Paddy farmers’ knowledge, perception, and satisfaction on the use of farm machinery in Nepal (Published)
Agricultural mechanization refers to the use of different power sources as well as enhanced farm tools and equipment to decrease human and draught animal labor, improve cropping intensity, precision, and timeliness of crop input usage, and reduce losses at various phases of crop production. This research tried to assess paddy farmers’ knowledge, views, and contentment with the use of agricultural machinery in the districts of Jhapa, Kapilbastu, and Kailali using a multistage purposive sample technique. The survey research method was used for the investigation. Descriptive statistics and properly constructed scales were used to analyze the data. According to the findings, respondents had only a hazy understanding (0.50) of the critical roles of agricultural machinery in rice production. The total amount of machinery on hand is moderate (0.43). The most frequent piece of machinery possessed by respondents was a tractor (0.65), followed by a knapsack sprayer (0.61). Over one fourth of the respondents (0.28) had a good image of agricultural machinery and were satisfied with its use (0.4). While respondents indicated a high amount of restriction (0.7) when it came to utilizing agricultural machinery. As a result, adopting a varied range of farm machinery should be seen positively in order to increase the commercialization of paddy farming. Farmers would be more inclined to use farm machinery if farm machinery information and skills were spread, as well as supported with grants.
Keywords: Adoption, Agriculture, Knowledge, Perception, Satisfaction, farm machinery, paddy
Africa’s Mobile Agricultural Revolution: Farming Apps in Sub-Saharan Africa (Published)
Mobile phones have gone from luxury items to daily essentials in the lives of billions of people around the world. The start-up boom encouraged the creation of numerous apps targeting specific market niches and in the last decade, they have become more sophisticated offering thousands of streamlined services. With the touch of a button they are able to grant end-users access to various resources in different sectors, including agriculture. This paper evaluates the stance of mobile agricultural apps in sub-Saharan Africa. It gives a brief history on their development and points out why they have been a successful farm improvement tool in subsistence agriculture. It also identifies possible challenges that may stifle their applicability and growth potential in the region. It then goes ahead to highlight possible ways to mitigate these challenges
Keywords: Agriculture, apps, sub-Saharan Africa
Concerns on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security in East Africa (Published)
This is a paper review of work presented at the Machakos University second International Conference in Kenya. Using library research and reflection, document and content analysis were used to generate data, The East African region covered in the paper is that of the six countries set up as the East African Community in 2000. Their economies are reliant on agriculture with low agricultural productivity demonstrating some inabilities in poverty reduction as the majority of the farmers are smallholder farmers engaging mostly women labor. Food and nutrition security are not assured. The agricultural commodities for exports are not so competitive because of the low agricultural value chain with little value addition. The countries are sliding into being net importers of food despite having a huge potential for agriculture and the natural resources possessed. A green revolution, alignment of research and value addition of agricultural commodities including better infrastructure and markets will better their economies.
Keywords: Agriculture, Community, Productivity, Value addition, food and nutrition security
Factors Influencing Radio Adoption Decision of Rice Farmers in the Dissemination of Agricultural Information in Zamfara State (Published)
This study examine the factors influencing radio adoption decision of rice farmers in the dissemination of agricultural information in Zamfara state. The research study applied agenda setting theory to show how selection of topics and packaging of agricultural content impact on rice farmer’s uptake of agricultural information. The research use a structured questionnaire to collect data for the study. A multi-stage, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select a sample of 350 farm respondents. The data collected were analyzed using a descriptive statistics such frequency and percentage and logit regression analysis to estimate factors influencing radio adoption decision in knowledge sharing. The estimate shows that, age, farming experience, access to agricultural information via radio, association membership and gender are significant at 5%, 1% and 10% respectively. It is therefore recommended that, more radio stations should be develop and should also partner with agriculture institutions to overcome challenges that both side experience
Keywords: Adoption, Agriculture, Decision, Factors, Information, Radio, Rice Farmers, dissemination, influencing
Reducing Poverty through Fertilizer Subsidy Programe “Evidence from Rwanda (Published)
Farm input subsidies are assumed to improve agricultural production and productivity for small resource poor farmers in developing countries by promoting the use of improved farm inputs, mainly inorganic fertilizers and hybrid seeds. This is expected to contribute to increased income from produce sales, improved food security at household and national levels, and consequently, contributing to poverty alleviation. However, little insights exist on the impacts of this program. The overall objective of the study was to determine the effect of the fertilizer subsidy program on reducing poverty among small holder farmers in Gatsibo district, Eastern province of Rwanda. Multi stage sampling techniques were employed to select respondents. Structured questionnaires was employed to collect data from 200 smallholders maize farmers including (86 farmers with fertilizer subsidy and 114 without subsidies in the period 2015B, 2016A and 2016B agricultural seasons in the selected sectors of Kabarole, Rwimbogo and Rugarama). Propensity score matching using a “with” and “without” the fertilizer subsidy project evaluation approach was used to estimate the effect of fertilizer subsidy and descriptive statistics using t-test was used compare effects of fertilizer subsidies across respondents. Based on the study objectives, results from propensity score matching indicated an effect on yield between fertilizer subsidy users and non-users.
