scholarly journals Conceptualizing Microfinance For Effective Smallholder Farming In Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Mago ◽  
Costa Hofisi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Rural Finance ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Rural Agriculture

Smallholder farmers in Africa desperately need pro-poor interventions to alleviate their poverty through self-sustenance. In Africa, poverty is more prevalent in rural areas, where the overwhelming majority (about 80%) of Africas population lives and about 72% are poor. Microfinance cannot have substantial impact on poverty until it significantly penetrates the rural areas where small-scale agricultural activities by smallholder farmers need financial support. This paper thus attempts to conceptualise microfinance for smallholder farming in Africa which is done from the integrated view as opposed to a minimalist view.The integrated view was selected because it focuses on the provision of credit facilities plus related follow-up services such as training, whilst the minimalist view is concerned about giving credit only. The paper relied on literature review and digestion to conceptualise microfinance as a strategy for boosting smallholder agricultural production. Many rural farmers have no access to the traditional financial system. Therefore, basic financial services are essential for the management of their productive endeavors. This paper argues that microfinance plays a pivotal role in the commercialisation, not only of smallholder farming activities but also the successful implementation of agricultural ideas. Microfinance is one way of helping farmers to sharpen their agricultural ideas so as to promote rural economic development.With this background it has become imperative to explore the commercialisation of rural agriculture so as to empower the farmers. The financial sector in most countries does not cater for rural finance because they require physical collateral security that rural people do not have. In this article, micro-finance is seen to be a useful intervention that can be employed to economically empower the agricultural sector.

scholarly journals E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Daisy Mbucu IRERI ◽  
Mzee AWUOR ◽  
James OGALO
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Ict Tools

The economy of Kenya depends mainly on agriculture where smallholder farming has a significant role as it employs 65 percent of the work force and contributes 32 percent of Kenya’s GDP. However, the agricultural industry in Kenya is currently facing difficulties in low productivity. The rural areas have the largest concentration of poverty and food insecurity. Majority of the farming activities in Kenya are on small scale and the problems of these farmers are multifaceted including sub-divisions and small farm sizes, leading to diseconomies of scale and low productivity. The goal of this research was to develop and validate an E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers. Descriptive research design was used. The study was carried out in South Eastern Kenya. The target population comprised 224 meteorological staff, 421 agricultural extension officers, 208 ICT personnel and 3,833 farmers. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, observation and interviews and analyzed using SPSS. The study found that challenges faced farmers were cost, illiteracy and ICT skills among others. Further, the study established that farmers required specific information such as soil management, pest management etc., for mainly improving their productivity. The researcher proposed an e-agriculture framework for improving agricultural productivity through promoting innovative use of ICT tools to bridge the distance between the farmers and the research communities. The proposed e-framework could be used by government policy makers and stakeholders on ICT on agricultural services in other developing countries to implement policies that speeded up the use of ICT on agricultural information.

scholarly journals Integration Efforts in Agriculture

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
Judit Beke Lisányi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Consumer Prices ◽  
Downward Pressure ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Capital Intensive

The economic and political transition brought many challenges for the Hungarian agricultural sector. The break-up of large agricultural holdings had serious negative impacts on food production and on the export of agricultural products. Capital intensive profit-seeking intermediaries dominate the trading of agricultural goods that has injurious effects in terms of downward pressure on production prices and an increase in consumer prices. Cooperatives have a key role in effectively tackling the common challenges that small-scale producers have to face. More vertical integration along the food chain could contribute to providing rural employment and to an increase in living standards in rural areas. This study reviews the development, the specific features and the driving forces of modern cooperatives in Central Europe in general, and in Hungary in particular. The focus is on the integrator role of cooperatives and their future role in our globalised world. JEL Classification: Q10, Q13

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.

scholarly journals The contribution of small-scale rural irrigation schemes towards food security of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Smart Mhembwe ◽  
Newman Chiunya ◽  
Ernest Dube
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
The Status ◽  
Midlands Province ◽  
Observation Method ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

Smallholder farmers across Zimbabwe have been facing a problem of food insecurity because of climate-induced droughts and lack of effective use of irrigation schemes. Rainfall patterns in the country have become more unpredictable and inconsistent with the traditional farming seasons. Faced with such challenges, many smallholder farmers in Shurugwi district in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe adopted small-scale irrigation schemes to improve food security. The principal objectives of this study were to examine the status of the irrigation schemes in the district; analyse the need to rehabilitate small-scale irrigation schemes; assess the initiatives towards the revival of irrigation schemes; establish the benefits that can accrue to smallholder farmers from small-scale irrigation schemes and discuss challenges faced by smallholder farmers in the running of small-scale irrigation schemes in rural areas. This qualitative study employed literature and interviews to obtain data from 40 purposively selected participants. The direct observation method was used to compliment the interviews. The findings of the study were that small-scale rural irrigation schemes have the capacity to significantly transform the lives of rural farmers through earning increased reliable income from farming if institutional and capacity issues of the farmers are addressed. Furthermore, the study found that small-scale irrigation schemes can also be a panacea to food security challenges mainly faced by rural households. As such, the article concluded that irrigation schemes are fortress and antidote to the effects of climate change. The study calls for capacity promotion on technical skills for the farmers, the establishment of many new irrigation schemes and the rehabilitation of the existing small-scale irrigation schemes in the country as well as calling on the farmers to adopt climate-smart irrigation.

