Farmers' Perception and Engagement with the Role of Middlemen: A Case Study of the Vegetable Farmers

The role of middlemen in rural areas is often controversial, particularly because of the positive or negative roles they play in the farmer livelihood. This study aims to understand the farmers' perception of the role of middlemen in facilitating their farming system and to find out the socioeconomic factors that determine to what degree farmers attach themselves to middlemen. To get this information, we conducted a case study survey of 92 respondents from the subdistrict of Rasau Jaya, Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Approximately 95% of the farmers had a positive perception of the role of the middlemen, which was considered important in the farm produce marketing and also the transportation of both fertilizer and crops. Older farmers, farmers with a higher education level, and farmers with more vegetable commodities were less attached to the middleman in the marketing of their agricultural products. These farmers often changed the middleman to get a higher price. Conversely, farmers producing sweet maize and farmers with a higher income level were more attached to a middleman. A high level of engagement with a middleman is one of the farmer strategies to avoid marketing risks.

“That’s Me I am the Farmer of the Land”: Exploring Identities, Masculinities, and Health Among Male Farmers’ in Ireland

Compared to other occupational groups, farmers in Ireland experience a disproportionate burden of health problems, which impact farmers’ livelihoods and farming sustainability. Internationally, farmers’ poor health outcomes are associated with intersecting economic, environmental, socio-cultural, and occupation-specific factors linked to changes in agricultural governance. This qualitative study explored the challenges and stressors facing farmers in Ireland and how changes in farming governance have impacted farmers’ identities, masculinities and health. Eleven focus groups ( n = 26 female, n = 35 male, age-range 20s–70s) were conducted with both male farmers ( n = 3 focus groups; n = 13) and key informants ( n = 8 focus groups; n = 48, 22 male, 26 female). Utilizing Thematic Content Analysis, transcripts were coded independently by the first and second author using open and comparative coding techniques, with emerging themes grouped into primary and subthemes. Theme memos and conceptual maps tracked evolving relationships between themes. The analysis identified three broad themes. “Wrestling with challenges to autonomy and control within farming” examines the impact of tighter regulatory frameworks associated with changes to farming governance and unpacks other challenges associated with scale and succession. “Farming masculinities and health” explores how farming masculinities were closely aligned with farming practices and health practices and were framed relationally. “Isolation and the demise of rural communities” considers the impact of reduced social interaction on loneliness among farmers, particularly among more “at risk” single and older farmers. Findings provide unique insights into contemporary challenges and stressors facing farmers and have important implications for informing the design and roll-out of a national farmers’ health training program.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance among Commercial Poultry Farmers in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become an emerging health issue globally, posing a threat to zoonotic pathogens and foodborne diseases. In Bangladesh, the poultry sector supplies the majority of the demand for animal-source protein. The irrational and excessive use of antimicrobials (AMU) has been observed in the poultry sector. The development of AMR is associated with many factors, including the knowledge and attitudes of poultry farmers. Therefore, AMR reduction requires intervention from all the stockholders, including the farmers who are considered as end users of antimicrobials. This current research conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of poultry farmers on AMU and AMR in Bangladesh. We determined the KAP of poultry farmers (broiler and layer farmers) of some selected districts of the country using a tested and paper-based questionnaire. The results demonstrated that most of the respondents have insufficient KAP regarding AMU and AMR. The respondents used a variety of antimicrobials primarily in the treatment of various diseases in poultry. One-third of the farmers did not seek antimicrobials from registered vets. Instead, they depended on others or themselves. The factor score analysis further revealed that the farmers’ demographic and socioeconomic variables were significant factors influencing the KAP. An adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that older farmers with 9–12 years of farming experience and graduate-level education, engaging in medium-sized layer farming, were more likely to have correct KAP on AMU and AMR. Further, farmers from the Cox’s Bazar region showed correct knowledge, whereas farmers of the Chattogram region showed a correct attitude towards AMU and AMR. A Spearman’s rank-order correlation revealed a positive association between knowledge–attitudes and knowledge–practices. The findings of the current investigation provide baseline evidence about the KAP of poultry farmers from low-income resources and offer insights into designing interventions and policies for the use of AMU and AMR in Bangladesh.

PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS OF THE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE ON THE SOCIAL STATUS AND CAREER PROSPECTS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The phenomenon of the declining interest of young workers working in the agricultural sector has consequences for the sustainability of the agricultural sector going forward. In the future, the burden on the agriculture sector will be heavier with the inc reasing population and increasing food demand. The reasons for the decline in the interest of young workers works at agricultural sector are mainly caused by the image of the agricultural sector which is less prestigious and can not provide adequate rewards. The crisis of young farmers in the agricultural sector and the predominance of older farmers has consequences for the agriculture sector development, particularly on agricultural productivity, market competitiveness, ruraleconomic capacity, and further it will threaten food security and agricultural sector sustainability. The objective of the research is to know the effect of social to career prospects on agricultural career empirically. The research involves 110 respondents with a questionnaire as a research instrument. The type of research in this study is survey research, the type of research which the way to collect data obtained or collected from the sample or population under study. Testing is done with a regression test to determine the effect of social status on career prospects in agriculture. The results of this study indicate that social status has an influence on perceptions of career prospects in the agricultural sector.

THE STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF KAMPUNG LABU MADU AGROTOURISM IN BESUK HAMLET, TOYORESMI VILLAGE, NGASEM DISTRICT, KEDIRI REGENCY, EAST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA

The phenomenon of the declining interest of young workers working in the agricultural sector has consequences for the sustainability of the agricultural sector going forward. In the future, the burden on the agriculture sector will be heavier with the inc reasing population and increasing food demand. The reasons for the decline in the interest of young workers works at agricultural sector are mainly caused by the image of the agricultural sector which is less prestigious and can not provide adequate rewards. The crisis of young farmers in the agricultural sector and the predominance of older farmers has consequences for the agriculture sector development, particularly on agricultural productivity, market competitiveness, ruraleconomic capacity, and further it will threaten food security and agricultural sector sustainability. The objective of the research is to know the effect of social to career prospects on agricultural career empirically. The research involves 110 respondents with a questionnaire as a research instrument. The type of research in this study is survey research, the type of research which the way to collect data obtained or collected from the sample or population under study. Testing is done with a regression test to determine the effect of social status on career prospects in agriculture. The results of this study indicate that social status has an influence on perceptions of career prospects in the agricultural sector.

Technical Efficiency of Gambir Farming in Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia

This study analyzes the factors influencing gambier productivity, analyzes the technical efficiency of gambier farming, and analyzes the factors affecting gambier farming's technical efficiency. This research was conducted in Lima Puluh Kota Regency, a gambier production center in West Sumatra. Data were analyzed using the Cobb Douglas stochastic frontier production function. The results showed that the factors that significantly influenced gambier's productivity were labor, NPK fertilizer, plant age, number of trees, varieties, and technology. The number of labor, fertilizer factor, plant age, number of trees, and seedling varieties had a positive effect on gambier productivity. In contrast, NPK fertilizer and technology had a negative impact on gambier productivity. The technical efficiency level of gambier farming started from 0.25 to 0.99 with an average level of 0.76. It means that farmers are technically efficient but can still increase gambier productivity if they use production inputs appropriately and adequately. Factors that significantly influence technical efficiency are age, farming experience, and technology. Older farmers will have a higher level of technical efficiency compared to young age. The lower the farming experience, the more technically efficient the farmer is. Farmers who use the hydraulic jack system technology are more efficient than farmers who use the jack system technology

Attitudes to time and coping-strategies of farming entrepreneurs

Farmers and especially their psychological state are not often objects of research. We used the following methods: the questionnaire “Attitudes to time” by Nutten (in Muzdybayev’s modification); the questionnaire SACS – “Strategies for overcoming stressful situations” (Hobfoll, 1994); the questionnaire of problems assessment in the activities of the farmers; the questionnaire “Crisis”, developed by us. The questionnaire “Crisis” was used to identify three groups of level of well-being. The sample consisted of farmers: 50 people. The results showed that the attitudes to time of young farmers have a positive, interesting, full of hope past; the present is negative, terrible, unsuccessful, significant; the future is positive, full of hope, active and saturated. The attitudes to time of older farmers are the following: the positive, pleasant, difficult, eventful past; the present is meaningful, positive, hopeful; the future is interesting, positive, bright, full of hope. The level of well-being in both groups is estimated at the average one. Coping strategies in the group of young farmers are - getting in touch, in the group of senior managers - indirect-actions; in both groups ‒ finding social support. The assessment of the problems of farming activity revealed two key problems - insufficient funds and lagging modernization.