThe present study aims at examining the determinants of occupational migration of unskilled labourer from domestic agriculture and their impact on farm business income (FBI) in Assam, India.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data for this study were collected during June–November, 2019 from 224 farm (cultivator) households in two contiguous districts in central Brahmaputra valley of Assam. The study used three-stage least square (3SLS) estimation technique for jointly determining the factors influencing migration and remittances and their impact on FBI.FindingsThe result of this study confirms that occupational migration of unskilled labourer from domestic agriculture significantly reduced household FBI. In contrast to the inflow of remittances from migrants helped in increasing the FBI. The migration in the study area considerably influenced by household size, total value of assets holding, networking influence, distance to commercial bank and flood proneness of the village; while the number of migrants, number of dependents and age of migrants seen to be strong predictor of inflow of remittances. Findings of present study offer evidence in support of the new economics of labour migration (NELM) theory.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is restricted to a single crop (paddy) and constrained by the collection of longitudinal data with a revisit to the farm household pre and post-migration of the unskilled labourer from household agriculture.Originality/valueThis paper is based on a novel data set that has especially been collected to examine the determinants of occupational migration from agriculture and their impact on the FBI in Assam that has not been studied before.

Spatial analysis of Twitter sentiment and district-level housing prices

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-189
Author(s):  
Christopher Hannum ◽  
Kerem Yavuz Arslanli ◽  
Ali Furkan Kalay
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Housing Prices ◽  
District Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Scoring Method ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Property Prices ◽  
Price Appreciation

Purpose Studies have shown a correlation and predictive impact of sentiment on asset prices, including Twitter sentiment on markets and individual stocks. This paper aims to determine whether there exists such a correlation between Twitter sentiment and property prices. Design/methodology/approach The authors construct district-level sentiment indices for every district of Istanbul using a dictionary-based polarity scoring method applied to a data set of 1.7 million original tweets that mention one or more of those districts. The authors apply a spatial lag model to estimate the relationship between Twitter sentiment regarding a district and housing prices or housing price appreciation in that district. Findings The findings indicate a significant but negative correlation between Twitter sentiment and property prices and price appreciation. However, the percentage of check-in tweets is found to be positively correlated with prices and price appreciation. Research limitations/implications The analysis is cross-sectional, and therefore, unable to answer the question of whether Twitter can Granger-cause changes in housing markets. Future research should focus on creation of a property-focused lexicon and panel analysis over a longer time horizon. Practical implications The findings suggest a role for Twitter-derived sentiment in predictive models for local variation in property prices as it can be observed in real time. Originality/value This is the first study to analyze the link between sentiment measures derived from Twitter, rather than surveys or news media, on property prices.

Effect of on-farm testing on adoption of banana production technologies among smallholder farmers in Meru region, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Kaumi Kirimi ◽  
Charles Nyambane Onyari ◽  
Lucy Karega Njeru ◽  
Hezron Rasugu Mogaka
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Banana Production ◽  
Production Technologies ◽  
On Farm

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of on-farm testing on the adoption of banana production technologies among smallholder farmers in the Meru region, Kenya.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a pragmatic paradigm and a cross-sectional survey design, sampling 370 and 30 farmers proportionately from 269,499 to 19,303 smallholder banana farmers in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties of Kenya, respectively.FindingsThe study revealed that there was an association between belonging to a banana farming testing group and the adoption of banana technology. The study also revealed that most farmers were not interested in adopting banana technologies as they preferred the use of conventional methods, due to unstable market prices, lack of subsidized banana production input, inaccessibility to technological materials, few extension experts and lack of enough demonstrations.Research limitations/implicationsSome respondents were not willing to freely offer the information required for this study. This was delimited by assuring the informants of the confidentiality of their responses.Originality/valueThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The agricultural extension service providers will have more light on the underlying issues that need to be considered if meaningful interventions are to be done on various aspects of the banana value chain.

