scholarly journals Does Minimum Tillage Improve Smallholder Farmers’ Welfare? Evidence from Southern Tanzania

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 513
Author(s):  
Maurice Osewe ◽  
Chris Miyinzi Mwungu ◽  
Aijun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
Crop Income

Conservation agriculture continues to be promoted in developing nations as a sustainable and suitable agricultural practice to enhance smallholder productivity. A look at the literature indicates that this practice is successful in non-African countries. Thus, this research sought to test whether minimum tillage (MT), a subset of conservation agriculture, could lead to a significant impact on smallholder households’ welfare in Southern Tanzania. Using cross-sectional data from 608 randomly selected smallholder households, we applied propensity score matching to determine the effects of adopting minimum tillage on smallholder households’ per capita net crop income and labor demand. Our results indicated that minimum tillage adoption has positive impacts on smallholder households’ per capita net crop income. Further, it reduces the total household labor demands, allowing households to engage in other income-generating activities. However, the adoption rate of minimum tillage is in the early majority stage (21.38%). Thus, we propose the government to support household credit access and extension-specific information to improve the probability of adopting minimum tillage.

scholarly journals Farmer-Led Irrigation and Its Impacts on Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Income: Evidence from Southern Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1512
Author(s):  
Maurice Osewe ◽  
Aijun Liu ◽  
Tim Njagi
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Household Welfare ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
Crop Income

Irrigation projects in sub-Saharan Africa are mostly unsustainable because of lack of maintenance by their users or government planners. By contrast, evidence shows that the smallholder farmers are developing and expanding the irrigated land, using their initiatives. Farmer-led irrigation, a revolutionary agricultural intensification approach, is already in progress with the magnitude to significantly transform the living standards of smallholder farmers. However, a rigorous assessment of its impact on household welfare to ascertain this is lacking. This paper bridges this gap by assessing factors influencing the adoption of this particular approach as well as its effects on the farmers’ per capita net crop income. Our data set consists of 608 smallholder farmers in Southern Tanzania and used propensity score matching to estimate the effects of adoption on the per capita net crop income. Our results indicate that the uptake of farmer-led irrigation practices is influenced by drought experience, water user group membership, farmer organization membership, and government extension, as well as the sex of the household head. Further, there was a positive and significant effect on the adopters’ per capita net crop income, thus encouraging the need to promote farmer-led irrigation as a complement to externally promoted innovations in achieving sustainable food security. This study, therefore, recommends that the government should support the farmers’ initiative by improving roads, removing market barriers, and helping farmers who have not yet taken up the initiative. Also, the government should enact regulations to make sure farmer-led irrigation initiatives do not harm the eco-environment such as protecting domestic water users. Finally, the government should leverage microservices to the farmers such as promoting affordable and appropriate credit facilities. It is necessary to continue pursuing this vein of research to gain information regarding the definite impact of the farmer-led irrigation on household welfare.

Effect of Non-tariff Barriers on Maize Production and Marketing by Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania

2020 ◽  
pp. 097215092095354
Author(s):  
Petro Maziku ◽  
Robert Mashenene
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Consumer Prices ◽  
Unit Increase ◽  
The Government ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

This study assessed the effect of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) on the production and marketing of maize for smallholder farmers in Mbozi and Momba Districts located in Songwe region in Tanzania. A cross-sectional design was employed in gathering primary data. A two-stage stratified sampling procedure was used in the selection of 400 smallholder farmers, who were surveyed using standardized questionnaires. In estimating the effect of NTBs on maize production and supply, the duality model was employed. The results indicate that NTBs have a depressive effect on the quantity of maize produced and marketed. The findings further show that a unit increase in transaction costs attributed to NTBs could reduce the quantity of maize produced by 16 per cent in the two districts. Based on these findings, it is concluded that the quantity of maize produced and supplied by farmers in the two districts decreases with an increase in the NTB costs. The study recommends the reduction and/or removal of the NTBs, which impede maize production and marketing among smallholder farmers. This would help the government to achieve its goals of creating high prices in the surplus districts and attain low consumer prices in the deficit urban centers, thus reducing poverty.

