Small change: individual farm work and collective life in a western Nigerian savanna town, 1969–88

Africa ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane I. Guyer
Keyword(s):  
Farming System ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cropping Patterns ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Small Change ◽  
Returns To Labour ◽  
Individual Farm ◽  
Ceremonial Life ◽  
Nigerian Savanna

AbstractA comparison of data collected in western Nigeria (the Yoruba area) in 1968-69 and 1988 suggests that small-scale male farmers' patterns of work remained quite similar in the total amount of work they did and in the amount by task. This finding seemed surprising, since the study area lies in the food supply hinterland of the rapidly growing cities of Ibadan, Lagos and Abeokuta. The farming system has changed in several ways in response to increased urban demand and improved transport, including an increase in farm size on the part of male farmers. Changed cropping patterns, the increased use of hired labour and somewhat increased returns to labour seem only partly to account for the persistence. Analysis of the work data in terms of its timing, rather than in terms of time, suggests that farmers are tending to work at the same task in longer stretches ofconsecutive days, and this, in turn, is related to the marked rescheduling of traditional ceremonial life and the intensified politico-associational life moved to the weekend.

scholarly journals Farm Size, Risk Aversion and Overuse of Fertilizer: The Heterogeneity of Large-Scale and Small-Scale Wheat Farmers in Northern China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Haixia Wu ◽  
Hantao Hao ◽  
Hongzhen Lei ◽  
Yan Ge ◽  
Hengtong Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Deviation Degree ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The excessive use of fertilizer has resulted in serious environmental degradation and a high health cost in China. Understanding the reasons for the overuse of fertilizer is critical to the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture, and large-scale operation is considered as one of the measures to deal with the excessive fertilizer use. Under the premise of fully considering the resource endowment and heterogeneity of large-scale farmers and small-scale farmers in production and management, different production decision-making frameworks were constructed. Based on the 300 large-scale farmers and 480 small-scale farmers in eight provinces of northern China wheat region, we analyzed the optimal fertilizer use amount and its deviation as well as the influencing factors of small-scale and large-scale farmers, then further clarified whether the development of scale management could solve the problem of excessive fertilizer use. The empirical results show that: (1) both small-scale farmers and large-scale farmers deviated from the optimal fertilizer application amount, where the deviation degree of optimal fertilizer application of small-scale farmers is significantly higher than that of large-scale farmers, with a deviation degree of 35.43% and 23.69% for small and large scale farmers, respectively; (2) not all wheat growers in North China had the problem of excessive use of chemical fertilizer, as the optimal level of chemical fertilizer application in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia are 346.5 kgha−1 and 335.25 kgha−1, while the actual fertilizer use amount was 337.2 kgha−1 and 324.6 kgha−1, respectively; and (3) the higher the risk aversion level, farmers tended to apply more fertilizer to ensure grain output. Therefore, increasing farm size should be integrated into actions such as improving technological innovation and providing better information transfer to achieve the goal of zero-increase in Chinese fertilizer use.

MECHANIZATION OF POTATO GRADING ON SMALL-SCALE FARMS: A CASE STUDY FROM PERU

2005 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. P. BUTLER ◽  
T. BERNET ◽  
K. MANRIQUE
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Market Integration ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Critical Aspect ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Important Cash Crop

Potatoes are an important cash crop for small-scale producers worldwide. The move away from subsistence to commercialized farming, combined with the rapid growth in demand for processed agricultural products in developing countries, implies that small-scale farmers and researchers alike must begin to respond to these market changes and consider post-harvest treatment as a critical aspect of the potato farming system. This paper presents and assesses a low cost potato-grading machine that was designed explicitly to enable small-scale potato growers to sort tubers by size for supply to commercial processors. The results of ten experiments reveal that the machine achieves an accuracy of sort similar to commercially available graders. The machine, which uses parallel conical rollers, has the capacity to grade different tuber shapes and to adjust sorting classes, making it suitable for locations with high potato diversity. Its relatively low cost suggests that an improved and adapted version of this machine might enhance market integration of small-scale potato producers not only in Peru, but in other developing countries as well.

