The impact of climate change towards Malaysian paddy farmers
February 2013
Ricardian model was used to estimate the impact of climate change on granary level net revenue of paddy sector in Malaysia. Panel data from eight granaries was used in this study and the annual net revenue was regressed against climate variables and other controlled variables. The results indicate that climate is one of the determinants of Malaysian paddy granaries’ profitability. Given future predicted...
Pomegranate marketing margins in the Neyriz, Iran
February 2013
Marketing agricultural products while establishing a balance between supply and demand in various stages of production to final consumption stabilize farm income and satisfy consumer demand. Therefore, agricultural marketing study seems necessary. In this study, pomegranate marketing in Neyriz city of Fars province was investigated and its various marketing channels were also evaluated. The results showed...
Technology competencies required by secondary school graduates in maintenance, servicing and repairing of electronic machines for agribusiness occupations to minimize wastage
January 2013
This study focused on technology competencies required by secondary school graduates in maintenance, servicing and repairing of electronic machines for agribusiness occupations to minimize wastage. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study made use of survey and functions of industry designs. It was carried out in Enugu State, Nigeria. The population for the study was 73, made...
Economics of farm safety: The Nigerian scenario
January 2013
Investing in farm safety is a win-win game. Apart from improving the financial bottom line of a farm business, it increases and improves the labour productivity of farm workers, which in turn improve agricultural sector. Consequently, agricultural accidents place a great burden on the economy resulting in reduced return on investment (ROI) in agriculture and the burden of injuries/illness (BOI) is increased....
The structure of food demand in urban city of Nigeria: An application of a Linearized Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS)
January 2013
Household-level micro data were fitted on Linearized Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) model to estimate the structure of starchy, animal protein, plant protein and fatty foods demand in Uyo Metropolis of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Panel data used in this study came from four months household food consumption survey. Thirty responding households were randomly selected for the data collection. Estimates of...
Cotton institutions and perverse incentives for fertilizer traders in Benin
January 2013
Agricultural development in Benin is constrained by low productivity mainly due to low use of mineral fertilizers and improved seeds. After more than two decades of the cotton state company’s monopoly, a market liberalization program is being implemented since the 1990s but still fail to meet farmers’ needs for quality fertilizers and efficient supply-chain services. This paper discusses...
Mechanism of poverty incident in agricultural sector of Sudan
December 2012
The northern states of Sudan, as one of the most important agricultural region, is characterized by low and erratic rainfall and limited arable land. Agriculture in north of the country provides employment for about 2/3 of the population. The last decades witnessed a dramatic deterioration in the contribution of agriculture to the country’s GDP; the agricultural export declined to about 3% in 2007 down from an...
Non governmental organizations (NGOS) and beneficiary participation in agricultural development projects
December 2012
The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and beneficiary farmer participation in the establishment of agricultural development projects. This study evaluated two districts in different ecological regions for easy comparison. The study also considered the performance of irrigation and livestock projects that have been implemented differently, that is, involving...
Drivers of improved maize variety adoption in drought prone areas of Malawi
December 2012
This study identifies the determinants of adoption and adoption-intensity of improved maize varieties in Malawi. We estimated a double hurdle model based on household-level survey data collected in the districts of Balaka and Mangochi in 2008 and found that labour endowment, access to rural credit, livestock wealth, access to agricultural extension, farm size and access to off-farm employment all significantly increase...
Determinants for adoption of information and communications technology (ICT)-based market information services by smallholder farmers and traders in Mayuge District, Uganda
December 2012
Market access is increasingly relying on Information and communications technologies (ICTs) like telephony and internet that are only adopted haphazardly. Despite need for ICTs in Market Information Services (MIS), ICT usage in Africa is low. Little is known about ICTs for use in MIS including, technology, its potential users and characteristics of both entities. Closing such gaps was justified. The study...
