scholarly journals Farmer Perception and Resources for Calf Fattening Under Smallholder Production System

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Humera Iqbal ◽  
Anam Afzal ◽  
Khizar Hayat ◽  
Emma Hand ◽  
David McGill
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Secondary Products ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Market Strategy ◽  
Good Market ◽  
Farming Households

In Pakistan, smallholder farmers are primarily engaged in dairy farming while keeping beef animals as secondary products. Farmers experience poor production due to lack of focus on beef farming, traditional calf rearing practices and limited resources. The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions of smallholder farming households of beef production and the available resources for farmers to engage in beef fattening to increase overall farm profitability. Data was collected using a focus group discussion approach, from farming households in villages across Punjab (n = 7) and Sindh (n = 8). An integrated framework incorporating gender and value-chain considerations was used as a tool to assess farmer interest, goals and resources for rearing livestock. The data was analyzed using content analysis. The majority of farmers interested in calf fattening were more resource rich, with livestock as their primary source of income. A smaller proportion of farmers, with limited resources, also took interest in calf fattening. Women from a few villages mentioned that they were reluctant to be involved in beef businesses due to an emerging focus on childhood education as well as a lack of agency for livestock sales and control over income. Another factor contributing to farmer perceptions of beef included their enterprise focus (dairy or cropping). Overall, smallholder farmers perceived that calf fattening could be a profitable business if claves were reared properly, had adequate feed resources and good market return. Training and farm support targeting these areas is critical for calf fattening to become a profitable market strategy.

scholarly journals A Review of Climate-Smart Agriculture Technology Adoption by Farming Households in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12130
Author(s):  
Richard Kombat ◽  
Paolo Sarfatti ◽  
Oluwole Abiodun Fatunbi
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
Farming Households

Climate change is a major constraint to the progress of Africa’s agriculture, food, and nutrition security; its effect is tied to geographical position and driven by the limited adaptive capacity of the agricultural households. The most vulnerable stakeholder group are the smallholder farming households with limited resources and knowledge of adaptation and mitigation techniques. Sub-Saharan Africa owns more than 60% of the world’s arable land with over 85% of the farmers being smallholder farmers, who are predisposed to various risks. This paper analyzes the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) processes and technologies by smallholder farming households in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study used mixed methods and an integrative literature review. This review indicated that the knowledge of CSA technologies by smallholder farmers in Africa is increasing and, thus, concerted efforts to continuously generate CSA technology would contribute to the desired positive outcome. To accelerate the pace of adoption and use of the technologies, the linkage of farmers, researchers, and extension practitioners is needed. Measures should also be put in place to ensure that CSA actions are implemented using bottom-up approaches.

scholarly journals Integrating the soybean-maize-chicken value chains to attain nutritious diets in Tanzania

Food Security ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson Charles Wilson ◽  
Maja Slingerland ◽  
Frederick P. Baijukya ◽  
Hannah van Zanten ◽  
Simon Oosting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soybean Meal ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Fuzzy Cognitive Maps ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Stakeholder Relationships ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Local Sourcing ◽  
Farming Households

AbstractIn Tanzania, diets are dominated by starchy staple crops such as maize, levels of malnutrition are high and largely attributed to lack of dietary diversity. We employed fuzzy cognitive mapping to understand the current soybean, maize and chicken value chains, to highlight stakeholder relationships and to identify entry points for value chain integration to support nutritious diets in Tanzania. The fuzzy cognitive maps were constructed based on information gathered during household interviews with 569 farming households, followed by a participatory workshop with 54 stakeholders involved in the three value chains. We found that the soybean, maize and chicken value chains were interconnected, particularly at the level of the smallholder farming systems and at processing facilities. Smallholder farming households were part of one or more value chains. Chicken feed is an important entry point for integrating the three value chains, as maize and soybean meal are the main sources of energy and protein for chicken. Unlike maize, the utilization of soybean in chicken feed is limited, mainly due to inadequate quality of processing of soybean grain into meal. As a result, the soybean grain produced by smallholders is mainly exported to neighbouring countries for further processing, and soybean meal is imported at relatively high prices. Enhancing local sourcing and adequate processing of soybean, coupled with strengthening the integration of smallholder farmers with other soybean, maize and chicken value chain actors offers an important opportunity to improve access to nutritious diets for local people. Our method revealed the importance of interlinkages that integrate the value chains into a network within domestic markets.

Conservation agriculture innovation systems build climate resilience for smallholder farmers in South Africa.