Het Hoge Kempen ruraal-industrieel transitielandschap

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-207
Author(s):  
PIET GELEYNS
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Coal Miners ◽  
Garden Cities ◽  
World Heritage List ◽  
The World ◽  
Outstanding Universal Value ◽  
Extensive Farming

The Hoge Kempen rural industrial transition landscape: a layered landscape of Outstanding Universal Value? Up until the beginning of the 20th century, the eastern part of the Belgian province of Limburg was a sparsely populated and not very productive part of the country. The dominating heathland was maintained with sheep, which were an essential part of a small-scale extensive farming system. This all changed when coal was discovered in 1901. Seven large coalmines were established in a few decades, each one employing thousands of coal-miners. This also meant that entire new garden cities were built, to house the coal-miners and their families. The confrontation between the small-scale traditional land-use and the new large-scale industrial developments defines the landscape up to today. The scale and the force of the turnover are considered unprecedented for Western Europe, which is why it is being presented by Belgium for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

scholarly journals Poultry farmer response to disease outbreaks in smallholder farming systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Delabouglise ◽  
Nguyen Thi Le Thanh ◽  
Huynh Thi Ai Xuyen ◽  
Benjamin Nguyen-Van-Yen ◽  
Phung Ngoc Tuyet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flock Size ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Southern Vietnam ◽  
Poultry Farms ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAvian influenza outbreaks have been occurring on smallholder poultry farms in Asia for two decades. Farmer responses to these outbreaks can slow down or accelerate virus transmission. We used a longitudinal survey of 53 small-scale chicken farms in southern Vietnam to investigate the impact of outbreaks with disease-induced mortality on harvest rate, vaccination, and disinfection behaviors. We found that in small broiler flocks (≤16 birds/flock) the estimated probability of harvest was 56% higher when an outbreak occurred, and 214% higher if an outbreak with sudden deaths occurred in the same month. Vaccination and disinfection were strongly positively correlated with flock size and farm size, respectively. Small-scale farmers – the overwhelming majority of poultry producers in low-income countries – tend to rely on rapid sale of birds to mitigate losses from diseases. As depopulated birds are sent to markets or trading networks, this reactive behavior has the potential to enhance onward transmission.One sentence summaryA cohort study of fifty three small-scale poultry farms in southern Vietnam reveals that when outbreaks occur with symptoms similar to highly pathogenic avian influenza, farmers respond by sending their chickens to market early, potentially exacerbating the effects of the outbreak.

scholarly journals Technical Efficiency and Small Scale Maize Producers in Mwanza Region: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukole Kongolo
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Estimation Procedure ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Frontier Analysis

This study measured technical efficiency and its determinants in maize production by small-scale producers in Mwanza region, using a stochastic frontier production function approach. A randomly selected sample of participants in the two districts was used. The Maximum Likelihood estimation procedure was followed to obtain the determinants of technical efficiency and technical efficiency levels of small-scale maize producers. The minimum and maximum values of technical efficiency were between 20% and 91%, indicating that the least practices of specific producer operates at a minimum level of 20%, while the best practice producers  operate  at 91% technical efficiency  level respectively. The summary results of the mean technical efficiency was 63%. The main determinants of technical efficiency were labour, farm size, producer’s experience, producer’s age, family size which were all positive and statistically significant. The findings suggest that the average efficiency of small-scale maize producers could be improved by 37% through better use of existing resources and technology. These findings highlight the need for action by government to assist small-scale maize producers improve efficiency.

scholarly journals MOTIVASI PETANI DALAM MEMPERTAHANKAN SISTEM TRADISIONAL PADA USAHATANI PADI SAWAH DI DESA PARBAJU JULU KABUPATEN TAPANULI UTARA PROPINSI SUMATERA UTARA

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
. Reflis ◽  
M. Nurung ◽  
Juliana Dewi Pratiwi
Keyword(s):  
Formal Education ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Rice Farming ◽  
Traditional System ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Rainfed Farming

This research aims to identify factors correlated significantly to the motivation of farmers in perseving traditional rainfed farming systems, such as using local seeds and planting once a year.  The population of this study is farmer who still perform the traditional paddy farming system in the Village of North Tapanuli Parbaju Julu County North Sumatra Province. As much as 48 respondents randomly selected from 160 farmers.  A descriptive analyse and Spearman rank correlation are applied in this study.   The study showed that formal education, farmers' perception of the traditional system of rice farming are correlated significantly to farmer motivation in preserving tradional farming system while non-formal education, the traditional system of farming experience, farm size, number of family members are not.  Factors that correlated significantly to farmer motivation in maintaining local seed is non-formal education, farming experience, while the traditional system of formal education, farmers' perception of traditional rice farming system, farm size, number of family members are not correlated significantly.  Furthermore, the number of family members is merely factor that correlated significantly to the farmers motivation in maintaining once a year plantings while others factors are not correlated. Key words: farmer motivation, preserving, traditional farming

scholarly journals Analysis of the effects of Zimbabwean white farmers on small scale farming in Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Olaniyi Adewumi ◽  
Ayodele Jimoh ◽  
Olubunmi Abayomi Omotesho
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Policy Option ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The World ◽  
White Farmers ◽  
Local Farmers

