scholarly journals The Status of Banana Production in Tanzania; a Review of Threats and Opportunities

Author(s):  
Shija Shilunga Lucas ◽  

The word “banana” refers to a crop that cuddles a number of species commonly known as Musa spp. In Tanzania, the crop is the fourth most important crop for food and income generation for more than 30 percent of the total population. In East Africa, Tanzania is the second banana producer after Uganda. The country has the highest world’s consumption rate between 280-500 kg per person. Despite the crop’s importance its production has declined from 18 t/ha in the 1960s to 5-7 t/ha/year in 2016. This review examined the status of banana production by identifying threats and opportunities with the aim of providing readily available resource for Researchers and Agriculture Extension Officers for better banana production. Through online resources, the review identified the challenges impeding banana production and ascertaining prevailing opportunities. Banana production in Tanzania is faced with many challenges including major pests (weevil and nematode) and diseases (fusarium wilt disease, black sigatoka, and banana xanthomonas wilt disease), poor soil fertility, moisture stress, poor management practices, lack of improved banana varieties and many social economic factors. The review identified that, since 1990s there are few introduced improved banana varieties and that most of these varieties are faced with low consumer’s acceptability. Again the country is faced with shortage of banana breeding centers that could produce desirable banana hybrid cultivars. This review also identified the lack of banana information resources and research platforms that involves all banana stakeholders, making targeting of varietal attributes to consumer preferences very difficult. Therefore, in order to improve production there must be an inter-link among different research disciplines, involving governmental and non-governmental organizations, coming together and seek solutions to current and future problems for sustainable production of banana.

Author(s):  
Tirhas Gebregergs ◽  
Kassa Teka ◽  
Gebeyehu Taye ◽  
Eskinder Gidey ◽  
Oagile Dikinya

AbstractLand degradation in the form of soil erosion is one of the major causes for declining ecosystem functions in the northern highlands of Ethiopia including the Eastern Tigray. Hence, different integrated watershed management practices were introduced in the last few years to avert the problem. Currently, most of these practices are phased out. However, the status and challenges of these practices after phase-out are not well documented and required scientific research. On-field measurement from nine sample plots having a size of each 50 m*50 m at 200 m interval was conducted to assess the status and challenges of these practices. Results of the assessment showed that physical soil and water conservation structures were deteriorated by 47–64% after IWM project phased out. The key problems were lack of periodic maintenance, and limited support by biological conservation measures. The study results suggest that Watershed technologies are highly challenged after project phase-out. Hence, integration among the community, government and non-governmental organizations are needed to sustainably manage these resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. CHAUHAN ◽  
BHANUMATI SINGH ◽  
SHREE GANESH ◽  
JAMSHED ZAIDI

Studies on air pollution in large cities of India showed that ambient air pollution concentrations are at such levels where serious health effects are possible. This paper presents overview on the status of air quality index (AQI) of Jhansi city by using multivariate statistical techniques. This base line data can help governmental and non-governmental organizations for the management of air pollution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4026
Author(s):  
Mohammad Wais Azimy ◽  
Ghulam Dastgir Khan ◽  
Yuichiro Yoshida ◽  
Keisuke Kawata

The government of Afghanistan promotes saffron production as a means to achieve economic development while reducing the widely spread opium cultivation in the country by providing necessary support to its farmers via saffron farmer service centers. This study investigates the causal effects of relevant attributes of potential saffron production promotion policies on the participation probabilities of saffron farmers. This study applies a randomized conjoint experiment to primary survey data of 298 farmers in Herat Province, which is perceived by the government as the center of saffron production in the country. The proposed hypothetical saffron production promotion policy consists of six attributes, namely, provision of machinery equipment, weather-based crop insurance, accessibility to long-term loans, location of saffron farmer service centers, provider of services, and annual payment. In the randomized conjoint experiment design, the respondents rank two alternative policies and policies against the status quo. The desirable policy comprises the machinery provision, long-term (up to 5 years) loan accessibility, an easily accessible service center, and policy implementation by international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The estimated results reveal that saffron farmers are highly supportive of the proposed saffron promotion policy and that their willingness to pay is as high as 17% of their per capita income.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Patrick Odongo ◽  
Dr Kepha Ombui

