scholarly journals ICT and Agriculture Development A Farm Level Case of Nepal

Author(s):  
Meera Gautam

The main objective of this research is to assess the status of satisfaction level of ICT   use for knowledge gain and skill adoption on Agriculture Information need and its use for sustainable agriculture transformation towards derivation of market. For this purpose Dhaitar Bhanjhang  Mahadevsthan 2 Mmahadevsthan and Patlekhet-8 Kalchebesi VDC’s of  Kavrepalanchowk out of seventy seven districts is selected.  Information’s were collected from a purposive sample of 98 farmers during January 2017. Four methods were used in the process of finalizing data collection instruments. Information were collected through  four  tools face-to-face interview by using personal interview schedule, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), key-informant interview (KII) and consultation with experts from public and NGO sector extension service providers,   A sample 98 was purposively selected due to the nature of research. Likert scales were developed and used in order to measure the concerned variables. Correlation test was used to ascertain the relationships between the concerned variables. More than one third (37.3 percent) of the farmers were found to use mobile phones for receiving agricultural information, while 21.3 percent used internet facilities provided by  national and international  web media. Only 2 percent farmers were found having use of smart phone. The use of ICT is used mainly in the case of market derived vegetable production and its prices at different market. 

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-436
Author(s):  
Prashant Bhatt ◽  
Pratibha Bist ◽  
Laxmi Narayan Ojha

Kailali is the second highest district regarding wheat production and area coverage. A study was carried out in the Kailali district for preference of farmers on different wheat varieties that were being cultivated in the district. The objective of the study was to assess farmers’ preference and perception on the different improved wheat varieties in the area. Five commonly grown wheat varieties and seventeen important wheat varietal traits were selected through focus group discussion, key informant interview and preliminary survey. Sixty households were selected for face-to-face personal interview, twelve for each selected variety, at random from Ghodaghodi Municipality, Gauriganga Municipality and Kailari Rural Municipality of Kailali. The weightage of the seventeen selected traits were determined using an online survey conducted among individuals from different designation with the agricultural background who were well known about wheat cultivation practices in Kailali district. Yield, flour quality and tillering were found to be the trait of higher weightage and stem thickness was the trait of lowest weightage. The preferences of the farmers were measured using wheat preference index (WPI). The varieties Vijay, NL-971, HD-2967, Gautam and Aditya were ranked as I, II, III, IV and V respectively. The incorporation of farmers' preferred traits in future wheat varieties would increase the likelihood of adoption of the varieties. Similarly, proper participatory field trial of new improved wheat varieties would also help in the selection of the suitable varieties in the area concerning the farmers’ criteria of selection. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(4): 432-436


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 15776-15783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prayash Ghimire ◽  
Nirjala Raut ◽  
Prajna Khanal ◽  
Suman Acharya ◽  
Suraj Upadhaya

Pangolins are among the most widely traded taxa in the southeastern Asian illegal wildlife trade because of which they are at great risk of extinction.  Yet, little is known of their trade status in Nepal.  This research was carried out to unfold the status of pangolin trade in Sankhuwasava District of Nepal.  We used mixed methods such as semi-structured questionnaire (n=75) and, focus group discussion (n=4) and key Informant Interview, (n=30) to assess the trade status.  Seizure data (2009–2017) were gathered from law enforcement agencies to predict major trade routes.  The major threat perceived was hunting especially by unemployed local youth and children.  The majority of hunters were opportunistic.  Sankhuwasava District has become both source and transit for the illegal pangolin trade rather than for local use.  The involvement of non-timber forest product traders was high in the illegal trade business, however, there seems a rapid decline in the seizure of pangolin in the last two years, mainly because of the deployment of the Nepal army in the Makalu Barun National Park, which had long served as a major route to China.  Thus, we recommend continuation of strong border security.  Our study calls for capacity building of enforcement agencies for detailed investigation of seizure data.  For sustainable conservation of pangolin and its habitat we recommend sustained conservation awareness programs in addition to alternative livelihood opportunity.  Furthermore, formation of community based anti-poaching units followed by motivation, anti-poaching trainings, security assurance, and incentives for worthy conservation outcomes in pangolin-rich communities might aid in conservation.