Socio-cultural Factors influencing livestock investment decisions among Smallholder Farmers in Mbulu and Bariadi Districts, Tanzania

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1214-1230
Author(s):  
Nyanjige Mbembela Mayala ◽  
Mangasini Atanasi Katundu ◽  
Elibariki Emmanuel Msuya
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
The Government

Several different actors are involved in making sure smallholder farmers are motivated to commit funds in expectation of future returns (investment decisions) from useful domesticated animals (livestock). However, efforts by the government, international organizations and the private sector have not been able to significantly increase trade trends in Tanzania’s livestock which explains that there could be a lot more reasons for that. This manuscript assesses the socio-cultural factors (SCFs) influencing livestock investment decisions among smallholder farmers in Mbulu and Bariadi districts in Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was employed where a sample of 333 respondents and 9 key informants were interviewed. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a key informant checklist. A binary logistic regression model (BLRM) was used to analyse the relationship between SCFs and livestock investment decisions. Results show that store of wealth is the most influencing factor followed by prestige, bride prices, ethnicity and number of children (significant at p < 0.05) to household livestock investment decisions. The study generally concludes that smallholder farmers consider their cultural perspectives before they decide on livestock management styles and that blending the SCFs and other factors could secure more livestock investments.

scholarly journals Determinants of aggregate agricultural productivity among high external input technology farms in a harsh macroeconomic environment of Imo state, Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (60) ◽  
pp. 8238-8248
Author(s):  
SO Anyanwu
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Negative Sign ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Imo State ◽  
The Government ◽  
Planting Materials ◽  
Macroeconomic Environment

The main purpose of this study was to isolate and discuss the determinants of aggregate agricultural productivity in an environment where policy on subsidy of fertilizer is inconsistent. The study examined determinants of aggregate agricultural productivity among HEIT farmers in Imo State, in order to provide information on those variables that play significant roles in determining the aggregate agricultural productivity in an environment where HEIT inputs such as inorganic fertilizer are not subsidized. Cross - sectional data generated from 80 smallholder farmers who practiced HEIT, randomly selected from 2 out of the 3 agricultural zones in Imo State were used. Multiple regressions was used in analyzing the data. Results showed that farm sizes, capital input, number of crops planted in a mixture in the farm, labour input, expenditure on planting materials, non farm income, distance to the nearest market, level of education and farming experience are the statistically significant determinants of aggregate agricultural productivity among HEIT users in a harsh macroeconomic environment of Imo State, Nigeria. The negative sign on man days of labour and expenditure on planting materials may suggest that a reduction in the current level of use of these inputs may increase aggregate agricultural productivity in Imo state. The negative sign associated with non farm income may imply that if more time is allotted to non farm activities less time would be available for allocation to farming activities which may reduce aggregate agricultural productivity. It is, therefore, recommended that appropriate policies be put in place by the government to increase the farm sizes through re-examination of the existing land laws. Credit liberalization in favour of HEIT farmers is expected to increase their labour and capital inputs while mass literacy and increase in extension contacts will increase their level of education. Credit facilities for the smallholder farmers should be skewed in favour of farmers with more years of farming experience and levels of education. Furthermore, improved planting materials should be made available to the HEIT smallholder farmers in the country, if aggregate agricultural productivity is to be increased under the prevailing macroeconomic environment.

scholarly journals Knowledge into the Practice against COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study from Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 12902
Author(s):  
Prince Yeboah ◽  
Dennis Bomansang Daliri ◽  
Ahmad Yaman Abdin ◽  
Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong ◽  
Werner Pitsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Personal Attitude ◽  
The Government