Climatic conditions and the resilience of buildings along Lagos coastline

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olajide Julius Faremi ◽  
Oluranti Olupolola Ajayi ◽  
Kudirat Ibilola Zakariyyah ◽  
Olumide Afolarin Adenuga
Keyword(s):  
Steel Corrosion ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Prevalence Index ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe study investigates the extent to which defects in coastline buildings are influenced by the climatic conditions within the coastal zones.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducted both desk study and field survey. The primary data for the study were collected through a cross-sectional survey of facilities and maintenance managers of randomly selected coastline buildings. Of the 120 self-administered structured questionnaires, 102 were successfully retrieved representing an 85% response rate. Data collected were analysed using charts, relative prevalence index and Spearman's rho correlation visualization technique.FindingsSaltwater intrusion, ocean overflow, extreme rainfall, debris flow, floods and droughts are the prevalent climatic conditions along the coastline. Steel corrosion, foundation settlement, spalling of concrete and fading of finishes are prevalent defects in coastline buildings. The result shows a positive significant correlation between climatic conditions and defects in coastline buildings.Research limitations/implicationsThe study compliments literature on buildings resilience and maintenance management, and also provides a basis for streamlining future research on coastline buildings.Practical implicationsThe results provide information on climatic conditions and prevalent defects that should be considered during the design and construction of coastline buildings. The information provided could assist construction stakeholders in improving the resilience of coastline buildings.Originality/valueThe study established that coastline buildings are vulnerable to a rapid rate of defect and deterioration which threatens the sustainability of coastline cities. It suggests measures that could improve the resilience of the elements and components of coastline buildings and consequently enhance the safety of life and property, and improve the physical and economic performance of coastline buildings.

The importance of off-farm employment for smallholder farmers in Rwanda

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
Ildephonse Musafiri ◽  
Pär Sjölander
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Agricultural Business ◽  
On Farm

Purpose Based on unique data the authors analyze the Rwandan non-farm employment expansion in rural areas and its relation to agricultural productivity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors that determine off-farm work hours in Rwanda, and how farmers’ off-farm employment affects agricultural output. Since production efficiency may depend on off-farm work and off-farm work depend on production efficiency (Lien et al., 2010), both production and off-farm work are endogenous. While controlling for endogeneity, the authors investigate the relationship between off-farm work and agricultural production. Design/methodology/approach In this paper the authors use a unique panel data set spanning over 26 years originating from household surveys conducted in the northwest and densely populated districts of Rwanda. Econometric estimations are based on a random effects two-stage Tobit model to control for endogeneity. Findings The study confirms theoretical and empirical findings from other developing countries that off-farm employment is one of the essential conditions for having an economically viable agricultural business and vice versa. Research limitations/implications The study is carried out in only one district of Rwanda. Even though most rural areas in Rwanda have similar features the findings cannot necessarily be generalized for the entire country of Rwanda. As in any study, the raw data set suffer from a number of shortcomings which cannot be fully eliminated by the econometric estimation, but this is a new data set which has the best data available for this research question in Rwanda. Practical implications The authors can conclude that there are synergy effects of investing government resources into both on-farm and off-farm employment expansions. Thus, in Rwanda on-farm investments can actually partly contribute to a future natural smooth transformation to more off-farm total output and productivity and vice versa. Though there are still limited off-farm employment opportunities in the studied area, there are considerable potentials to generate income and increase agricultural production through the purchase of additional inputs. Social implications The findings imply that a favorable business climate for off-farm businesses creates spill-over effects which enhance the smallholder farmers’ opportunities to survive, generate wealth, create employment and in effect reduce poverty. Originality/value From the best of the authors’ knowledge, similar studies have not been conducted in Rwanda, nor elsewhere with this type of data set. The findings provide original insights regarding off-farm and agricultural relationships in rural areas under dense population pressure. The results provide some indications that off-farm employment in developing countries (such as Rwanda) is one of the essential conditions for having an economically viable agricultural business and vice versa. The second wave of data was collected by the authors and was used solely for the purpose of this paper.

The impact of credit on the technical efficiency of maize-producing households in Northern Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Martey ◽  
Alexander N. Wiredu ◽  
Prince M. Etwire ◽  
John K.M. Kuwornu
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Efficiency Gains ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Land Fragmentation ◽  
Credit Programs ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Production credit is essential for enhancing the technical efficiency (TE) and the welfare of smallholder farmers in Africa. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of credit on smallholders’ TE using cross-sectional data from 223 maize-producing households in Northern Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Due to the exogenous assignment of credit and assumption of homogeneity in farm technologies, the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to compare the average difference in TE between farmers that had received credit and those that had not. Findings The results revealed that production credit impacts positively on smallholder farmers’ TE. Access to production credit is significantly influenced by access to markets and extension services, distance to market, asset index and land fragmentation. The provision of credit enhances the timely purchase and efficient allocation of farming inputs to produce the maximum possible output. Per capita income and land fragmentation also play important roles in reducing smallholders’ TE. Practical implications To increase efficiency gains, credit programs for agricultural interventions should target resource-poor smallholder farmers. The efficiency gains can be sustained through stronger partnerships with financial institutions. Policy interventions aimed at increasing smallholder farmers’ access to production credit (e.g. through the creation of a conducive investment environment that lowers the lending rate and collateral requirements) must be vigorously pursued. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is one of the only recent studies to examine the impact of credit on the TE of farming households by applying the translog stochastic frontier production function and the PSM approaches.

