scholarly journals Assessment of socio-economic characteristics that determine farmers’ access to agricultural extension services in Eastern Cape, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-209
Author(s):  
O Loki ◽  
M. Alibe ◽  
M.M. Sikwela
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Home Gardening ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Extension Support

The study reported on in this paper investigated smallholder farmers’ access to extension services. The study sought to distinguish the varying degrees of access to services of smallholder farmers engaged in different production systems, that is, home gardening, field cropping, and livestock production. The study was conducted in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, specifically in two communities, namely Ngcabasa and Phathikhala villages. Research activities included a survey of 100 farmers as well as focus group discussions. Employing logistic regression analysis, the study aimed to understand what influences whether or not a smallholder farmer accesses extension. The study also used various types of comparative statistics (T-test) to assess the implications of access to extension support, for instance for production and farm income. The main findings of the study were that 68% of the farming households interviewed in Ngcabasa and 71% of those in Phathikhala had access to extension services. Farmers who had access to extension had more farm income in both enterprises compared to those who had no access to extension services. From the regression analysis, farmers who were more likely to receive extension support appeared to be those who were older, those with less education, and those farming with livestock.

scholarly journals Analysis of Arable Farmers Agroforestry Practices in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-170
Author(s):  
Onuwa G.C ◽  
Adepoju A.O ◽  
Mailumo S.S
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Soil Improvement ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Adoption Decision ◽  
Home Gardening ◽  
Agroforestry Adoption ◽  
Agroforestry Practices

The need to increase arable crop production to keep pace with food demands for a growing population without degrading ecosystems can only be achieved through adoption of agroforestry. Agroforestry practices help to achieve food security, biodiversity, conservation and land sustainability. The 94 famers were chosen using a multistage sampling process. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Most (74%) of respondents practiced home gardening. The significant benefits derived from agroforestry were; food/fruits (97%) and soil improvement/conservation (88%). The mean adoption index was 0.27. The log-likelihood obtained from Tobit was 67.92 indicating that the independent variables significantly explained the variation in the farmer’s adoption decision. Educational level (β=0.426) and farm experience (β=0.597) were both positive and statistically significant at ρ˂0.05; farm income (β=0.568) was significant at ρ˂0.01, and extension contact (β=-0.887, ρ˂0.01) was negative and had a negative impact on agroforestry adoption. The constraints affecting the practice of agroforestry among arable farmers were; poor policies, inadequate extension services, insufficient improved tree species among others. The study recommends intensification of extension services and provision of incentives to farmers to promote agroforestry adoption to achieve increased food production and sustainable land-use systems.

scholarly journals Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Choice of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices to Adapt to Climate Change in Masaba South Sub-County, Kisii, Kenya

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-41
Author(s):  
Jared O. Nyang’au ◽  
Jema H. Mohamed ◽  
Nelson Mango ◽  
Clifton Makate ◽  
Alex N. Wangeci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Climate Information ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Change Perception ◽  
Climate Change Perception

Aims: This study evaluated determinants that influence choice of Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices among smallholder farmers in Masaba South sub-county, Kisii, Kenya. Study Design: This study used a multivariate probit model to evaluate determinants that influence farmers’ choice of CSA practices. Place and Duration of Study: Masaba South sub-county, Kisii, Kenya between the second week of April 2019 and the last week of May 2019. Methodology: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire from 196 households, 3 focused group discussions and 7 key informant interviews. Information such as socio-economic, land ownership, climate change perception, crop production practices and institutional characteristics were collected from the households. Results: The results showed that crop diversification, change of crop varieties and crop rotation and/or mixed cropping are the dominant adaptation strategies in the study area. Access to credit, farm income, climate change perception and household size have a significant positive influence on adoption of most CSA practices. Small-sized farms, lack of access to extension services, level of education and inaccessibility to weather and climate information were major barriers influencing adoption of CSA practices. Conclusion: To reduce vulnerability of smallholder farmers to impacts of climate variability and change, the study recommends the need to enhance increased access to extension services and timely dissemination of climate information to farmers in the form they can easily understand and decode.

scholarly journals Information Sources and Constraints to Climate Change Adaptation amongst Smallholder Farmers in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5846
Author(s):  
Oluwabunmi Oluwaseun Popoola ◽  
Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan Yusuf ◽  
Nomakhaya Monde
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Farming Communities ◽  
Rural Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Knowledge ◽  
Climate Change Information

