Pub Date : 2021-03-05DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202102113203
J. Ateka, R. Mbeche, K. Muendo
Climate variability and the rise in incidences of pests and diseases continue to undermine production of high value vegetables among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to respond to these challenges, protected farming technologies (PFT) (such as greenhouses) which modify the plant environment and therefore aid in avoiding the harmful eects of climatic factors have been promoted. Greenhouses protect the crops against high solar radiation and heavy rainfall that have the potential of destroying vulnerable crops like tomatoes. Consequently, PFT is associated with better yields and farm incomes. However, the adoption of PFT among smallholder farmers, not least in Kenya is low. Drawing on the Agricultural Household Model (AHM) theoretic framework, this paper assessed the determinants of adoption of PFT among smallholder tomato farmers in Kenya. Tomato is the second most important horticultural vegetable crop in Kenya after potatoes in terms of production volumes and value. Data for the study were collected from a cross sectional multistage random survey of 104 tomato farming households and analysed using maximum likelihood probit model. The probit results revealed that the age of a farmer, educational level, household size, total household income and access to credit positively influenced the likelihood of PFT adoption. The likelihood of adoption was negatively related to distance to input markets and access to the county government extension services. Overall, the results of this study suggest that an integrated promotional strategy that accounts for household heterogeneities and focuses on institutional arrangements that support the accumulation of human and financial capital would enhance PFT adoption.
{"title":"Determinants of protected tomato production technologies among smallholder peri-urban producers in Kiambu, Kenya","authors":"J. Ateka, R. Mbeche, K. Muendo","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202102113203","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202102113203","url":null,"abstract":"Climate variability and the rise in incidences of pests and diseases continue to undermine production of high value vegetables among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to respond to these challenges, protected farming technologies (PFT) (such as greenhouses) which modify the plant environment and therefore aid in avoiding the harmful eects of climatic factors have been promoted. Greenhouses protect the crops against high solar radiation and heavy rainfall that have the potential of destroying vulnerable crops like tomatoes. Consequently, PFT is associated with better yields and farm incomes. However, the adoption of PFT among smallholder farmers, not least in Kenya is low. Drawing on the Agricultural Household Model (AHM) theoretic framework, this paper assessed the determinants of adoption of PFT among smallholder tomato farmers in Kenya. Tomato is the second most important horticultural vegetable crop in Kenya after potatoes in terms of production volumes and value. Data for the study were collected from a cross sectional multistage random survey of 104 tomato farming households and analysed using maximum likelihood probit model. The probit results revealed that the age of a farmer, educational level, household size, total household income and access to credit positively influenced the likelihood of PFT adoption. The likelihood of adoption was negatively related to distance to input markets and access to the county government extension services. Overall, the results of this study suggest that an integrated promotional strategy that accounts for household heterogeneities and focuses on institutional arrangements that support the accumulation of human and financial capital would enhance PFT adoption.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"122 1","pages":"43-52"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41805185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-02-25DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202102113202
Osmar de Paula Oliveira Junior, A. Wander
The Brazilian cooperative agribusiness is in a transitional phase. This moment is marked by the advancement of market globalisation, which has exerted great competitive pressure on national agribusiness. To survive and thrive in a globalised and fiercely competitive environment, cooperatives must face new challenges in the pursuit of competitiveness. This study aimed to identify and describe the main success or failure factors affecting agricultural cooperatives. To this end, bibliographic research was used as a research method, and 108 relevant works from the national and international literature were selected for analysis. The results pointed to the existence of 10 main success factors for agro-industrial cooperatives: conciliation of the dual agenda: social and economic goals; professionalisation of management; meeting the interests of multiple stakeholders; transaction cost management; risk and volatility management; improved commercialisation; competitiveness against traditional companies; technology adoption; sustainable development; and social responsibility. However, there is a gap regarding the existence of studies analysing, in an integrated manner, the prevalence and benefits of the success factors identified for agricultural cooperatives, especially those based in Brazil.