Factors determining access to formal credit in Ghana: A case study of smallholder farmers in the Abura-Asebu Kwamankese district of central region of Ghana
December 2012
This study sought to identify factors that limit or increase smallholder farmers’ access to formal credit in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese district of the central region of Ghana. The study was conducted in five towns of the district (that is Abura, Abakrampa, Asebu, Edumfa and Nyamebekyere). Sampled farmers comprised twenty previous credit applicants from each of the five towns. Primary data was collected from both...
Flooded economy of Pakistan
November 2012
The ability to achieve sustainable recovery after a disastrous calamity remains an uphill task for an economy like Pakistan, owing to inefficiencies of the systems and the ineffectiveness of the policies in such economies. The floods in 2010 to 2011 have imposed a substantial adverse impact on the economy. As the effect on various macroeconomic parameters essentially depend on the policy that the government...
Determinants of loan repayment default among farmers in Ghana
November 2012
This paper investigates the determinants of loan repayment default among farmers in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. Data used in this study was gathered through a survey of 374 farmers in five districts within Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. The study employed Probit model to investigate factors that influence farmer’s loan repayment default. The results showed that farm size, and engagement in off-farm...
Determining the effects of crude oil pollution on crop production using stochastic translog production function in Rivers State, Nigeria
November 2012
Effects of crude oil pollution on crop production were determined using stochastic translog production function. Data were collected from 17 local government areas (LGAs) out of 23 LGAs using multistage sampling technique. A total of 296 questionnaires were suitable for analysis. The results showed that the effect of crude oil pollution variables on crop farms reduced the size of farmland (-2.5842),...
Disclosure of self-assessment tax systems on Malaysian agriculture based industries
November 2012
This study examines the weakness issues in tax audits of Agriculture based industries from the perspectives of tax practitioners, with particular reference to the tax audit approach, audit process, and competency, as well as the mindset of government tax auditors in Malaysia. This work is a descriptive study based on 200 respondent surveys, where the majorities (62.5%) were from Kuala Lumpur, 14% from Ipoh,...
Climate change and food security in the developing world: Potential of maize and wheat research to expand options for adaptation and mitigation
October 2012
Maize and wheat are two of the most important food crops worldwide. Together with rice, they provide 30% of the food calories to 4.5 billion people in almost 100 developing countries.Predictions suggest that climate change will reduce maize production globally by 3 to 10% by 2050 and wheat production in developing countries by 29 to 34%. This will coincide with a substantial increase in demand for...
Prevalent agricultural credit system in River Nile State of Sudan
October 2012
Agricultural finance in Sudan is considered as one of the main factors affecting food crop production. This study provides an overarch analysis of current trends in financing the main field crops in the public irrigated schemes of the River Nile State (RNS) and analyzes various agricultural credit mechanisms that have been used in the state. It assesses a plausible framework in order to increase agricultural...
Agricultural diversification in the Upper Krishna river basin, India
September 2012
Irrigation is essential for assured agricultural yield. Regular water supply to crops along with other inputs goes to a long way in increasing the production and productivity of the agriculture sector. The areas of Maharashtra like Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Vidarba, Marathawada are permanently declared as district which is less than state average. This argument can be proved with the irrigation ratio, as it is...
Technical efficiency of beekeeping farmers in Tolon-Kumbungu district of Northern region of Ghana
September 2012
This paper investigates technical efficiencies of beekeeping farms and their determinants, using stochastic production frontier function, in Tolon-Kumbungu district of Northern region of Ghana. Primary data were collected using a multi-stage sampling technique on 48 respondents. Results show that the mean technical efficiency of the beekeeping farms is 0.894. Most of the respondents are also fairly efficient...
Determinants of access to credit in Nigerian agriculture
June 2012
This study was carried out in Oyo and Ondo States of South – Western Nigeria to investigate the determinants of households’ access to agricultural production credit under the National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS). A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 600 farmers from 4 ‘local government areas’. Descriptive statistics and probit regression model were used...