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected populations globally, including Ghana. Knowledge of the COVID-19 disease, and the application of preventive public health interventions are pivotal to its control. Besides a lockdown, measures taken against the spread of the virus include the wearing of face masks, social distancing, regular hand washing with soap and, more recently, vaccination against the virus. In order to establish a possible link between the knowledge of the disease and compliance with preventive measures, including vaccination, a cross-sectional study employing an interview-structured questionnaire was conducted in six regions of Ghana (n = 1560). An adequate level of knowledge of COVID-19 (69.9%) was reported. The linear multiple regression analysis further explicated the differences in the knowledge of COVID-19 among the respondents by their knowledge of cholera and influenza (adjusted R-Square = 0.643). Despite this profound knowledge of the illness, two thirds of the respondents were unwilling to follow basic preventive measures and only 35.3% were willing to be vaccinated. Amazingly, neither knowledge of COVID-19 nor the socio-demographic characteristics had any meaningful influence on the practice of preventive measures. Personal attitude leading to efficient public compliance with preventive measures, therefore, is a critical issue demanding special attention and effective interventions by the government and locals with authority to curb the spread of the pandemic which surpasses the traditional channels of public health communication. This includes a roll-out of persuasion, possibly including public figures and influencers, and in any case, a balanced and open discussion addressing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in order to avoid new variants and comparable problems currently facing many countries of Western Europe. Indeed, a profound hesitancy against vaccination may turn African countries such as Ghana for many years into hotspots of new viral variants.

scholarly journals Strategies to Resolve Food Insecurity in Guinea International Cooperation Approaches (Availability: Production, Distribution, and Exchange of Food): A Case Study in Guinea

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Mamadou Saliou Ly ◽  
Xuecheng Dou
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
National Income ◽  
General Situation ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Development Capacity ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
Historical Practices

The project at hand addresses the existence of food safety problems in Guinea with the major focus being on the general situation about how it can be recovered using an international approach. The stable food in the nation of Guinea is rice, which is why it&#39;s per capita consumption is roughly 100 kg annually. Guinea&rsquo;s economy relies heavily on agriculture as well as other rural activities and besides that, it is richly endowed with minerals whereby the country has both gold and bauxite reserves. The country&rsquo;s gross domestic product stands at $10.91 billion as per the 2018 report of the World Bank. The 2018 World Bank report shows that GDP per capita of Guinea is $878.60 with its gross national income being $30.58 billion PPP. It for this matter that the paper will cover on the economic situation of the country, its natural resources, the agricultural production, supply and demand, import and distribution, as well as determining the size, importance, and initial judgment of the problem. Additionally, the paper will address past historical practices and problems identified successful experiences of other African countries, and the Chinese experience. It is for this aspect that the government through its relevant bodies should handle the situation using the case of China whereby they have attained food security within the shortest period. The case of Chinese experience is ideal for this paper because they have been in such situations before and thus the reason why the paper focuses on China&rsquo;s development experience based on Guineas agricultural development capacity-building approach research.

scholarly journals Agricultural Information Networks and Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in East Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-104
Author(s):  
Jessie Gunter ◽  
Keith M. Moore ◽  
Stephen Eubank ◽  
Grace Tino
Keyword(s):  
Network Structure ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Innovation And Technology ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Farmer Groups ◽  
Multiple Levels

Previous studies have shown that there is not one universal set of factors that contribute to smallholder farmers' adoption of Conservation Agriculture. However, network influences at the local and regional levels play a key role in innovation and technology diffusion. A major challenge in research dedicated to measuring these influences is representing farmer network structure. Mixed methods baseline and endline surveys on adoption of Conservation Agriculture and farmer information sources were carried out in 2010 and 2014 in Molo, Uganda (n=92), Kween, Uganda (n=94), and Kitale, Kenya (n=65). Network structure is explored at multiple levels: the meso-level, where agents serve as sources of vertical knowledge; and the micro level, where farmers spread new technologies horizontally, often through involvement in farmer groups and associations, and integrate them into existing local knowledge. The survey results indicate that farmers understood the three principles of Conservation Agriculture as independent concepts and that crop rotation is widespread. Adoption of minimum tillage increased significantly (p < 0.01) in the Ugandan sites, and knowledge of minimum tillage increased significantly in all research sites.