{"title":"Factors for the success of agricultural cooperatives in Brazil","authors":"Osmar de Paula Oliveira Junior, A. Wander","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202102113202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202102113202","url":null,"abstract":"The Brazilian cooperative agribusiness is in a transitional phase. This moment is marked by the advancement of market globalisation, which has exerted great competitive pressure on national agribusiness. To survive and thrive in a globalised and fiercely competitive environment, cooperatives must face new challenges in the pursuit of competitiveness. This study aimed to identify and describe the main success or failure factors affecting agricultural cooperatives. To this end, bibliographic research was used as a research method, and 108 relevant works from the national and international literature were selected for analysis. The results pointed to the existence of 10 main success factors for agro-industrial cooperatives: conciliation of the dual agenda: social and economic goals; professionalisation of management; meeting the interests of multiple stakeholders; transaction cost management; risk and volatility management; improved commercialisation; competitiveness against traditional companies; technology adoption; sustainable development; and social responsibility. However, there is a gap regarding the existence of studies analysing, in an integrated manner, the prevalence and benefits of the success factors identified for agricultural cooperatives, especially those based in Brazil.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"122 1","pages":"27-42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42058904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-02-22DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202102113201
Mareli Smalberger, C. J. V. Rensburg
The aim of this study was to investigate the physical characteristics of three litter materials, namely pine shavings (PS), bio-secure, fumigated pine shavings (BS) and sunflower hulls (SH) and its influence on broiler performance over a 33-day production cycle. The experiment was conducted in commercial poultry houses holding 42,500 chicks each, utilising a randomised block design with six house replicates per treatment. Litter samples were collected weekly for analyses of moisture, water-holding capacity, bulk density, pH and litter caking. Broiler footpad dermatitis was monitored at 21 and 31 days, together with acid detergent fibre (ADF) concentration of gizzard content, gizzard weight and small intestinal weight and length of 120 birds per treatment. Broilers across treatments consumed litter material which was evident in increased ADF levels of gizzard contents relative to feed. The SH contained more nutrients based on proximate analysis as compared to other treatments. Rearing on SH led to lower 7-day cumulative mortality, higher kilograms of broilers produced per square meter, average daily gain and slaughter weight. Improvements seen with SH did not alter commercial indicators, namely, production efficiency factor and feed conversion ratio. Litter converged toward similar physical characteristics at the end of production cycles when few differences were observed between treatments due to addition of feed, feathers and excreta.
{"title":"Litter characteristics of pine shavings, bio-secure pine shavings and sunflower hulls and its impact on broiler performance","authors":"Mareli Smalberger, C. J. V. Rensburg","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202102113201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202102113201","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to investigate the physical characteristics of three litter materials, namely pine shavings (PS), bio-secure, fumigated pine shavings (BS) and sunflower hulls (SH) and its influence on broiler performance over a 33-day production cycle. The experiment was conducted in commercial poultry houses holding 42,500 chicks each, utilising a randomised block design with six house replicates per treatment. Litter samples were collected weekly for analyses of moisture, water-holding capacity, bulk density, pH and litter caking. Broiler footpad dermatitis was monitored at 21 and 31 days, together with acid detergent fibre (ADF) concentration of gizzard content, gizzard weight and small intestinal weight and length of 120 birds per treatment. Broilers across treatments consumed litter material which was evident in increased ADF levels of gizzard contents relative to feed. The SH contained more nutrients based on proximate analysis as compared to other treatments. Rearing on SH led to lower 7-day cumulative mortality, higher kilograms of broilers produced per square meter, average daily gain and slaughter weight. Improvements seen with SH did not alter commercial indicators, namely, production efficiency factor and feed conversion ratio. Litter converged toward similar physical characteristics at the end of production cycles when few differences were observed between treatments due to addition of feed, feathers and excreta.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"122 1","pages":"13-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49338323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-02-16DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202102113200
Rebecca Baah-Ofori, M. Amoakohene
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), declining soil fertility is among the factors affecting optimal food production. Although a number of interventions have been implemented to improve soil fertility management (SFM) in SSA, their adoption especially among small scale farmers has been low. Although the literature provides considerable evidence of socio-economic factors which influence adoption, the subject of how communication influences adoption of SFM remains under-explored. This paper therefore reviewed studies on SFM communication in SSA. The objectives were to identify the current focus of studies on SFM communication, the current definitions of communication which informed such studies, and the type of SFM practices being communicated in the SSA region. Using specific search terms, articles were collected from various databases and content analysed. The review revealed five main themes as the focus of current studies on SFM. The study also revealed two main interpretations of communication which in turn influence the use of either diffusion or participatory communication strategies for SFM communication. The review also showed a focus on integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) messages in the SSA area. The study concludes that while each of the two communication strategies has their individual strengths, farmers prefer participatory strategies. This is because participatory strategies foster interaction and greater understanding; thereby, increasing the likelihood of farmer adoption of SFM practices in SSA. The review concludes by calling for further research on the use of participatory communication to engage farmers about various SFM practices in SSA.