With current global climate change conditions, the urgency to provide agricultural knowledge on adaptation has risen. The dearth of climate change information is one amongst many agricultural production challenges faced by the majority of rural farming communities. This study aimed to identify smallholder farmers’ sources of climate change information and constraints to their coping and adaptation. Descriptive statistical tools, mean scores and the ‘problem confrontation index’ (PCI) were used to assess and describe the study’s findings. Analysis revealed that public extension services play a minute role in rural farmers’ climate change knowledge; they get their information elsewhere. The most critical constraint to climate change coping and adaptation in the study area was lack of access to agricultural extension services.

scholarly journals Determinants of smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to the effects of climate change: Evidence from northern Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Atube ◽  
Geoffrey M. Malinga ◽  
Martine Nyeko ◽  
Daniel M. Okello ◽  
Simon Peter Alarakol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Resistant Varieties

Abstract Background Climate change poses a threat to the sustainability of food production among small-scale rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa that are dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Understanding farmers’ adaptations and the determinants of their adaptation strategies is crucial in designing realistic strategies and policies for agricultural development and food security. The main objectives of this study were to identify the adaptation strategies used by smallholder farmers to counter the perceived negative effects of climate change in northern Uganda, and factors influencing the use of specific adaptation strategies. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed to collect data from 395 randomly selected smallholder farmers’ household heads across two districts by the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing farmers’ adaptation to climate change. Results The three most widely practiced adaptation strategies were planting of different crop varieties, planting drought-resistant varieties, and fallowing. Results of the binary logit regression model revealed that marital status of household head, access to credit, access to extension services, and farm income influenced farmers’ adoption of planting drought-resistant varieties as an adaptation strategy while access to credit, annual farm income, and time taken to market influenced adoption of planting improved seeds. Gender of household head and farm income had a positive influence on farmers’ adoption of fertilizer and pesticide use. Farming experience, farm income, and access to extension services and credit influenced farmers’ adoption of tree planting. Household size, farming experience, and time taken to market had positive influence on the use of fallowing, while size of land cultivated significantly influenced farmers’ planting of different crop varieties as an adaptation strategy. Conclusion Findings of the study suggest there are several factors that work together to influence adoption of specific adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers. This therefore calls for more effort from government to strengthen the provision of agricultural extension services by improving its climate information system, providing recommended agricultural inputs and training farmers on best agronomic practices to enhance their holistic adaptation to the effect of climate change.

scholarly journals Information and communication technologies (ICT) towards agricultural development in rural areas: case of smallholder farmers in Umzimvubu local municipality of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-90
Author(s):  
Z. Makaula ◽  
S.F.G. Yusuf
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Information And Communication

This paper was initiated in order to find the usage and relevance of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by the smallholder farmers of the Umzimvubu Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. A survey questionnaire was then developed to collect the relevant data from randomly selected six villages of Umzimvubu Local Municipality targeting 138 respondents. The questionnaires structure employed both closed and open-ended questions that were administered using a face to face interview, conducted on the sample population in each village. There seems to be a correlation between ICT usage and the economies of scale in agricultural development, where smallholder farmers tend to use less of highly modernized ICT, while commercial large scale farmers use more of the modernized ICT. This disparity amongst farmers is exacerbated in many areas by the differing support systems employed by the public extension services. 

Agricultural Market Access and Farm Income Nexus

2021 ◽  
pp. 103-124
Author(s):  
A. Narayanamoorthy
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Agricultural Market ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Unit Of Analysis ◽  
Rural Infrastructure ◽  
Competitive Pricing ◽  
Indian Perspective

This chapter provides an explanation as to whether agricultural market access has any relationship with farm income. A plethora of studies confirm that rural infrastructure is a sine qua non for significantly improving agricultural production. Recent literature indicates that in addition to factors like human capital, credit markets, extension services and technology, the presence of reliable infrastructures such as roads and market sites increase the efficiency of both marketing and production by bringing down the transaction costs and ensuring more competitive pricing conditions in marketing than would occur in their absence. Making a departure from earlier studies by taking 235 Indian districts as the unit of analysis, chapter 5 attempts to provide an empirical basis for the perceived nexus between market access, agriculture infrastructure and value of agriculture output (VAO) from the Indian perspective using regression analysis.

scholarly journals Determinants of home gardening participation among rural households: evidence from ingquza hill local municipality, South Africa.