2011 ◽  
Vol 34 (108) ◽  
pp. 18-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Musanabera Byamugisha ◽  
Robert Ikoja-Odongo ◽  
George William Nasinyama

The paper presents results of a study on information needs and use among urban farmers in Kampala City in Uganda. An information need is recognition that one's knowledge is inadequate to satisfy a goal. Urban farming is characterized by low agricultural production leading to food insecurity. Although urban farming is viewed as an important survival strategy, the information needs of urban farmers in Kampala City are not known. The study used both qualitative and quantitative study design. Methods used were face-to face interview and focus group discussion. Respondents included 380 urban farmers and 36 focus group respondents. Results show that the information needs of the urban farmers were as varied as the heterogeneity of their agricultural enterprises and information was used for different purposes and depended on the type of farming enterprise(s) and activity undertaken. The paper recommends that the dissemination of agricultural information in Kampala City needs to be based on the urban farmers' enterprise groups and their information needs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
Chandra Bahadur Thapa

Vegetable is very nutritious food and is considered to be protective food since it contains high amount of vitamins and minerals and also possesses medicinal value. In the present study, documentation of farmer’s knowledge on cultivated vegetable crops was carried out in Rupandehi district during the year 2016. The objective of this paper is to identify, enumerate and to know the status of vegetable crops in this district. It was carried out by conducting semi-structured interview with the vegetable growing farmers, local people, members of Community Based Organizations with the help of standard questionnaire, checklist, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and key informant interview. Altogether 50 plant species have been found to be cultivated in commercial scale as vegetable crops in Rupandehi district. Out of 50 plant spp.; 2 families, 4 genera and 5 spp. were monocots; and 9 families, 30 genera and 45 spp. were dicots. It is also found that fruit (55%) is the widely used part of plant as vegetable. Other parts like leaf (21%), inflorescence (4%), root (8%), tuber (2%), corm (6%), and bulb (4%) are also used as vegetable. Most of the vegetable growing farmers (91%) are economically benefited by the cultivation and selling of vegetable than other crops due to easily available seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in market; good facility of irrigation and accessible market in the study area.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e128121571
Author(s):  
Hunde Doja ◽  
Tadele Duressa

This study was undertaken to identify the factors affecting social accountability in service providing public sector organizations from beneficiary perspectives in Jimma Zone. Factors hindering social accountability, social accountability mechanisms implemented in public sectors and the role of social accountability were the objectives assessed in this study. Qualitative research approach was employed. Beneficiaries of four public sectors (health, education, agriculture and water) were selected purposively because these are the main focus of the Ethiopian Social Accountability Program (ESAP2). Two administrative towns (Jimma and Agaro) and two woreda/kebele towns (Limu Kosa and Gera districts) were purposively selected for this study. Eight Focus group discussion, sixteen in-depth interviews and four key informant interviews were conducted.  The main findings of the study revealed that factors hindering social accountability are the low citizens’ rights awareness and the socio cultural barriers that limit speaking out, absence of access to information guarantees rendering government income and expenditure because beneficiaries lack of their right awareness up to this and service provider’s unwillingness to share information. Community score cards and service providers in face to face meetings are the two commonly implemented social accountability mechanisms respectively.  Based on the findings the researchers recommended that long- term institutional reforms to make the public sectors more accountable to citizens, devolutions to local government levels or responsibility and accountability for service provision, community and civil society participation should have to be encouraged by the government. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 73-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.G. Scrimgeour

This paper provides a stocktake of the status of hill country farming in New Zealand and addresses the challenges which will determine its future state and performance. It arises out of the Hill Country Symposium, held in Rotorua, New Zealand, 12-13 April 2016. This paper surveys people, policy, business and change, farming systems for hill country, soil nutrients and the environment, plants for hill country, animals, animal feeding and productivity, and strategies for achieving sustainable outcomes in the hill country. This paper concludes by identifying approaches to: support current and future hill country farmers and service providers, to effectively and efficiently deal with change; link hill farming businesses to effective value chains and new markets to achieve sufficient and stable profitability; reward farmers for the careful management of natural resources on their farm; ensure that new technologies which improve the efficient use of input resources are developed; and strategies to achieve vibrant rural communities which strengthen hill country farming businesses and their service providers. Keywords: farming systems, hill country, people, policy, productivity, profitability, sustainability