{"title":"A review of soil fertility management communication in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"Rebecca Baah-Ofori, M. Amoakohene","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202102113200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202102113200","url":null,"abstract":"In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), declining soil fertility is among the factors affecting optimal food production. Although a number of interventions have been implemented to improve soil fertility management (SFM) in SSA, their adoption especially among small scale farmers has been low. Although the literature provides considerable evidence of socio-economic factors which influence adoption, the subject of how communication influences adoption of SFM remains under-explored. This paper therefore reviewed studies on SFM communication in SSA. The objectives were to identify the current focus of studies on SFM communication, the current definitions of communication which informed such studies, and the type of SFM practices being communicated in the SSA region. Using specific search terms, articles were collected from various databases and content analysed. The review revealed five main themes as the focus of current studies on SFM. The study also revealed two main interpretations of communication which in turn influence the use of either diffusion or participatory communication strategies for SFM communication. The review also showed a focus on integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) messages in the SSA area. The study concludes that while each of the two communication strategies has their individual strengths, farmers prefer participatory strategies. This is because participatory strategies foster interaction and greater understanding; thereby, increasing the likelihood of farmer adoption of SFM practices in SSA. The review concludes by calling for further research on the use of participatory communication to engage farmers about various SFM practices in SSA.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"122 1","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45419898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-24DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202011262277
H. Nguyen, T. Kondo
This study examines the impact of the non-farm sector on farm value-added and production efficiency in the Vietnamese agricultural sector by using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2012. Production function and stochastic frontier production analysis is used to determine the impact, and the instrumental variables method is applied to address endogeneity. We find that the Vietnamese non-farm sector has a positive effect on both farm value-added and efficiency. This result indicates that income from non-farm activities relaxes liquidity constraints and farmers can reinvest this capital in agricultural production. Our result provides evidence of the important role played by the non-farm sector in relaxing credit constraints and enhancing agricultural production efficiency for developing countries.
{"title":"Does the non-farm sector affect production efficiency of the Vietnamese agricultural sector? A stochastic frontier production approach","authors":"H. Nguyen, T. Kondo","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202011262277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202011262277","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the impact of the non-farm sector on farm value-added and production efficiency in the Vietnamese agricultural sector by using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2012. Production function and stochastic frontier production analysis is used to determine the impact, and the instrumental variables method is applied to address endogeneity. We find that the Vietnamese non-farm sector has a positive effect on both farm value-added and efficiency. This result indicates that income from non-farm activities relaxes liquidity constraints and farmers can reinvest this capital in agricultural production. Our result provides evidence of the important role played by the non-farm sector in relaxing credit constraints and enhancing agricultural production efficiency for developing countries.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"121 1","pages":"289-301"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48318693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-14DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202011262276
P. Fatch, C. Masangano, J. Kamoto, I. Jordan, T. Hilger, Isaac Mambo, A. Kalimbira, E. Nuppenau
Agricultural diversity can strengthen resilience of livelihood of farmers to climate change and market uncertainties while, potentially at the same time, offering better dietary and nutritional prospects for households. Adoption of agricultural diversity in Malawi is low. Policy-makers, researchers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and extension staff need to understand dynamics of adoption of agricultural diversity in order to develop appropriate policies and interventions to promote agricultural diversification. This study was conducted in Lilongwe District of Malawi to identify factors influencing adoption of agricultural diversity and particularly to test if farmer perceptions were among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity. A survey of 424 randomly sampled households was conducted in 2016 and 2017. A Tobit model, having 16 possible determinants, was run against a holistic agricultural diversity index that combined number of crop, livestock, and fruit tree species and cropping patterns. The study found that farmer perceptions were among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity. Some farmers perceived that they faced problems to find seeds of preferred varieties, droughts posed problems to farming; some crops produced good yields while other crops did not. Farmers with such perceptions were less likely to practice agricultural diversification. In addition to perceptions, engagement in off-farm sources of income also negatively affected agricultural diversity. Other factors, namely farmers’ access to land and credit, irrigation farming, selling of crops, ownership of radios, and farmer group membership fostered adoption of agricultural diversity.