2022 ◽  
pp. 345-360
Author(s):  
Erna Kruger ◽  
Hendrik Smith ◽  
Phumzile Ngcobo ◽  
Mazwi Dlamini ◽  
Temakholo Mathebula
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Learning Groups ◽  
Successful Model ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Abstract Introduction of Conservation Agriculture (CA) and associated climate-resilient agriculture practices within an innovation system approach, and using farmer-level experimentation and learning groups as the primary learning and social empowerment processes, has created a sustainable and expanding farming alternative for smallholders that is improving their resilience to climate change substantially. Through a knowledge co-creation process, smallholder farmers in the programme have adapted and incorporated a wide range of practices into their farming system, including minimum soil disturbance, close spacing, improved varieties, judicious use of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides, crop diversification, intercropping and crop rotation as well as fodder production and livestock integration. They have organized themselves into learning groups, local savings and loan associations, water committees, farmer centres and cooperatives and in so doing have created innovation platforms for local value chain development. They have built ongoing relationships with other smallholders, NGOs, academic institutions, government extension services and agribusiness suppliers, and have promoted CA tirelessly within their local communities and social networks. To date, this is the most successful model for implementation of CA in smallholder farming in South Africa and, through networking and upscaling activities, is being promoted nationally as a strategic approach to smallholder adaptation and mitigation programming, in line with the Africa climate smart agriculture (CSA) Vision 25×25 (NEPAD, Malabo, June 2014).

scholarly journals Adoption and Impact of Conservation Agriculture on Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Productivity and Income in Luapula Province, Zambia

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanford Nkhoma ◽  
Thomson Kalinda ◽  
Elias Kuntashula
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Average Treatment Effect ◽  
Probit Regression ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Farming Households

Despite efforts to systemically disseminate Conservation Agriculture (CA) technology in Luapula Province of Zambia, the adoption rate remains limited. Furthermore, no empirical evidence has been presented on the factors influencing adoption of the technology or the extent to which farmers’ livelihood has been influenced due to uptake of the technology. This study therefore examined the adoption and impact of CA on crop productivity and income on farming households in the Province. Using the 2012 Rural Agricultural Livelihood Survey (RALS) data, the study employed a probit regression model to identify factors influencing adoption of CA among the smallholder farmers in the Province. The probit regression analysis showed that advice on CA and access to wetlands/dambos by households increased the probability to adopt CA. The study also adopted the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach to help match the adopters and non-adopters based on observable covariates in order to assess technology impact by providing consistent estimates of the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT). The results showed a small but insignificant positive impact of CA on crop productivity and income. This suggests that adoption of CA has the potential to generate an improvement in farming households’ livelihood in Luapula Province, Zambia. Therefore, adoption of CA in Luapula Province should be explicitly encouraged. This can be further enhanced by increased access to quality extension services that incorporates promotion of CA practices among the smallholder farming households in the area.

scholarly journals Exploring the Effect of Mobile Phone on Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-208
Author(s):  
Isaac Mutwiri Mutunga
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Smallholder Farming

This article is based on a sequential exploratory mixed method research which carried in-depth interviews, content analysis, semi-structured participant observation, and administered a survey to 422 smallholder farmers in Machakos County in Kenya. The study was premised on combined concepts of information needs assessment (INAM), Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF), and ICT4D value chain analysis models to explore the effect of mobile phones on smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. The study found out that mobile phones are not used by smallholder farmers’ in the same way and therefore its effect on their livelihood is not uniform. On the one hand, mobile phone has negligible effect on subsistence smallholder farmers on-farm activities, and on the other hand, mobile phone usage has huge impact on market-oriented smallholder farming because it improves the relationships and interactions between the farmer and other rural livelihoods stakeholders.

scholarly journals Processes of Acquiring Large Scale Land by Investors in the Pru District of Ghana: A Critical Inquest

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Land Acquisition ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Large Scale Land ◽  
Farming Households

The study examines the process of acquiring large-scale land for investment in the Pru district. Ghana has become one of the destinations for large-scale land deals in Africa, attracting high foreign investments in the agricultural sector. Over the past ten years, the Government of Ghana have leased out large tracts of land for investors, mainly foreign investors. The Pru district in the Bono East Region have large-scale land acquisition by investors. This study aims to examine the process through which large scale land are acquired in the district. The study employed a mixed method approach, where smallholder farmers were interviewed. Focus group discussions were conducted to achieve the objective of the study as well as computing statistical analysis for the socio-demography for the respondents. Both primary and secondary data were employed in the study and the qualitative data was analysed thematically whiles inferential and descriptive statistics with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20). The study found out that process of acquiring large tract of land for investment purposes include identification of vacant lands, deciding to lease the vacant lands, advertising the vacant lands, assessment of the land by prospective investors, negotiating terms of leasehold and documentation and transfer of ownership. The findings revealed that occupants of farmlands do not participate in decisions leading to the acquisition of those lands by investors, which has a significant influence on the effects of large-scale land acquisition on the livelihood of smallholder farming households. The study recommended that households should be given the opportunity to negotiate for better terms of compensation from investors and the government especially for farming households losing their farmlands.

