A parametric test evaluating smallholder farmers’ training needs in Uganda

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanita Kataike ◽  
Durga Prasad Venkata Modekurti ◽  
Eric Butali ◽  
David Magumba ◽  
Andrew Ronnie Mugenyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Pearson Coefficient ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
Milk Marketing ◽  
Training Programmes

PurposeEffective rural agribusiness development requires dedicated training programmes therefore, this paper is an attempt to investigate smallholder farmers’ TNs in the dairy agribusiness sector. The purpose of this paper is to study a bigger research project of the dairy value chain in agribusiness framework in the Rwenzori region.Design/methodology/approachA sample size of 100 dairy farmers were randomly selected from two Districts in the Rwenzori region. The descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) provided a basis for discussion. Furthermore, parametric Pearson coefficient test was conducted to examine the smallholder farmers’ TNs and assess its association with selected socio-demographic characteristics of the dairy farmers.FindingsThe analysis indicated that dairy farmers expressed the need for a training program. Most frequently requested topics include: fodder cultivation, quality and safe milk handling, milk marketing, calf feeding and rearing, animal nutrition and financial literacy out of 12 topics. The least desired TNs was record keeping.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the understanding of dairy farmers’ TNs.Practical implicationsThe identified 12 key training intervention areas for the dairy farmers inform policymakers Dairy Development Authority and other development bodies in the Rwenzori region to address the challenges and improve smallholder dairy farming practices.Originality/valueThe study applies a synthesis review to identify theoretically acceptable variables that measure smallholder farmers’ TNs in the dairy agribusiness. The paper also shares the empirical evidence of a pioneering attempt to identify smallholder dairy farmers’ TNs in Uganda.

scholarly journals Effect of seasonal fodder availability on smallholder dairy farmers’ participation in markets in Mosop sub-county, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice C. Tuei ◽  
Christopher A. Onyango ◽  
Bockline O. Bebe ◽  
Evelyne C. Kiptot ◽  
Sammy Carsan
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Social Scientist ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Market Participation ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Smallholder Dairy

The growing demand for animal products in developing countries presents opportunities for smallholder dairy farmers to participate in markets. However, seasonal fodder scarcity is a pervasive limitation to dairy productivity and disrupts market participation. The objective of this paper was to determine the influence of seasonal fodder availability on the participation of smallholder farmers in fodder and milk markets. Primary data was collected in a cross-sectional survey involving a random sample of 176 farmers, in Mosop sub-County, Nandi County of Kenya. Complete data for computation of fodder scarcity and market participation was available from 130 farmers. Data was processed in Excel and subsequently analysed in Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS version 21) software using descriptive and logistic regression statistics. Study results revealed that an increase in fodder deficit was associated with a decline in milk sales (β= -.95, p=0.002), leading to an increase in milk price (β= 0.59, p=0.024) and increase in the quantity of purchased concentrate feed (β=0.17, p=0.038). The study concludes that fodder scarcity leads to low farmer market participation and recommends the strengthening of producer organizations to facilitate feed and milk marketing, capacity building on feed formulation and utilization, conservation and processing. These capacities would enable farmers to meet fodder demands in the dry season and would stabilize milk prices if supported with incentives for private and public partnerships investments in the feed value chain. 

Understanding reconfiguration pathways of agri-food value chains for smallholder farmers

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 1857-1882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Dicecca ◽  
Stefano Pascucci ◽  
Francesco Contò
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Intermediaries ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Intermediary Organizations ◽  
Knowledge Platform