Purpose: The current study sought to establish determinants of successful implementation of non-government organization health projects in Kibera informal settlement. The study sought to establish how community participation, resource mobilization, communication and project control determines successful implementation of health projects for NGOs operating in Kibera informal settlement.Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey design and 116 questionnaires were issued but only 92 questionnaires were received which represented a 79% response rate.Results: The results of the study revealed that resource mobilization, communication and project control positively and significantly determined successful implementation of health projects by Non-Governmental organizations in Kibera as shown by r=0.443, r=0.511 and r=0.798 respectively while community participation negatively determined the implementation success of the projects (r= -0.078).Recommendations: The study recommends that NGOs implementing health projects in Kibera should focus on mobilizing resources since the practice contributes to successful implementation of the projects. NGOs can achieve this by actively engaging sponsors, conducting harambees, networking and presenting grant proposals to prospective financiers to solicit resources for implementing the health projects. Additionally, the study recommends that NGOs implementing health projects in Kibera should focus on project communication since the practice contributes to successful implementation of the projects. NGOs can achieve this by establishing a concise project communication plan, and through continuous communication with project teams and stakeholders on matters concerning the progress of the project. The study further recommends that NGOs implementing health projects in Kibera should focus on project control since the practice contributes to successful implementation of the projects.NGOs can achieve this by using project management information systems in designing and controlling health projects, conducting a variance analysis on the progress of the project and by providing updates on the status of the project to the relevant stakeholders. 


Innovar ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (56) ◽  
pp. 53-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maricela I. Montes-Guerra ◽  
Aida R. De-Miguel ◽  
M. Amaya Pérez-Ezcurdia ◽  
Faustino N. Gimena ◽  
H. Mauricio Díez-Silva

This article analyzes the adoption of project management practices in development cooperation NGOs and their influence on project performance. This paper illustrates the impact in the implementation of methodologies, techniques and tools on outcomes, measured by success criteria of several projects recently implemented. Information from the project managers of the organizations was collected, and complemented by a literature review. We analyzed the correlation among the variables that determine the adoption of a project, and the criteria that determine its success. The positive effect of project management adoption in the performance of cooperation projects is demonstrated, in spite of the low use of methodologies, techniques and tools within the sector. The article shows the importance of project management in cooperation and aid projects, with the purpose of increasing researchers' awareness about the field as applicable knowledge and about the benefits of its use in the sector. The paper shows that project management can improve project efficiency and accountability in other sectors.


Author(s):  
Руслан Миколайович Хван

Annotation. The article examines the essence of municipal legal policy as a system of strategic management of self-government activities. The essence and characteristics of local self-government entities, their individual categories, patterns and development trends have been investigated. It is emphasized that territorial communities, directly or indirectly, their authorities, non-governmental organizations exercise their legal personality both within the state and outside it. The prospects of functioning, improving the status of local self-government subjects have been determined..


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 592-616
Author(s):  
Linhan Zhang ◽  
Qingliang Tang