Technical efficiency in Ghana’s cocoa industry: Evidence from Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District
June 2012
This study empirically examined the production efficiency of cocoa farmers in Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District in Ghana using farm level data. Results presented were based on data collected from a random sample of 300 cocoa farmers in fifteen (15) communities/villages using standardized structured questionnaires. The productivity and technical efficiency in cocoa production were estimated through stochastic...
Comparative analysis of rural and urban market prices for garri in Edo State, Nigeria: Implications for food security
May 2012
This study compared the prices of garri in both rural and urban markets of Edo State, Nigeria covering the period 1990 to 2005. Specifically, the study examined the nature and trend of price movement of garri in both markets (rural and urban), determined the annual rate of increase in the price of garri in the markets and tested if the differences in the price of garri in the rural and urban markets were...
Round potato (Solanum tuberosum) profitability and implications for variety selections in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
May 2012
According to the standard economic theory that treats a person as a maximising agent of short run profit, it would be expected that farmers would select round potato varieties with the highest profit potential. However, previous studies treated round potato as one variety and other adoption studies often assumed that profitability was not important in the adoption of improved varieties. Therefore, this study...
A study on the export of Saudi Arabian dates in the global markets
May 2012
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is among the leading producers of quality dates where the per capita consumption of dates is highest in the world. We studied the global markets in terms of date importing and date exporting countries. Among the five groups of importing countries, the first group comprised of European Union, North America, Australia and New Zealand, group two comprised of Eastern Europe, Turkey and...
The short-run and long-run trade balance response to exchange rate changes in Malawi
May 2012
The objective of this paper has been to examine the short-run and long-run effects of real exchange rate changes on the trade balance in Malawi. The model was estimated using the multivariate cointegration framework proposed by Johansen (1988). The results from the study show that the impact of a real depreciation on the trade balance is not significant enough to change the trade pattern in the long-run....
Access to resources, productivity and income generation of gender-differentiated households in Ogun State, Nigeria
May 2012
This paper aims at making a point that reducing gender disparities would promote agricultural productivity in the country. The study was carried out through a survey of 140 small-scale plantain farming households in Remo Division of Ogun State, Nigeria. This comprised of 62 female-farmers and 78 male-farmers heading households. The female-headed households suffered less access to credit facilities and farm...
Comparative analysis of gender involvement in agricultural production in Nigeria
May 2012
Agricultural sector is still the leading sector in Nigeria’s ailing economy as it provides direct employment to about 75% of the population. This paper examines gender involvement in agricultural production as a means towards increased food sufficiency and consequently curbing food crisis. It critically identified the specific gender involvement in agriculture and gender inequality is noticed in the...
Assessing the technical efficiency of maize producers with Imazapyr-resistant maize for Striga control in Western Kenya
May 2012
Imazapyr-Resistant Maize (IRM) is a weed control technology, not yet well adopted in theStriga prone area in Western Kenya. The adoption may expand in the future because itenhances maize production via efficiency gains. As to help farmers maximize the maize output affected by Striga for so long in time, research and development initiatives with substantial participation of...
Determinants of migration and remittances in rural Nigeria
April 2012
This study uses NLSS, 2004 data collected for rural Nigeria to estimate a multinomial logit model of the economic and demographic determinants of migration and receipt of remittances in rural Nigeria. Findings showed that most of the human capital variables are statistically insignificant. However, for internal remittances, households with more educated members at the secondary school level (X2), age of household head...
Interdependence of smallholders’ net market positions in mixed crop-livestock systems of Ethiopian highlands
April 2012
Using simultaneous-equation models, this paper examines whether there is interdependence between smallholder’s net market positions in crop and live animal markets under mixed crop-livestock system. Household level data collected in 2009 from 1075 sample households in 10 districts of Ethiopia are used for this analysis. Results confirmed the existence of interdependence between household’s net positions in...