Purpose – Smallholder farmers often deal with lack of information and knowledge, weak financial capacity and limited collaboration and network orientation. This is hampering their ability to adopt or co-develop innovation, and to participate in value chain exchanges. This calls for using intermediary organizations. The purpose of this paper is to understand how innovation intermediaries engage with smallholder farmers and provoke value chain reconfigurations. Design/methodology/approach – The authors systematically review literature to draw cases on intermediaries operating in the agri-food sector in several geographical and socio-economic contexts. The authors then adopt a theory building from cases approach to identify relationships between smallholder farmers and innovation intermediaries, and their effects in the reconfiguration of value chains. Findings – Consultants, knowledge transfer organizations (KTOs) and broker organizations (BOs) are the three typologies of intermediaries identified. While consultants facilitate change by modifying the way smallholders engage in transactions with their buyers and input providers, KTOs focus on farmers engagement in the value chain by stimulating the formation of knowledge platform or partnership. BOs operate in a similar way as compared to KTOs but mainly by forming and facilitating access to informal networks. Practical implications – The authors build a framework in which relationships between typologies of intermediary organizations and types of innovation processes are connected with changes at value chain level. Originality/value – The authors highlight how diverse forms of intermediations may stimulate not only smallholder farmers’ participation in innovation networks but also value chain reconfigurations.

Farmer groups, collective marketing and smallholder farm performance in rural Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 511-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Awal Abdul-Rahaman ◽  
Awudu Abdulai
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Switching Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Ghana ◽  
Smallholder Farm ◽  
Farmer Groups ◽  
Farm Performance

PurposeRapid transformation of agrifood value chains because of population growth, urbanization, rising consumer incomes and increased demand for food quality and safety has resulted in the need for smallholder farmers to coordinate horizontally through group formation and collective marketing to improve farm performance in developing countries. This paper aims to examine the factors that influence farmer group membership and collective marketing decisions and their impacts on smallholder farm performance in rural Ghana.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from a recent survey of 447 rice farmers in rural Ghana, an endogenous switching regression model is employed to account for selection bias arising from both observable and unobservable farmer attributes.FindingsThe data reveal that group members and collective marketing participants obtained higher prices and also incurred lower input costs. The econometric estimates show that age, access to credit, mobile phone ownership, distance to market and road status are the main drivers of group membership and collective marketing decisions. The authors also find positive and significant impacts of farmer group membership and collective marketing on farm net revenues.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings from this study suggest that government and donor support for the formation of farmer groups during implementation of agriculture and value chain interventions should as well incorporate strategies to facilitate collective marketing.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the role farmer groups and collective marketing play in improving smallholder farm performance.

Value chain approaches to development

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie D. Ricketts ◽  
Calum G. Turvey ◽  
Miguel I. Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Export Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risks And Benefits ◽  
Rainforest Alliance ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Production Practices ◽  
Price Risks

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the ever-popular, “value-chain approach” for linking smallholder farmers to high value export markets. Conventional wisdom says that value chains undertaken for development purposes redistribute risk and provide benefits and services to participants that are otherwise difficult or impossible to obtain. The authors take a farmer-centric approach and ask farmers participating in these higher value chains if they perceive greater, or different risks and compare results to their conventional counterparts. The authors also ask what benefits they associate with participation and if they believe they believe those benefits are exclusive to value chain participation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collect data from growers in three different cocoa value chains in Ashanti, Ghana. These chains include one focussed on certified production practices (Rainforest Alliance), one that focussed on high-value product characteristics (Fine Flavor) and a conventional chain, which serves as counterfactual. Findings – The paper finds differences in perceptions of participation risks and benefits – particularly among price risks – that appear to filter based on value chain membership. However, for many risks, value chain participation seems to do little to redistribute potential production shocks. With some exceptions, growers report that many of the benefits they enjoy as a result of participation could feasibly be accessed by other sources. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this paper are related to sample size. This was managed from a statistical perspective. Social implications – The authors explore how these results might impact the sustainability of the value chain approach and encourage donors and development agencies to be thoughtful and critical about measuring how farmers perceive new market opportunities. Originality/value – The authors believe that this is the first paper prepared to critically investigate the perceived benefits of value chains.

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.