An empirical study on the adoption of M-learning apps among IT/ITeS employees

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajasshrie Pillai ◽  
Brijesh Sivathanu
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Openness To Change ◽  
Adoption Factors ◽  
Primary Data Analysis

Purpose This study aims to use the novel approach of applying the behavioural reasoning theory (BRT) to understand the relative influence of reason for and reason against the adoption of mobile learning applications (M-learning apps) among information technology (IT) and information technology enabled services (ITeS) employees. Design/methodology/approach This study surveys 680 employees of IT and ITeS companies in India to examine the adoption of M-learning apps for learning using the BRT and the primary data analysis was done using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling technique. Findings It is found that the context-specific adoption factors for M-learning apps are hedonic motivation, self-efficacy, learning autonomy, ubiquitous and relative advantage, whereas the reasons against adoption of the M-learning apps are traditional barrier, usage barrier and image barrier. It is also found that values of openness to change positively affect the reasons for adoption and do not significantly affect reasons against adoption of M-learning. Values of openness to change affect the attitude towards M-learning apps and attitude affects the adoption intention of M-learning apps for learning. Research/limitations/implications This cross-sectional study was conducted only in the Indian IT/ITeS firms and future research can be conducted in other sectors and countries to generalize the results. Practical implications This research uniquely highlights the adoption factors both for and against, which should be considered while developing marketing strategies for M-learning apps’ adoption. It is imperative for training managers to consider these factors during the selection of M-learning apps and for designers while designing the M-learning apps. Originality/value This study provides new insights towards the use of mobile apps for learning with the employees’ perspective using the BRT theory and it highlights the reason for adoption and reason against adoption of M-learning apps.

An empirical study of the internal factors influencing the application of compensation incentives in SMEs

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Balogh ◽  
Norbert Sipos ◽  
András Rideg
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
System Development ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Compensation Incentives

Purpose Competitiveness is a multidimensional construct, related to a number of external and internal company factors. This paper aims to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between the application of small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) compensation incentives as an index/element of human system development and competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach A unique primary data set drawn from the Global Competitiveness Project on SMEs’ competitiveness was analysed, using cross-sectional data of 784 firms. First, descriptive statistics were used to show the data set peculiarities. Second, a forward logistic regression was applied to show the effects on the application of compensation incentives. A 25.1% of explanatory power was found by targeting the application of compensation systems by 7 firm-level principal factors and 30 control variables. Findings The findings suggest that there is a higher chance of the application of compensation incentives in cases when the employees possess a more substantial tacit knowledge and formal and informal relationship networks. It is also positively impacted by the higher level of intra-company manifestation of knowledge. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted among SMEs from eight countries, based on a unique questionnaire designed for small enterprises. The respective countries are from Europe and Latin America, which serve as a reference category for Hungary. Also, there is a high level of 0 answers for the involved variables. The binary logistic regression methodology is suitable for filtering out some of these; nevertheless, the proportion of uncertain factors remains high as it is indicated by the explanatory power. Originality/value The majority of the literature is dealing with large companies in the topic of competitiveness, whereas in this data set, a deeper analysis was carried out among SMEs from eight countries, comparing their results to the Hungarian ones. The findings can be used as reference points for future studies, and the understanding of the HR cycle within SMEs.

scholarly journals Determinants of demand for credit by smallholder farmers': a farm level analysis based on survey in Sindh, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Ali Chandio ◽  
Yuansheng Jiang ◽  
Abdul Rehman ◽  
Martinson Ankrah Twumasi ◽  
Amber Gul Pathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Formal Education ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Socioeconomic Characteristics ◽  
Agriculture Sector

PurposeIn the developing countries, formal credit has dominant role for the development of agriculture sector. It increases the farmer's purchasing power for better farm inputs and agricultural technology for high crop productivity. The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder farmers for credit demand in Sindh, Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional data set randomly collected from 90 smallholder farmers in Thatta district, Sindh, Pakistan, is examined. Descriptive statistics, correlation and the OLS regression method were used to demonstrate the important factors affecting the demand for formal credit.FindingsThe results revealed that formal education, experience of farming, landholding size, road access and extension contacts positively and significantly influenced the demand for formal credit.Originality/valueThis study is the first, to the best of authors' knowledge, to demonstrate the influence of various socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder farmers on demand for formal credit in Sindh, Pakistan. It also illustrates the imperative contribution to the literature regarding credit access and demand to improve the agricultural productivity.

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