scholarly journals Ocimum Sanctum [Tulsi]—An Alternative Additional Livelihood Option for the Poor and Smallholder Farmers

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
Ghulam-Muhammad Shah ◽  
Farid Ahmad ◽  
Shailesh Panwar ◽  
Manbar S. Khadka ◽  
Ajaz Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Least Squares Method ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Ocimum Sanctum ◽  
Fallow Land ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total Crop ◽  
Crop Income

The scope of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) as an alternative crop and means of livelihood, particularly for the rural poor, has not been extensively explored. Tulsi is in much demand for its medicinal and aromatic properties, particularly in Ayurveda. With increased depredation of cereal crops by wildlife, increased pest incidence, and decreasing availability of water for agriculture, an attempt was made to explore alternative livelihoods through Tulsi cultivation and value chain development. Using cross-sectional survey data of beneficiary households, the study employed the ordinary least squares method to examine the relationship between total crop income and the income from Tulsi for 2016 and 2017. The findings suggest that the average household’s gross profit more than doubled within a span of two years. Total crop income of beneficiary farmers increased by 0.8 percent for every 1 percent increase in income from Tulsi. Most importantly, the intervention has shown a tremendous adoption rate. Initially, in 2013, 200 farmers cultivated Tulsi on 8.72 hectors of unirrigated and fallow land in the five beneficiary villages, but by 2017, towards the end of the intervention period, 400 farmers were cultivating the crop on 19.6 hectors of unirrigated, fallow land in 19 villages in Chamoli District. Tulsi farming and value chain development intervention not only provided marginal and smallholder farmers in these villages with a sustainable alternative additional livelihood option but also an opportunity where they were able to sustainably generate income from unirrigated, fallow land.

scholarly journals Do Agricultural Package Programs Improve the Welfare of Rural People? Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Araya Teka ◽  
Sung-Kyu Lee
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Variable ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Consumption Expenditure ◽  
Rural People ◽  
Eastern Zone ◽  
Resource Endowment ◽  
Instrumental Variable Method ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to assess the welfare status and analyze the impact of participation in farm package programs on the welfare of smallholder farmers. We used three round panel data of 789 households from the Eastern zone of Tigray, and the fixed effect instrumental variable method was employed in the estimation. The study found that consumption expenditure, income, and asset per capita of the households increased across the survey years. The participation of households in the integrated package programs has a positive and statistically significant impact on the consumption expenditure and calorie per adult equivalent, but not the income and asset per capita of the households. Also, affects the consumption expenditure per adult equivalent of the married households. To enhance the welfare of the beneficiaries, the provision of the package programs should align with the local resource endowment, focus on youth, widowed and divorced households and the government should prioritize and limit the number of packages that households can participate in.

scholarly journals Impact of high yielding wheat varieties adoption on farm income of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-59
Author(s):  
Regasa D. Wake ◽  
Degye G. Habteyesus
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Average Treatment Effect ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Wheat Varieties ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Government ◽  
Livestock Productivity ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this study was to assess impact of adoption of high yielding wheat varieties on farm income in Mao-Komo district of Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. The study used cross-sectional data collected from sample of 174 farm households selected through two-stage stratified random sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics and econometric models were used to analyze the data. Propensity score matching (PSM) applied to analyze the impact of adoption on farm income. The result of the PSM estimation showed that adoption of high yielding wheat varieties has significant impact on farm income of treated households as compared to the control groups. The treated households had earned farm income of about 21452 Ethiopian Birr per year while the untreated smallholders earned farm income of only 11141 Ethiopian Birr. The average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) of farm income of adopters is greater than non-adopters that has brought about 9 % increases in farm income of smallholders. The findings suggest that the government and stakeholders should need to focus on improving farm land and livestock productivity, strengthening the provision of education, and frequency of extension visits, encouraging participation in non-farm activities, creating reliable information and awareness towards farmers’ perceptions, and improving infrastructures in the area. Finally, further support of high yielding wheat varieties adoption should be given due attention for its impact on farm income generation of smallholders. 

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