Many observers believe that the on-going liberalization of the world will have dramatic negative effects on small farmers in both developed and developing countries. This study aims to capture the effects of the presence of foreign migrant farmers on small scale farm­ing systems, which are prevalent in Nigeria. The Agricultural Development Project Zone D in which the white farmers settled in the state of Kwara, was used as a case study. Primary data were collected from white farmers as well as from local farmers regarding their situ­ation before and after the arrival of white farmers. Descriptive statistics and analysis of the farm budget were used in evaluating the data. The majority of local farmers (98.63%) transitioned towards sole cropping since the arrival of white farmers in the area. There were significant increases in seed rate, fertilizer and other chemicals, as well as labor inputs per farmer in the area when compared to the situation that was prevalent before the white farmers settled there. Their average farm size, distances between their houses and farms and tractor use reduced significantly, while output per farm size increased considerably since the arrival of white farmers in the area. In order to provide sustainability of the posi­tive development, there is the need to seek a policy option that will calm local farmers who once in a while exhibit signs of dissatisfaction for the way in which white farmers came to settle on their land. These could be achieved through the use of the participatory approach to agricultural development in the area. This approach could also be relevant in other re­gions of the world with similar situations. 

scholarly journals Prevalence and risk factors associated with Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella enterica in livestock raised on diversified small-scale farms in California

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. A. Pires ◽  
L. Patterson ◽  
E. A. Kukielka ◽  
P. Aminabadi ◽  
N. Navarro-Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Factors Associated

Abstract Diversified farms are operations that raise a variety of crops and/or multiple species of livestock, with the goal of utilising the products of one for the growth of the other, thus fostering a sustainable cycle. This type of farming reflects consumers' increasing demand for sustainably produced, naturally raised or pasture-raised animal products that are commonly produced on diversified farms. The specific objectives of this study were to characterise diversified small-scale farms (DSSF) in California, estimate the prevalence of Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter spp. in livestock and poultry, and evaluate the association between farm- and sample-level risk factors and the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. on DSSF in California using a multilevel logistic model. Most participating farms were organic and raised more than one animal species. Overall Salmonella prevalence was 1.19% (95% confidence interval (CI95) 0.6–2), and overall Campylobacter spp. prevalence was 10.8% (CI95 = 9–12.9). Significant risk factors associated with Campylobacter spp. were farm size (odds ratio (OR)10–50 acres: less than 10 acres = 6, CI95 = 2.11–29.8), ownership of swine (OR = 9.3, CI95 = 3.4–38.8) and season (ORSpring: Coastal summer = 3.5, CI95 = 1.1–10.9; ORWinter: Coastal summer = 3.23, CI95 = 1.4–7.4). As the number of DSSF continues to grow, evaluating risk factors and management practices that are unique to these operations will help identify risk mitigation strategies and develop outreach materials to improve the food safety of animal and vegetable products produced on DSSF.

scholarly journals Internet Access and Internet Purchasing Patterns of Farm Households

2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashok K. Mishra ◽  
Robert P. Williams ◽  
Joshua D. Detre
Keyword(s):  
Durable Goods ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Regional Location ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Purchasing Patterns

The Internet is becoming an increasingly important management tool in production agriculture. Using data from the 2004 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) and a double-hurdle estimation approach, we explore the adoption of computers with Internet access by and Internet purchasing patterns of farm households. Adoption of the Internet is positively related to age and education of the operator, off-farm work, presence of spouse, participation in government programs, farm size, and regional location of the farm. Internet purchasing patterns of farm households are positively related to the education of the operator and spouse, presence of teenagers, and regional location of the farm. Finally, farm businesses and their households are more likely to purchase a greater percentage of non-durable goods through the Internet as distances to markets increase.

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