Purpose Water management is an emerging practice. This paper aims to propose a theoretical model of a corporate water management system (WMS) and empirically explores whether superior water management improves water use performance. Design/methodology/approach Our model of WMS consists of 10 structural elements. We draw on self-discipline theory to predict the results and use archival data from the Carbon Disclosure Project to measure and evaluate the overall quality and effectiveness of the water management of our sample companies. Findings Companies motivated to adopt self-discipline tend to proactively implement high-quality WMSs. However, further analyses suggest that water management without regulatory sanctions appears insufficient for reducing water usage, at least in the short term. Overall, this study reveals a clear and growing tendency for businesses to manage water risks and a corresponding momentum toward more rigid control of water consumption. Research limitations/implications Corporate participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project survey is voluntary. Thus, the data in this paper are subject to self-selection bias, and what the companies claim concerning their behavior may not reflect the reality of their business practices. In addition, the inferences drawn here are based on data from only large firms. Future researchers could investigate whether and how corporate WMS continued to develop or decline in recent years, and how such practices integrate with other aspects of management (including carbon and energy). Practical implications This paper responds to water scarcity by exploring how the development of corporate WMS is driven by self-discipline motivation. This study sets out an agenda for the future of water accounting and management which can be used to guide research and stimulate extension in practice. Governments and non-governmental organizations may utilize the results to guide and bind corporations to achieve sustainability. Social implications The efficient use of freshwater is essential for sustainability, but limited studies have addressed the issue. The current paper explores this important issue, and our findings suggest regulatory institution is necessary to effectively enhance water usage. Originality/value This paper represents an early attempt to model corporate water management practices. A WMS should facilitate resilience in water management, measurement of water performance, and comparability among firms. This study contributes to the conceptualization and empirical assessment of self-discipline in motivated water management and enhances the validity and applicability of the theory of self-disciplining in sustainability research.


2020 ◽  
pp. 547-563
Author(s):  
Beata Jałocha ◽  
Ewa Bogacz-Wojtanowska

Project Portfolio Management is a relatively new practice for the majority of non-government organisations. Project portfolio management is important in the areas of management and education of third sector practitioners. However, project portfolio management, corporate management tools are usually used in the business sector with very little research undertaken in the non-government sectors. This chapter fills that research gap by identifying and analysis of project portfolio management practices in non-governmental organizations. Findings suggest that non-government organisations manage multiple projects simultaneously but that project portfolio management could support them to build their portfolio in accordance with a strategic plan that can fulfil their strategic objectives efficiently and effectively.


Author(s):  
Malose Langa ◽  
Steven Rebello ◽  
Linda Harms-Smith

Abstract This article reflects on the Marikana massacre of August 2012, subsequent violent strikes and responses by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as a case study, and provides an analysis about whether these interventions bring transformative change or maintain the status quo in times of crisis. Events associated with Marikana are seen to be embedded in social structures of the time and part of deeper frictions and fractures of social transformation. The role that NGOs might play in this context must be interrogated as to their facilitation or hinderance of such social transformation. Interviews were conducted with representatives of NGOs intervening in Marikana that provided services of humanitarian assistance, and legal and psychosocial interventions and with mine workers and residents of Marikana about their experiences and views of these services. Findings from the study are illustrative of how NGOs were not primarily motivated to bring about lasting, transformative change but rather attempted to address immediate or short-term needs which, while important, did not account for underlying causes of the crises that they set out to address. Both ideological underpinnings of NGOs and structural conditions produced by state and capital impact on outcomes of interventions. Given these limitations, it is argued that there is a need for deep critical interrogation through praxis, for NGOs to intervene differently in times of crisis to bring ‘real’ change and transformation in the lives of those who are marginalized.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Robert Sabella ◽  
Rami Kashou ◽  
Omar Omran

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an assessment of the quality of management practices and implementation in hospitals operating in the West Bank of Palestine using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) Criteria. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the MBNQA Criteria, a survey of 51 hospitals was conducted using questionnaires, interviews and focus groups to gather data. Data were analyzed and compared across all administrative types of hospitals using the MBNQA points system. Findings – The results show that the performance of non-governmental organizations and private hospitals was superior with respect to all other administrative types. A closer look at the results show that all hospitals exhibit areas of concern such as human resource focus, information and analysis, as well as performance results. Research limitations/implications – Despite the exclusion of hospitals operating in the Gaza Strip, this research promotes critical management practices aimed at improving quality of management practices and their subsequent implementation in the surveyed hospitals. Practical implications – The MBNQA Criteria, as well as other quality assessment tools, can be used to measure the various activities of hospitals and identify competencies and weaknesses in a tangible manner to improve hospital performance. Originality/value – This paper presents a fresh perspective on the quality management issues in Palestinian hospitals to practitioners, administrators and academics using the MBNQA Criteria. Also, it serves as a foundation for future initiatives and programs aimed at improving quality in hospitals.


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