The Role of Extension Training in Enhancing Participation of Women Smallholder Goat and Chicken Farmers in The Livestock Vaccine Value Chain, Sembabule District, Uganda (Published)
This paper explores the role of extension training in enhancing women smallholder livestock farmers’ participation in and benefiting from the livestock vaccine value chain (LVVC). The emphasis was on the Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccine for goats and New Castle Disease vaccine (ND) for chicken. Using the Focus Group discussions, Participatory Impact Assessment, Outcome mapping, Key Informant Interviews, Questionnaire Survey and Kirkpatrick model of change, the study assessed the impact of extension training which equipped extensionists and women farmers with knowledge, skills, attitude and practice in livestock vaccination and empowerment. The study found that extension training made a tremendous impact on the availability of knowledge and information to women farmers as well as in empowering women’s self-autonomy, improved economic status, decision making role in both farm related and family related matters, reduced Gender Based Violence cases and improved productivity in the community.
Keywords: Extension training, Livestock, Men Role Models, Smallholder Farmers, Women agency, vaccination
Competences, capacity needs, and training modalities to enhance continued professional development for Veterinary Para-professionals in Uganda (Published)
This study assessed the competence and capacity needs for VPPs continued professional development as well as the best modalities for training in Uganda. It used mixed approach combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, namely, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), participant observations (POs) as well as questionnaire survey. The study was conducted in Sembabule and Soroti districts. The capacities and competences needed most by VPPs were; artificial insemination (AI) ranked first, clinical treatment ranked second, and animal nutrition and feeding ranked third. Face to face practical training was ranked first as the best format for delivering Continued Professional Development (CPD) training followed by face-to-face lectures and mentorship in the third position. The best training modality recommended by VPPs for their CPD training was the blended approach which combines face to face, online learning and mentorship.
Keywords: Livestock, Small Holder Farmers, and training, competences, continued professional development, veterinary para-professionals
Perceived Factors Responsible for Herders-Farmers’ Communal Conflict in Plateau State, Nigeria (Published)
This study was carried out to assess farmers’ perception on the impact of grazing livestock on some tuber crops (yam, cassava and potato) in North Central Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to select randomly 1200 tuber crop farmers in the study area (Abuja). Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistic and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the results. The socio-economic analysis showed that most of the farmers were male and married. Most of them had a household size of 6-10 people and were between the ages 41 and 50 years meaning they were within economically active age. Also, most of them had farming experience of 11-20 years and had secondary school education. Majority of them were smallholder farmers and had a maximum of 3 hectares of farmland. Cassava was the most affected tuber crop by grazing livestock in the study area while cattle were the most destructive livestock to tuber crops in the study area. The study revealed that impact of grazing on tuber crop production significantly (p <.05) depended on the tuber type (yam, cassava and potato), livestock type (cattle, goat and sheep), and location of the farmers in terms of state (Plateau). Also, the interaction between tuber type, livestock type and location had significant influence on the level of grazing on tuber crops in the study area. It was recommended that grazing reserves be provided for livestock farmers so that the incessant clashes between crop farmers and herders resulting from destruction of crops by livestock can be reduced.
Citation: Ajayi, A. H. and Sennuga, S. O. (2022). Perceived Factors Affecting Herders-Farmers’ Communal Conflict in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, International Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Studies, Vol.9, No.2, pp.32-46,
Keywords: Conflict, ISSN 2058-9093, Livestock, communal, grazing, herder