Awareness of Mobile Phone-Based Money Transfer Services in Agriculture by Smallholder Farmers in Kenya

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver K. Kirui ◽  
Julius Juma Okello ◽  
Rose A. Nyikal
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Market Failure ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Agricultural Finance ◽  
Money Transfer ◽  
Transfer Services

Smallholder farmer access to agricultural finance has been a major constraint to agricultural commercialization in developing countries. The ICT revolution in Africa has however brought an opportunity to ease this constraint. The mobile phone-based money transfer services that started in Kenya urban centres have spread to rural areas and even other countries. Using these services farmers could receive funds to invest in agricultural financial transactions. This study examines the awareness of mobile phone-based money transfer services (MMT) among rural farmers in Kenya and examines the various uses of money transferred through such services. The study employs descriptive analysis and found a very high awareness of mobile phone-based money transfer services among the smallholder farmers and found predominant use of remitted funds for agricultural related purposes (purchase of seed, fertilizer for planting and topdressing, farm equipment/implements, leasing of land for farming, wages for labour). The study concludes that there is need to expand the coverage of MMT services in rural areas since it resolves an idiosyncratic market failure that farmers face namely access to financial services. It discusses the implications of these findings for policy and practice.

scholarly journals The potential of coffee stems  gasification to provide bioenergy for coffee farms: a case study in the Colombian coffee sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1137-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samira Garcia-Freites ◽  
Andrew Welfle ◽  
Amanda Lea-Langton ◽  
Paul Gilbert ◽  
Patricia Thornley
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Thermochemical Conversion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Coffee Production ◽  
Coffee Sector ◽  
Low Grade Heat

AbstractThe coffee industry constitutes an important part of the global economy. Developing countries produce over 90% of world coffee production, generating incomes for around 25 million smallholder farmers. The scale of this industry poses a challenge with the generation of residues along with the coffee cultivation and processing chain. Coffee stems, obtained after pruning of coffee trees, are one of those abundant and untapped resources in the coffee supply chain. Their high lignocellulosic content, the low calorific value ranging between 17.5 and 18 MJ kg−1 and the low ash content make them a suitable solid fuel for thermochemical conversion, such as gasification. This research evaluates the feasibility of using these residues in small-scale downdraft gasifiers coupled to internal combustion engines for power and low-grade heat generation, using process modelling and the Colombian coffee sector as a case study. The producer gas properties (5.6 MJ Nm−3) and the gasifier’s performance characteristics suggest that this gas could be utilized for power generation. A cogeneration system efficiency of 45.6% could be attainable when the system’s low-grade heat is recovered for external applications, like in the coffee drying stage. An analysis of the energy demand and coffee stems availability within the Colombian coffee sector shows that the biomass production level in medium- to large-scale coffee farms is well matched to their energy demands, offering particularly attractive opportunities to deploy this bioenergy system. This work assesses the feasibility of providing coffee stem–sourced low-carbon energy for global coffee production at relevant operating scales in rural areas.

scholarly journals Women development in agriculture as agency for fostering innovative agricultural financing in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (07) ◽  
pp. 18279-18299
Author(s):  
Monica Ewomazino Akokuwebe ◽  
◽  
L Amusan ◽  
G Odularu ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Women Farmers ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Nigerian Women ◽  
Liberal Feminism ◽  
Historical Factors

The significant contribution of women in agricultural development cannot be over-emphasised. Women farmers are commonly side-lined and their efforts under-valued in conventional agricultural and economic evaluations despite the substantial impact they have made in the sector. Globally, women’s contributions to the agricultural sector have been appraised as the world’s major producers and organisers of food crops where half of the world’s foods have been grown by them. In Africa, Nigeria included, women dominate and play major roles in producing subsistence crops and livestock. Their contribution to agriculture is estimated to be 65% in Nigeria. However, their contributions are undermined largely because women are often economically marginalised. Though women are food producers for most of the households in rural areas, their marginalisation has been historical. Factors hindering women from accessing agricultural financing include patriarchy, an unfavourable land tenure system that deprives women of access to collateral security in accessing bank loans and the vagueness of women’s limited self-agency. Anchored in patriarchal and liberal feminism theories, this study examines how Nigerian women are marginalised in selected spheres of agrarian livelihoods in the south-eastern parts of Nigeria. South-East Nigerian women farmers participate fully in all key stages of farming activities such as production, processing and marketing of food crops. The Igbo men cultivate mainly cash crops. Similarly, in the Northern parts of Nigeria, women are only allowed to participate in certain stages of cash crop growing but they are fully allowed to engage in subsistence farming as they are relegated to home front activities. Patriarchy limits women's access and control over land resources in all forms. Patriarchal and liberal feminism denoted that the actions and ideas of male farmers dominant over those of women has prevented female farmers the autonomy and freedom to become rational beings. This paper recommends mainstreaming of gender in the design, implementation and monitoring of agricultural policies and programmes for inclusive financing for food security and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Integrating aspect of economic development in Ukrainian agriculture