Input patterns for agricultural family business: Case study on olive production
April 2012
This study is aimed at studying the input patterns of farming practices in family agricultural business. Olive farms were used as example for agricultural family business. Simple random sample was selected including 150 farmers in Karakgovernorate in Jordan. Out of these farmers about 89 farmers were included in the analysis practicing the agricultural family business. The questionnaire included parts reflecting the use...
Profitability and constraints to dry season vegetable production under fadama in Sudan savannah ecological zone of Sokoto State, Nigeria
April 2012
Many developing countries face major challenges to achieve food security in a sustainable manner, considering the increasing population, limited availability of land and water resources. Thus, the study centered on analysis of profitability of small-scale dry season vegetable production under fadama in Sudan savannah ecological zone of Sokoto State, Nigeria. A three-stage sampling technique was employed to collect data...
Analysis of factors influencing market channel access by communal horticulture farmers in Chinamora District, Zimbabwe
March 2012
Communal vegetable production is a key activity in Zimbabwe, contributing significantly towards food security and rural development. A study carried out in Chinamhora District determined factors influencing tomato market channel choices. Primary data were collected through formal interviews and questionnaires included household and production characteristics, markets information and social capital. Interviews with...
Economics of finger millet (Elecusine coracana G.) production and marketing in peri urban area of Pokhara Valley of Nepal
March 2012
A study was conducted on the economics of finger millet production and marketing in peri urban area of Pokhara valley of Nepal in 2006 AD. The sampling frame was 154 and 193 producers selected from Kalabang and Begnas study sites respectively. Sampling intensity of 30% was used to randomly select the population sample size which gave 47 for Kalabang and 58 for Begnas. Household survey was carried out to collect the...
Rural household livelihood strategies in drought-prone areas: A case of Gulomekeda District, eastern zone of Tigray National Regional State, Ethiopia
March 2012
Despite the continuing economic centrality of agriculture in the district, farm households engage and pursue diverse non-farm livelihood activities to cope with diverse challenges and risks such as drought. This paper aims to assess the relative importance of existing livelihood strategies adopted by the different socio-economic groups; the link between households’ ownership and access to different...
Analysis of factors determining cattle marketing of communal farmers in Namibia: A case study from Kunene
March 2012
The purpose of this study was to examine key determinants of cattle marketing in Northern Namibia in the Kunene region. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed, but only 90 were used for analysis as the rest were either not returned or were rejected as incomplete. The sampling technique was a non-probability (convenience) sampling technique. Since the data was not distributed normally, a non-parametric run-test...
Public market information system and farmers food marketing decisions: Econometric evidence from Benin
March 2012
To sell the surpluses of maize, the main staple in Benin, farmers could choose among three modes of transaction: they could sell under a contract with itinerant traders, or sell without a contract at the farm gate or on distant markets. It has been postulated that farmers will choose a profitable mode of transaction if they receive reliable market information on the prevailing market conditions. Using detailed farm...
The effectiveness of microfinance banks in reducing the poverty of men and women at Akinyele Local Government, Oyo State Nigeria
March 2012
Poverty is a large and growing problem in Nigeria resulting in an immense amount of unavoidable suffering. Part of the panacea for the situation includes the policy on the establishment of micro finance banks. This paper aims at investigating the effectiveness of these banks at improving the status of their customers. The rural community was purposively selected because of the presence of three microfinance banks...
On the economic effects of livestock theft in Lesotho: An asset-based approach
March 2012
While livestock theft in Lesotho is primarily caused by increased poverty among unemployed workers and drought stricken crop farmers, its effect on stock farmers can be devastating. Using an asset-based approach we show how such theft reduces the affected households’ own consumption of both the “returns” on their wealth, for example milk and wool, and of wealth itself, for example meat and hides. It...
Governance options for price instability: A review of the food grain commodity in Nigeria
February 2012
Beyond the recent hike in global food prices, the markets for food commodity are likely to have entered a period of strong instability given the poor state of infrastructure and the recurrent phenomenon of seasonal variation in food. Whether the approaches based on the management of buffer stocks or the market based approach complemented by a few safety nets, the effectiveness has been limited. Yet the challenge of...