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-220
Author(s):  
Yanga Nontu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Home Gardens ◽  
Home Garden ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Home Gardening ◽  
Local Municipality

The participation of rural households in home garden production, which is a premise of income and food security, is very low. Therefore, this study investigated factors influencing rural households’ participation in home gardens from Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, South Africa. This is against a background where literature and development circles suggest that household home gardens can significantly improve food security and household income. Despite the fact that home gardens are a source of income and food security, rural households’ participation is claimed to be very low, suggesting several factors worth explaining. The study used cross-sectional survey data from rural communities of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (n = 200), to estimate participation drivers. The initial sample was stratified into two groups; home gardeners and non-home gardeners. For home gardening participants, a census was carried out due to their limited numbers. For non-participants, convenience and purposive sampling was used focusing on households with similar socioeconomic characteristics and close to participants for pairing purposes. Using stratified purposive convenience sampling, two homogeneous mutually exclusive strata were created (stratum “A”; “HGs participants”: n = 87 and stratum “B”; “HGs non-participants”: n = 113) for an independent analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Regression results revealed that home garden participation was influenced by gender, education, household income, extension services, access to arable land, and credit access. This paper concluded that education, household income, access to extension services, and access to arable land were the major factors capable of positively influencing household participation in home gardening. In contrast, gender and access to credit were negatively associated with household participation in home gardening. Therefore, the paper calls for government policies and intervention programs targeting home gardening to improve rural household participation in home gardens.

scholarly journals Adoption Drivers of Improved Open-Pollinated (OPVs) Maize Varieties by Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13644
Author(s):  
Masithembe Sigigaba ◽  
Lelethu Mdoda ◽  
Asanda Mditshwa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Maize Varieties ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

This study assesses the determinants of adoption drivers of improved open-pollinated (OPVs) maize varieties by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Cross-sectional data of multi-stage random sampling was used to randomly select 150 smallholder farmers in the province. Data collection was conducted through a well-structured questionnaire administered to 150 smallholder farmers. Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model were used for the analyses. The inferential results reveal that the majority of farmers in the study area were females (70%) with an average age of 45 years and had six people in the households. Smallholder maize farmers spent an average of 10 years in school. The results show that smallholder maize farmers had a farm size of 3 ha and a household income of R 3565.00, which contributes highly to household and farm operations. Farmers had access to extension services and were members of farm organizations. The results show that hybrid is the most used maize variety rather than OPVs. The main reason, among other things, for the poor use and adoption of OPVs is the lack of knowledge about the seeds. The results drawn from the estimations show that socio-economic and institutional factors influenced the adoption of OPVs by farmers in the study area. Therefore, the study recommends strengthening the existing extension services to highlight the benefits of OPVs through training and farmers’ information days.

scholarly journals Economic analysis of integrated vegetable–poultry production systems in the Babati District of Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naphtal Habiyaremye ◽  
Justus Ochieng ◽  
Thomas Heckelei
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Production System ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Flock Size ◽  
Factors Influencing

Abstract Background Integrated vegetable–poultry production system has recently attracted attention both from the scientific and policy making communities for its potential contribution to food security as well as the opportunities it offers in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Tanzania. Despite the efforts made, its benefits and costs in heterogeneous and real-world settings are not fully understood. Despite the promising design of the vegetable–poultry production system, rather little is known of its profitability and its contribution to better living conditions of rural households in different real-world settings. The same applies regarding the knowledge on factors influencing the decision to adopt such an integrated system. Methods Using cross-sectional data collected from 250 households in Babati district of Tanzania, we employ a gross margin analysis and a logit model to evaluate the profitability and to investigate the factors influencing the decision to integrate vegetable and poultry production systems. Results We find that the integrated vegetable–poultry production system is more profitable than vegetable farming alone and the profitability increases as the poultry flock size increases. An integrating household should keep 18 birds to get significant higher profit than non-integrator. Furthermore, gender and education level of the household head, awareness of integration benefits, land owned, household size, off-farm income, and total income received by the household influence the decision to integrate vegetable and poultry. Conclusion The study strongly promotes the integration of vegetable–poultry production system and highlights the influence of gender and awareness of integration benefits on the decision to integrate vegetable and poultry. Hence, the policy implication is to empower women and provide capacity building through training and extension services such as provision of affordable and improved vegetable seeds and poultry breeds.

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