{"title":"Are farmer perceptions among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity in Malawi? A case of Lilongwe district","authors":"P. Fatch, C. Masangano, J. Kamoto, I. Jordan, T. Hilger, Isaac Mambo, A. Kalimbira, E. Nuppenau","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202011262276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202011262276","url":null,"abstract":"Agricultural diversity can strengthen resilience of livelihood of farmers to climate change and market uncertainties while, potentially at the same time, offering better dietary and nutritional prospects for households. Adoption of agricultural diversity in Malawi is low. Policy-makers, researchers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and extension staff need to understand dynamics of adoption of agricultural diversity in order to develop appropriate policies and interventions to promote agricultural diversification. This study was conducted in Lilongwe District of Malawi to identify factors influencing adoption of agricultural diversity and particularly to test if farmer perceptions were among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity. A survey of 424 randomly sampled households was conducted in 2016 and 2017. A Tobit model, having 16 possible determinants, was run against a holistic agricultural diversity index that combined number of crop, livestock, and fruit tree species and cropping patterns. The study found that farmer perceptions were among significant determinants of adoption of agricultural diversity. Some farmers perceived that they faced problems to find seeds of preferred varieties, droughts posed problems to farming; some crops produced good yields while other crops did not. Farmers with such perceptions were less likely to practice agricultural diversification. In addition to perceptions, engagement in off-farm sources of income also negatively affected agricultural diversity. Other factors, namely farmers’ access to land and credit, irrigation farming, selling of crops, ownership of radios, and farmer group membership fostered adoption of agricultural diversity.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"121 1","pages":"277-288"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47463456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-27DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202011262275
T. Aveling, K. D. Ridder, N. Olivier, D. Berger
Seed quality plays an important role in the establishment of healthy crop stands. The aim of this study was to identify the mycoflora associated with maize grain collected over two growing seasons, one experiencing severe drought, from small-holder farms across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC), two important provinces with maize producing small-holder farmers in South Africa. Asymptomatic maize ears were collected at harvest during two maize growing seasons from farms located in Hlanganani (KZN), Ntabamhlophe (KZN), KwaNxamalala (KZN), Bizana (EC) and Tabankulu (EC). Maize grain was subjected to seed health tests using the agar plate method. The percentage incidence of fungal species isolated from maize grain was determined with species identities confirmed by ITS sequencing. Nine fungal genera were identified with Fusarium species and Stenocarpella maydis the most prevalent. Fusarium verticillioides , Fusarium graminearum and S. maydis were isolated from all sites in both seasons. No fungal species exhibited a higher incidence in the drought season across all sites. F. graminearum and S. maydis had higher incidences in the wetter season at four and three sites, respectively. F. verticillioides had a greater incidence at the EC sites, particularly the coastal Bizana site. We conclude that local factors have a greater impact than the drought season on the population structure of ear-rot pathogens. The widespread presence of fungi that are potentially mycotoxin-producing in asymptomatic maize grain poses health risks to consumers and is worthy of further investigation.
{"title":"Seasonal variation in mycoflora associated with asymptomatic maize grain from small-holder farms in two provinces of South Africa","authors":"T. Aveling, K. D. Ridder, N. Olivier, D. Berger","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202011262275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202011262275","url":null,"abstract":"Seed quality plays an important role in the establishment of healthy crop stands. The aim of this study was to identify the mycoflora associated with maize grain collected over two growing seasons, one experiencing severe drought, from small-holder farms across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC), two important provinces with maize producing small-holder farmers in South Africa. Asymptomatic maize ears were collected at harvest during two maize growing seasons from farms located in Hlanganani (KZN), Ntabamhlophe (KZN), KwaNxamalala (KZN), Bizana (EC) and Tabankulu (EC). Maize grain was subjected to seed health tests using the agar plate method. The percentage incidence of fungal species isolated from maize grain was determined with species identities confirmed by ITS sequencing. Nine fungal genera were identified with Fusarium species and Stenocarpella maydis the most prevalent. Fusarium verticillioides , Fusarium graminearum and S. maydis were isolated from all sites in both seasons. No fungal species exhibited a higher incidence in the drought season across all sites. F. graminearum and S. maydis had higher incidences in the wetter season at four and three sites, respectively. F. verticillioides had a greater incidence at the EC sites, particularly the coastal Bizana site. We conclude that local factors have a greater impact than the drought season on the population structure of ear-rot pathogens. The widespread presence of fungi that are potentially mycotoxin-producing in asymptomatic maize grain poses health risks to consumers and is worthy of further investigation.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"121 1","pages":"265-275"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41993128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-25DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202010191973