scholarly journals Precision Agriculture for Resource Use Efficiency in Smallholder Farming Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
Cecilia M. Onyango ◽  
Justine M. Nyaga ◽  
Johanna Wetterlind ◽  
Mats Söderström ◽  
Kristin Piikki
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Sub Saharan

Opportunities exist for adoption of precision agriculture technologies in all parts of the world. The form of precision agriculture may vary from region to region depending on technologies available, knowledge levels and mindsets. The current review examined research articles in the English language on precision agriculture practices for increased productivity among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 7715 articles were retrieved and after screening 128 were reviewed. The results indicate that a number of precision agriculture technologies have been tested under SSA conditions and show promising results. The most promising precision agriculture technologies identified were the use of soil and plant sensors for nutrient and water management, as well as use of satellite imagery, GIS and crop-soil simulation models for site-specific management. These technologies have been shown to be crucial in attainment of appropriate management strategies in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of resource use in SSA. These technologies are important in supporting sustainable agricultural development. Most of these technologies are, however, at the experimental stage, with only South Africa having applied them mainly in large-scale commercial farms. It is concluded that increased precision in input and management practices among SSA smallholder farmers can significantly improve productivity even without extra use of inputs.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impacts of Smallholder Farmer’s Participation in Modern Agricultural Value Chain Tactics for Facilitating Poverty Alleviation—A Case Study of Kiwifruit Industry in Shaanxi, China

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 462
Author(s):  
Hongyu Wang ◽  
Xiaolei Wang ◽  
Apurbo Sarkar ◽  
Lu Qian
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reduction Degree ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Storage Technology

Market-based initiatives like agriculture value chain (AVC) are becoming progressively pervasive to support smallholder rural farmers and assist them in entering larger market interventions and providing a pathway of enhancing their socioeconomic well-being. Moreover, it may also foster staggering effects towards the post-era poverty alleviation in rural areas and possessed a significant theoretical and practical influence for modern agricultural development. The prime objective of the study is to explore the effects of smallholder farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain for availing rural development and poverty alleviation. Specifically, we have crafted the assessment employing pre-production (improved fertilizers usage), in-production (modern preservation technology), and post-production (supply chain) participation and interventions of smallholder farmers. The empirical data has been collected from a micro survey dataset of 623 kiwifruit farmers from July to September in Shaanxi, China. We have employed propensity score matching (PSM), probit, and OLS models to explore the multidimensional poverty reduction impact and heterogeneity of farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain. The results show that the total number of poor farmers who have experienced one-dimensional and two-dimensional poverty is relatively high (66.3%). We also find that farmers’ participation in agricultural value chain activities has a significant poverty reduction effect. The multidimensional poverty level of farmers using improved fertilizer, organizational acquisition, and using storage technology (compared with non-participating farmers) decreased by 30.1%, 46.5%, and 25.0%, respectively. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of male farmers using improved fertilizer and participating in the organizational acquisition is greater than that of women. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of female farmers using storage and fresh-keeping technology has a greater impact than the males using storage and improved storage technology. Government should widely promote the value chain in the form of pre-harvest, production, and post-harvest technology. The public–private partnership should also be strengthened for availing innovative technologies and infrastructure development.

scholarly journals Within-Season Changes in Land-Use Impact Pest Abundance in Smallholder African Cassava Production Systems

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kalyebi ◽  
Sarina Macfadyen ◽  
Andrew Hulthen ◽  
Patrick Ocitti ◽  
Frances Jacomb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Bemisia Tabaci ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Manihot Esculenta Crantz

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), an important commercial and food security crop in East and Central Africa, continues to be adversely affected by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. In Uganda, changes in smallholder farming landscapes due to crop rotations can impact pest populations but how these changes affect pest outbreak risk is unknown. We investigated how seasonal changes in land-use have affected B. tabaci population dynamics and its parasitoids. We used a large-scale field experiment to standardize the focal field in terms of cassava age and cultivar, then measured how Bemisia populations responded to surrounding land-use change. Bemisia tabaci Sub-Saharan Africa 1 (SSA1) was identified using molecular diagnostics as the most prevalent species and the same species was also found on surrounding soybean, groundnut, and sesame crops. We found that an increase in the area of cassava in the 3–7-month age range in the landscape resulted in an increase in the abundance of the B. tabaci SSA1 on cassava. There was a negative relationship between the extent of non-crop vegetation in the landscape and parasitism of nymphs suggesting that these parasitoids do not rely on resources in the non-crop patches. The highest abundance of B. tabaci SSA1 nymphs in cassava fields occurred at times when landscapes had large areas of weeds, low to moderate areas of maize, and low areas of banana. Our results can guide the development of land-use strategies that smallholder farmers can employ to manage these pests.

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