Efficiency change in Thailand rice production: Evidence from panel data analysis
February 2012
The impact of modern rice varieties (Mvs) adoption over the past few decades has undergone changes in Thailand's rice production. This has led to the increase in average rice yields in both wet and dry seasons. At the present time, the average rice yield per rai nearly reached the maximum point given the current production technology. The findings indicated that the cost of rice production increased to about...
Factors affecting yields of field crops and land utilisation amongst land reform beneficiaries of Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe
February 2012
The objectives of the study were to determine the level that resettled farmers in Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe utilise their land in the production of field crops as well as to determine their mean yields per hectare. Factors that affect yield and land utilisation were also determined. Data was collected from 245 households using a questionnaire as the main instrument. The majority of the households in the...
Seasonal food shortages and coping strategies adopted by rural households in Northern Ghana
February 2012
A household survey was conducted in four villages in the Bolgatanga District of northern Ghana with the objective of identifying causes and effects of seasonal food shortages and coping strategies adopted by households to increase food availability. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 200 households selected by the simple random technique and was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test...
Irrigation access and per capita consumption expenditure in farm households: Evidence from Ghana
February 2012
Investment in agricultural water management has been one key poverty reduction strategy in developing countries. In Ghana, irrigation development for livelihood support, which dates back to the 1960s manifested in the development of formal irrigation infrastructure, starting with the rural savannah and coastal regions. This study applied a propensity score matching (PSM) approach and regression analysis (ordinary least...
Community mobilization: A key to effective control of banana xanthomonas wilt
February 2012
Banana xanthomonas wilt (BXW) remains a major threat to banana, an important food and income crop for 12 million poor small-holder farmers in Uganda. Although, BXW has been controlled to some extent in parts of South-western Uganda, it is still a big problem in banana growing areas of Central and Eastern Uganda. We hypothesized that differential success in BXW control is mainly due to approaches...
Kenyan cut-flower and foliage exports: A cross country analysis
January 2012
In terms of volume and value, cut-flowers and foliage are the single most important horticultural exports, followed by vegetables and fruits. There are three main consumption centres where the market value for cut-flowers is high these are; the European union (EU), United States of America (USA) and Japan. Competition for these markets are stringent, suggesting that countries may be easily substituted, making it...
Estimating the cost of common monetary area in SADC countires: A case study from the Namibian Beef Industry, a vector error correction model approach
January 2012
The aim of this study was to measure the cost of the common monetary area (CMA) to the beef industry in Namibia as a result of the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy. A vector error correction (VEC) model was applied to measure the dynamic effect of the interest and exchange rate between the rand/Namibian dollar on the Namibian beef industry, and more specifically to examine how the volatile nature...
Agricultural investment, growth and poverty reduction: What will be the outcomes of the comprehensive Africa agricultural development program in Guinea-Bissau?
January 2012
Promoted under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the objective of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) is to increase the pace of agricultural growth in order to reduce poverty by half under the first goal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. In this paper, we assess the expected effects of the CAADP on growth and poverty in Guinea-Bissau. Simulations...
Uses of fund and constraints to growth among microfinance institutions in Kano State, Nigeria
January 2012
This study aims to address challenges posed to Microfinance institution (MFIs) as they work to improve access to credits by poor entrepreneurs among farmers and other low resource-based individuals. This prompted this research work. A field survey, using multiphase sampling technique, was conducted to select samples for detailed analysis. Two sets of questionnaires were administered on the eleven (11) MFI decision units...
Reviewing theory, practices and dynamics of agricultural cooperatives: Understanding cooperatives’ development in Namibia
December 2011
This paper reviews the principles of cooperatives as outlined by the International Cooperative Alliance. The evolution of agricultural cooperative thought, theory, and purpose as well as problems associated with cooperatives are reviewed from the standpoint of how cooperatives can provide benefits to their members. Globally economists, social theorists, and politicians have drawn considerable attention to the early...
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