M. Khadka, G. Thapa
Development partners and donor agencies often target programs and projects in poverty stricken and vulnerable regions around the world. However, there is paucity on economic and financial analysis of such investments. This study contributes to the literature by assessing financial internal rate of return (FIRR) and economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of livestock agribusiness, a vital component of ‘High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement’ (HIMALI) project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from 2011 to 2018 in ten mountain districts of Nepal. The analysis employs a unique dataset on annual cost (investment, operation and labour) and revenue of 138 livestock agribusiness from 2013 to 2017. The study estimates the EIRR and FIRR of six important livestock species namely, goat, sheep, mountain goat known as chyangra , chauri (a cross-bred of yak and local hill cow), cattle and pig raised in high uplands of Nepal. The overall EIRR of livestock agribusiness is 15% with the highest EIRR observed for sheep (18%), followed by goat (16%), chauri (14%), chyangra (14%) and pig (12%) farm enterprises. By contrast, the overall FIRR of livestock agribusiness is just 12%. Sensitivity analysis shows that the livestock agribusiness is highly sensitive to changes in revenue and operation costs. Some of the major challenges identified are lack of veterinary services and capital to scale-up agribusiness, inadequate market linkages, and limited pastureland. Among livestock agribusiness, sheep, goat, chyangra , and chauri has a high potential in high mountains. The low FIRR indicates a high risk to agribusiness. The study therefore recommends local, provincial and federal governments to deliver reliable extension services, improve market access and provide financial support to ensure the financial sustainability of livestock enterprises in the most difficult and economically lagged region of the country.
{"title":"Economic and financial returns of livestock agribusiness in high mountains of Nepal","authors":"M. Khadka, G. Thapa","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202010191973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202010191973","url":null,"abstract":"Development partners and donor agencies often target programs and projects in poverty stricken and vulnerable regions around the world. However, there is paucity on economic and financial analysis of such investments. This study contributes to the literature by assessing financial internal rate of return (FIRR) and economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of livestock agribusiness, a vital component of ‘High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement’ (HIMALI) project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from 2011 to 2018 in ten mountain districts of Nepal. The analysis employs a unique dataset on annual cost (investment, operation and labour) and revenue of 138 livestock agribusiness from 2013 to 2017. The study estimates the EIRR and FIRR of six important livestock species namely, goat, sheep, mountain goat known as chyangra , chauri (a cross-bred of yak and local hill cow), cattle and pig raised in high uplands of Nepal. The overall EIRR of livestock agribusiness is 15% with the highest EIRR observed for sheep (18%), followed by goat (16%), chauri (14%), chyangra (14%) and pig (12%) farm enterprises. By contrast, the overall FIRR of livestock agribusiness is just 12%. Sensitivity analysis shows that the livestock agribusiness is highly sensitive to changes in revenue and operation costs. Some of the major challenges identified are lack of veterinary services and capital to scale-up agribusiness, inadequate market linkages, and limited pastureland. Among livestock agribusiness, sheep, goat, chyangra , and chauri has a high potential in high mountains. The low FIRR indicates a high risk to agribusiness. The study therefore recommends local, provincial and federal governments to deliver reliable extension services, improve market access and provide financial support to ensure the financial sustainability of livestock enterprises in the most difficult and economically lagged region of the country.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"121 1","pages":"251-263"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47988370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-18DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202010191972
Antony Wainaina Kagucia, J. Kagira, N. Maina, S. Karanja, F. Njonge
The current cross-sectional study aimed at characterising the productivity and diseases affecting dairy goats kept by smallholder farmers in three sub-counties in Thika Region, Kenya. Standard questionnaires were administered to 240 farmers through face-to-face interviews and the outputs were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The farmers mainly kept crosses of Toggenburg (45.9 %), Kenyan Alpine (29.5 %) and Saanen (17.4 %) dairy goats. The average dairy goat flock size was 4.5 (range 1–23) and 77.5 % of the goats were kept for production of milk for domestic consumption. The average milk production per goat per day was 1.26 litres (range 0.5 to 3.5 litres) and was significantly (p 0.05) the milk production levels. The farmers identified helminthosis (84.6 %), pneumonia (32.9 %), coccidiosis (25.8 %) and mastitis (25 %), as the most prevalent goat diseases. In conclusion, the study showed that dairy goat farming in greater Thika Region was characterised by low-input with an objective of provision of milk for home consumption. The observed challenges of low milk productivity and diseases should be addressed by the local extension workers through training on improved husbandry, nutrition and health management of the dairy goats.