Revisiting the measurement of financial inclusion of rural smallholder farmers in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olayinka O. Adegbite ◽  
Charles L. Machethe ◽  
C. Leigh Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Financial Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consultative Group

PurposeThis study aims to develop and apply a multidimensional measure of financial inclusion (FI) to address measurement issues and determine the level of FI of rural smallholder farmers and the contribution of domain indicators to the level of FI in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adapts the Alkire–Foster method to develop a multidimensional FI index (MFII). A stratified two-stage sampling procedure is used to select 2,300 rural respondents from the 2016 Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) Smallholder Household Survey.FindingsResults indicate that 78% of rural smallholder farmers in Nigeria are financially excluded. In addition, owning a formal account is significantly different (p < 0.00) from being financially adequate. The financial capability domain contributes the least (29.66%) to the multidimensional FI (MFI) of rural smallholder farmers relative to financial participation and financial well-being. Financial literacy, consumer protection, overcoming barriers such as high transaction costs and financial planning indicators contribute the least to FI relative to formal access.Practical implicationsResults of the study lead to policy recommendations for increasing the FI of rural smallholder farmers in Nigeria, which may be applicable to other countries.Social implicationsAchieving sustainable FI requires that interventions increase the FI of rural smallholder farmers by strengthening financial capability, participation and well-being and not only focus on formal account owners.Originality/valueThe study provides a new methodological and empirical contribution to the FI literature on rural smallholder farmers.

scholarly journals Determinants of Milk Market Participation and Volume of Sales to Milk Collection Centres of the Smallholder Dairy Value Chain in Zimbabwe

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tafireyi Chamboko ◽  
Emmanuel Mwakiwa ◽  
Prisca H. Mugabe
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Market Participation ◽  
Ecological Region ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Milk Market

At the attainment of Zimbabwe’s independence, government of Zimbabwe established the smallholder dairy development programme to encourage smallholder farmers to participate in formal milk markets. Although now more than three decades since the government established this programme, smallholder contribution to the national formal market remains low at 5%. This study was undertaken to determine factors affecting milk market participation and volume of sales to milk collection centres of the smallholder dairy value chain. Four smallholder dairy schemes were purposively selected on the basis of whether the scheme participated in the semi-formal or formal dairy value chain. A total of 185 farmers were then selected through simple random sampling and interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Heckman two-stage selection econometric models. Results show that resources (represented by dairy cows, household size), knowledge (educational level, access to information and extension), experience (household head age) and agro-ecological region significantly determined farmers’ participation in milk markets. The study also shows the determinants of milk sales volumes to be resources (number of dairy cows and landholding size); market access (distance to milk collection centre); ambition of the farmer (age); and natural climatic conditions (agro-ecological region). Government policy interventions therefore need to be targeted at increasing the number of dairy cows, taking into account landholding and market access, targeting educated, young farmers located in agro-ecological regions I and II, providing them with adequate, appropriate information and extension packages in order to enhance milk market participation and volume of sales.

Inclusive productive value chains, an overview of Indonesia’s cocoa industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 439-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diederik de Boer ◽  
Gigi Limpens ◽  
Amzul Rifin ◽  
Nunung Kusnadi
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Institutional Voids ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Dependency

Purpose The inclusiveness of smallholder cocoa farmers in the international cocoa value chain is addressed in the context of institutional voids through linkages with different business models in the region of Bali, West-Sumatra and West-Sulawesi. Being the third highest producer of cocoa, local farmers have a high dependency on cocoa cultivation; however, they lack policies that foster and reward sustainable high-quality cocoa according to international standards. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach An explanatory multiple-case study design assessed the relevance of partnerships in contributing to sustainable local development and inclusiveness for smallholder farmers. The selected business models, business supported, NGO supported and government supported, are evaluated through improved access to finance, training, technology, subsidized inputs and markets. Findings The paper found that a linkage with a business-supported model, here BT COCOA, achieves the best results in terms of improved yields, quality and farmer’s welfare, indicating improved inclusiveness via successful process upgrading. Yet, future cooperation between stakeholders should improve on access to information and finance. Research limitations/implications The research is a relative research, comparing three models of inclusiveness within one sector (cocoa) in predefined regions of Indonesia. Future research should test the proposed propositions in other agricultural sectors. Practical implications The paper showcases the effect of support model affiliation for smallholder farmer inclusiveness and the circumvention of institutional voids. It selects the business model as best suitable to achieve smallholder inclusiveness, as well a need to prioritize institutional voids. Originality/value The research is assessing three models addressing inclusiveness applying value chain assessment tools to measure inclusiveness.