Ekonomika APK ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 312 (10) ◽  
pp. 38-48
Author(s):  
Inna Bezhenar ◽  
Larisa Malik ◽  
Andrii Shvets
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
The State ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Agricultural Enterprises ◽  
Business Entities

The purpose of the article is to determine the directions of integration processes in the development of entrepreneurial activity in the agricultural sector of the economy. Research methods. Using statistical and graphical methods, the state and trends of integration transformations of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine were assessed. Research results. The dynamics of changes in the number of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine during 2013-2019, their structure on the basis of legal status, scope and results of activities are analyzed and the relevant conclusions on the ways of development of integration processes in the agricultural sector are formed. The functioning of agrarian business entities of different sizes has been studied. The integration potential of small business entities in the agricultural sector has been identified. The dynamics of the main production indicators of small and micro enterprises is given, their share in the total volume of agricultural production is determined. Also, small forms of management due to integration and cooperative processes provide an opportunity to develop in rural areas, making financial contributions to local budgets, while large enterprises (agricultural holdings) usually have minimal impact on the development of rural economy and rural areas. The main segments of agricultural production (such as potatoes, vegetables, fruits and berries) in which households play a key role are identified. Priority areas for the development of personal farms have been identified, in particular, through the creation of family farms and their association in cooperatives, etc. The information base of the study is the scientific achievements of leading domestic and foreign scientists, analytical data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. On the basis of the obtained results the social and economic expediency of development of cooperative forms of management in the countryside and integration of small-scale agricultural producers is substantiated. Scientific novelty. It is proposed to turn personal peasant farms into family farms as components of integration formations in agrarian business. Practical significance. The state of business structures of the agricultural sector of the Ukrainian economy is assessed and the prospects and advantages of the development of integration formations and cooperation in the sustainable development of rural areas are outlined. Tabl.: 8. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 20.

Green–blue water system innovations for upgrading of smallholder farming systems – a policy framework for development

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 121-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hatibu ◽  
J. Rockström
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Wealth Creation ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Rainfed Farming ◽  
Semi Arid

Rainfed agriculture and other depletion of water by green flows have as yet an untapped potential for improving livelihoods in semi-arid areas through income and food security. A vivid evidence of this is seen in the fact that, although working full time on food production, majority of smallholder farmers are frequently affected by shortage of food or famines. At the same time enough examples exist to show that productivity of labor, water and land under rainfed farming can be doubled or even trebled through proper land management and improved agronomic inputs supported by modest investments to reduce impacts of dry spells. However, these shining examples remain small ‘islands of success’ across the entire semi-arid areas. Farmers have not adopted these systems due to poor ratio of benefit to costs brought about by inadequate development or complete lack of food trade among the rural areas. This paper argues that there is a need for policy, strategic and programmatic frameworks which facilitate integrated management of land, water and markets. For this kind of strategy to work, a local market for food should be ensured to absorb at competitive prices the surplus produced by farmers in years of good rains. This will promote wealth creation and asset building among the poor in semi-arid areas. A food-exchange “futures” mechanism based on the principle of virtual water trade is proposed as a basis for achieving this objective.

‘IT'S ALL WORK AND HAPPINESS ON THE FARMS’: AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE BLOCS IN NKRUMAH'S GHANA

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (01) ◽  
pp. 25-44
Author(s):  
KERI LAMBERT
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Sudden Change ◽  
Development Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
The Government ◽  
New Nation

AbstractThis study assesses the agricultural sector under the government of Kwame Nkrumah as a dynamic Cold War front. After Ghana's independence in 1957, Nkrumah asserted that the new nation would guard its sovereignty from foreign influence, while recognizing that it needed foreign cooperation and investment. His government embarked upon a development program with an emphasis on diversifying Ghana's agriculture to decrease her dependence on cocoa. Meanwhile, both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to establish footholds in Ghana through agricultural aid, trade, and investments. In the first years of independence, the Ghanaian state encouraged smallholder farming and American investment. Later, in a sudden change of policy, the government established large-scale state farms along the socialist model. This article brings to light the ways that Ghanaians in rural areas engaged with and interpreted the increasingly interventionist agriculture projects and policies of Nkrumah's government.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document