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Martignetti ◽  
W Sun

Abstract Background In 2019 there were over 1500 opioid-related deaths in the province of Ontario, Canada. While the opioid crisis is affecting many socioeconomic groups and communities across Canada not all are being affected equally despite the presence of naloxone distribution programs in Ontario. This qualitative exploratory study seeks to understand facilitators and barriers that influence equitable access of naloxone programs in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. Methods An environmental scan will be conducted to examine the availability and distribution of naloxone across community pharmacies and organizations in Durham Region. A qualitative descriptive phenomenology will be the methodological approach where key informant interviews will explore experiences of users and providers of naloxone programs. Key informants will include service providers and clients of both Ontario Naloxone Program and Ontario Naloxone Program for Pharmacies in Durham Region. The harm reduction framework will be used to guide data analysis where thematic analysis will be conducted to generate overarching themes about the phenomenon. Results The environmental scan will result in the creation of a map outlining availability and distribution of naloxone programs to examine possible gaps that exist in Durham Region. It is expected that key informant interview findings will help understand where inequity exists in accessing Ontario's naloxone programs in Durham Region by highlighting its barriers and facilitators. Conclusions Findings generated will be used for larger scale studies in the future examining equitable access of naloxone distribution programs in Canada. This study will have implications to provide recommendations to policymakers for developing new policies to facilitate timely access of naloxone to mitigate risk of opioid-related harms. Key messages This research will help to better understand the inequities that exist in Ontario's naloxone distribution programs. This research will help to inform recommendations to improve policies surrounding Ontario's naloxone distribution programs.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073401682110208
Author(s):  
Mollee Steely Smith ◽  
Brooke Cooley ◽  
Tusty ten Bensel

The aging prison population has increased dramatically over the past two decades. As this population increases, correctional institutions are faced with health care challenges. Specifically, providing adequate end-of-life (EOL) care for terminally ill inmates has been a concern. Despite issues relating to providing EOL care, little is known about medical and correctional staff’s attitudes toward the implementation of EOL care. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges faced by correctional and medical professionals, focusing on job satisfaction, obstacles, and emotional effects of providing EOL care in correctional institutions. Our data included 17 semistructured, face-to-face interviews with medical and correctional staff assigned to the EOL care unit in a southern state. Although the entire sample stated overall satisfaction with their job, participants noted several challenges and stressors, which included the lack of resources and difficulties in balancing care. Participants agreed that it was emotionally stressful to maintain appropriate relationships with the inmates, deal with patient manipulation, and be surrounded by dying and death. Implications are discussed relative to the needs and experiences of service providers and how to more effectively treat EOL inmate patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Btissam Moncef ◽  
Marlène Monnet Dupuy

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore sustainability paradoxes in sharing economy initiatives by focusing on logistics management in last-mile logistics.Design/methodology/approachIn this exploratory study, a total of 10 case studies were conducted in three categories of companies: anti-waste platforms, food delivery platforms and bicycle delivery companies. Twenty-seven face-to-face interviews with founders and/or managers and contractors (couriers, logistics service providers or volunteers) were the primary source of data collection. The heterogeneity of the sample enabled the authors to build an understanding of sustainability paradoxes in the logistics of sharing economy initiatives.FindingsThe findings indicate how logistics management impacts the sustainability of sharing economy initiatives in last-mile delivery. The authors identify seven paradoxical tensions (five of them social) generated by the contradictions between the organizations' promised environmental and social values and the impacts of their operations.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory research is based on a qualitative study of 10 cases and 27 interviews from heterogeneous samples; further empirical research is needed to ensure generalization.Practical implicationsThe paper increases the understanding of environmental and social paradoxical tensions and awareness of logistics challenges.Social implicationsThe paper helps identify ways to reconcile promised values and impacts generated by sharing economy initiatives while managing last-mile delivery.Originality/valueThe results enrich the literature about the paradoxes in sharing economy initiatives by providing illustrations in last-mile logistics and exposing the underlying challenges for sharing economy logistics actors.


TEM Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 508-516
Author(s):  
Deepti Mishra ◽  
Gonca Gokce Menekse Dalveren ◽  
Frode S. Volden ◽  
Carly Grace Allen

Group work is a necessary element of engineering education and group members need information about one another, group process, shared attention and mutual understanding during group discussions. There are several important elements for establishing and maintaining a group discussion such as participant’s role, seating arrangement, verbal and non-verbal cues, eye gaze, gestures etc. The present study investigates these elements for identifying the behavior of group members in a blend of traditional face-to-face discussion along with computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) setting. The results of this study have shown that, speaking duration is the key factor for identifying the leadership in a group and participants mostly used eye gazes for turn taking. Although this study is a mix of face-to-face and CSCW discussion setting, participants mostly behave like faceto- face group discussion. However, unlike the previous studies involving face-to-face discussion, the relation between seating arrangement and amount of attention is not apparent from the data during this study.


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