Impacts of improved extension services on awareness, knowledge, adoption rates and perceived benefits of smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 2175 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Warriach ◽  
P. C. Wynn ◽  
M. Ishaq ◽  
S. Arif ◽  
A. Bhatti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Family Approach ◽  
Knowledge Adoption ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Extension Program

The provision of effective extension services to smallholder farmers across both developing and developed countries remains a challenge worldwide. The objective of the study is to demonstrate the impacts of improved extension services on awareness, knowledge, adoption rates and perceived benefits of smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan. An extension program was developed and implemented in five districts of Punjab (Okara, Pakpattan, Jhelum, Kasur and Bhakkar) and two districts of Sindh (Thatta and Badin) provinces. The extension program involved the provision of research-based information on a monthly basis to smallholder farming families (FF = 523) over a 4-year period. The extension program was primarily a knowledge transfer-based system, but also relied on farmer engagement and feedback to help drive research and topics for discussion. No financial incentives were provided to the farmers for their participation. A ‘whole-family approach’ was used in the extension program, where comprehensive interdisciplinary training on the whole dairy-farming system was provided to the males, females and children of the farming household. To encourage greater participation and support different learning strategies, several information transfer media were used (including group discussions, one-on-one visits, practical demonstrations, problem-based learning techniques and videos). To assess the impact of this extension program on farms involved, data on farmer awareness, knowledge, adoption and their perceived benefits were collected using a mixed-method approach from three different groups of farmers; registered (IMPreg = 179) farmers directly involved in the extension program, non-registered (IMPnon-reg = 116) farmers indirectly benefiting from the program and traditional (IMPtrad = 104) farmers not associated with any project activities. Overall awareness, knowledge and adoption rates relating to seven different recommendations in the extension program were significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher in the registered farmers than in the non-registered and traditional farmers. The perceived benefits of the adopted recommendations varied between the different extension messages, but farmers described that they observed increases in milk production, improvements in animal health (body condition and morbidity) and labour efficiency (time savings). These results suggest that adopting improved extension services using a whole-family approach we can significantly achieve higher adoption rates, leading to on-farm benefits to smallholder dairy farmers and their families.

scholarly journals Feeding Management and Extent of Commercialisation among the Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4(J)) ◽  
pp. 32-42
Author(s):  
Tawedzegwa Musitini ◽  
Abbysinia Mushunje ◽  
Joseph Muroiwa
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Feeding Management ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
Dairy Cooperatives ◽  
The Cost

This study assessed the effects of grazing and feeding management on the extent of commercialization among the smallholder dairy farmers in Zimbabwe. Using a sample of 225 smallholder dairy farming households selected randomly across 11 smallholder dairy cooperatives in Zimbabwe, data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the ordinary least squares regression method. The study used milk yield as a proxy for commercialization. Farmers whose cows produced higher yield were considered more commercialized than farmers whose cows produced a lower yield. The results indicated that access to better pastures, better feed types, more area under fodder and more feeding frequency positively impact on milk yield. This result indicates that smallholder farmers with better access to enough, appropriate and consistent feed obtain better milk yield from the dairy cows while the poor quality and quantity of feeds are the primary reasons why most smallholder dairy farmers in developing countries like Zimbabwe continue to produce low/uneconomic milk yields. Since purchased dairy feed concentrates are essential in enhancing milk yield, the study recommends that farmers who can afford these should continue using them and where applicable agro-dealers selling these inputs should be supported to establish selling outlets within the farmers reach. However, given the cost of the commercial dairy feeds visa the economic capacity of smallholder milk producers, the study recommends farmer to consider producing their feed by putting more area under fodder than buying commercial feed.

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