Keywords: Agriculture, Agriculture input subsidies, Fertilizer Subsidies, Poverty, propensity score matching
Influence of Youth Access to Farm Products Markets on Their Participation in Agriculture in Kajiado North Sub-County (Published)
Agriculture in Kenya has great untapped potential for providing employment opportunities for youth that would enable them exploit their creativity, economic innovation and access to agricultural product markets in order to spur faster national economic growth. Reducing cereal importation in Kenya through local investment and expanding of markets for agricultural products can effectively create youth employment. A number of youth took part in agriculture in Kajiado North Sub- County with maize being the most preferred crop while poultry keeping the most preferred livestock activity by youth The influence of youth access to markets for agricultural products on their participation in agriculture in Kajiado North Sub-County was poorly understood and hence the need for this study, which used a cross-sectional design to collect data from 397 randomly, selected youth and 22 youth and agricultural officers. Content validity of the youth and agricultural officers’ questionnaires was ascertained by extension experts while reliability was determined through a pilot test involving 30 respondents. The reliability coefficient were 0.86α and 0.80α respectively, which were above the 0.70 threshold for acceptable reliability. The results showed a statistically significant positive relationship (r=.330, p=.01) between youth access to markets and their participation in agriculture. It also showed that youth access to markets influenced their participation in agriculture with 57.4% of the respondents indicating that poor infrastructures and limited knowledge on market prices reduced their access to markets for agricultural commodities. Youth with easy access to markets for their products had higher participation rates in agricultural activities than those with minimal access to markets. The government and other actors should support formation of organizations that can give youth the necessary bargaining power to interact on equal terms with other market actors in order to reduce transaction costs through economies of scale when buying inputs and selling produce.
Keywords: Agriculture, Employment, Farm Products, Gender, Market, Youth
Impact of Social Media on Agricultural Extension in Kenya: A Case of Kesses District (Published)
The introduction of social media and web 2.0 applications has opened up a platform that agricultural extension officer’s, farmers, agricultural institutions and non-governmental institutions utilize to disseminate and exchange agricultural information. The objective of the study was to assess the use of social media as a source of agricultural information with reference to farmers in Kesses District. The study adopted a descriptive survey and the major data collection tools were interviews from farmers who use social media platforms. The study purposively sampled farmers in Kesses District and data was analyzed both descriptively. From the analysis, it is evident that there is immense need for agricultural information among farmers in Kesses District. The study reveals that farmers in Kesses District have diverse source of agricultural information for example the internet, social media and extension services. Majority of farmers approach the use of social media in agricultural information seeking with a positive attitude, pointing to the assumption that social media is largely beneficial and convenient as a source of agricultural information. Among the most common challenges faced include poor network access, power outages, and costly charges when accessing the internet. This study recommends that information centers can be established in Kesses District whereby farmers can obtain agricultural information online and that social media should be fully utilized to provide; feedback, complement extension programs, access local and international markets and complement communication campaigns whose goal is to bring about agricultural development.
Keywords: Agriculture, Farmer, Information, Kenya, Social media, extension
Influence of Youth Access to Farm Products Markets on Their Participation in Agriculture in Kajiado North Sub-County (Published)
Agriculture in Kenya has great untapped potential for providing employment opportunities for youth that would enable them exploit their creativity, economic innovation and access to agricultural product markets in order to spur faster national economic growth. Reducing cereal importation in Kenya through local investment and expanding of markets for agricultural products can effectively create youth employment. A number of youth took part in agriculture in Kajiado North Sub- County with maize being the most preferred crop while poultry keeping the most preferred livestock activity by youth The influence of youth access to markets for agricultural products on their participation in agriculture in Kajiado North Sub-County was poorly understood and hence the need for this study, which used a cross-sectional design to collect data from 397 randomly, selected youth and 22 youth and agricultural officers. Content validity of the youth and agricultural officers’ questionnaires was ascertained by extension experts while reliability was determined through a pilot test involving 30 respondents. The reliability coefficient were 0.86α and 0.80α respectively, which were above the 0.70 threshold for acceptable reliability. The results showed a statistically significant positive relationship (r=.330, p=.01) between youth access to markets and their participation in agriculture. It also showed that youth access to markets influenced their participation in agriculture with 57.4% of the respondents indicating that poor infrastructures and limited knowledge on market prices reduced their access to markets for agricultural commodities. Youth with easy access to markets for their products had higher participation rates in agricultural activities than those with minimal access to markets. The government and other actors should support formation of organizations that can give youth the necessary bargaining power to interact on equal terms with other market actors in order to reduce transaction costs through economies of scale when buying inputs and selling produce.
Keywords: Agriculture, Employment, Gender, Market, Youth
Impact of Agricultural Extension on Food Security among Small Scale Farmers in Wareng District, Kenya (Published)
Agricultural extension is one of the effective tools in attaining the millennium development goals related to the reduction and eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in developing countries like Kenya. Despite that extension services were practiced for many years in Kenya, it is evident that these services have declined rapidly. This paper aims to find out the impact of extension on food security among small scale farmers in Wareng District. A survey of 120 smallholder farmers was used in the study. Though there was difference between farmers in different wealth categories, the mean difference is larger at the present compared to the past. Generally extension have played role in improving the living status of farmers in the study area. However, agricultural extension services seems to have an impact on improving food security in the country and increase the wealth gap between farming households and also replace local landraces with improved varieties. The study recommends that the Kenyan government should develop a new and expanded policy agenda for agricultural extension and communication for rural development focusing national attention on food security and income generation of the rural poor
Keywords: Agriculture, Food Security, crops, extension, livestock’s