{"title":"Characterisation of productivity and diseases affecting dairy goats in smallholder systems of Greater Thika Region, Kenya","authors":"Antony Wainaina Kagucia, J. Kagira, N. Maina, S. Karanja, F. Njonge","doi":"10.17170/KOBRA-202010191972","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17170/KOBRA-202010191972","url":null,"abstract":"The current cross-sectional study aimed at characterising the productivity and diseases affecting dairy goats kept by smallholder farmers in three sub-counties in Thika Region, Kenya. Standard questionnaires were administered to 240 farmers through face-to-face interviews and the outputs were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The farmers mainly kept crosses of Toggenburg (45.9 %), Kenyan Alpine (29.5 %) and Saanen (17.4 %) dairy goats. The average dairy goat flock size was 4.5 (range 1–23) and 77.5 % of the goats were kept for production of milk for domestic consumption. The average milk production per goat per day was 1.26 litres (range 0.5 to 3.5 litres) and was significantly (p 0.05) the milk production levels. The farmers identified helminthosis (84.6 %), pneumonia (32.9 %), coccidiosis (25.8 %) and mastitis (25 %), as the most prevalent goat diseases. In conclusion, the study showed that dairy goat farming in greater Thika Region was characterised by low-input with an objective of provision of milk for home consumption. The observed challenges of low milk productivity and diseases should be addressed by the local extension workers through training on improved husbandry, nutrition and health management of the dairy goats.","PeriodicalId":54889,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics","volume":"121 1","pages":"243-249"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46459961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-11DOI: 10.17170/KOBRA-202010191971
Eloy Castro Muñoz, A. Andriamandroso, Y. Blaise, Lenin Ron, C. Montúfar, P. M. Kinkela, F. Lebeau, J. Bindelle
The combination of "ancestral knowledge" and modern agricultural techniques are increasingly used by Andes farmers, demonstrating its great importance as an ideal alternative to achieve international standards of productivity and sustainability. Pasture management has demonstrated its relevance in terms of milk volume and quality in farms located in the Ecuadorian highlands, showing a wide range of types of forage resource use, in its constant search for better animal yields from the occupancy rate. However, while inclination of land has a clear impact on energy expenditure of grazing animals, there are no reports on the influence of the diversity in management practices and their consequences on animal performance, considering the slope of pastures animals are grazing. The objective of the present investigation was to document management practices in dairy systems in the tropical highlands of central Ecuador and to understand the influence of the slope of pastures on those practices. A survey was carried out in the rural area of the province of Pichincha in 42 dairy farms using a questionnaire to identify the productive and management activities in the herds and to evaluate the average slope of the pastures of the farms based on GIS data. Results showed that farms had an average acreage of 40 ha, the herds were composed of 60 ± 63 cows in milk, predominantly Holstein (65 %), and the daily production of individual milking cows reached 15.1 ± 3.4 kg. Highest productivity was found on farms with the highest re-population rates using rotatory grazing with high intensity of instantaneous grazing with very short occupation times ( < 0.05). The daily production of individual cows was negatively correlated (r = −0.323, p = 0.037) with the average slope of the farms. It is concluded that the use of rotational grazing with very short occupation times seems relevant to maximize individual yields. More research should clarify whether the specific pasture design and the rotation system can contribute to reducing the observed negative impact of high slopes on individual milk production.
安第斯山脉的农民越来越多地使用“祖先知识”和现代农业技术的结合，表明其作为实现生产力和可持续性国际标准的理想替代方案的重要性。在厄瓜多尔高地的农场，牧场管理已经证明了其与牛奶数量和质量的相关性，显示了各种类型的饲料资源利用，并不断从占用率中寻求更好的动物产量。然而，虽然土地倾斜度对放牧动物的能量消耗有明显的影响，但考虑到放牧动物的牧场坡度，尚未有关于管理方法多样性及其对动物生产性能影响的报道。本次调查的目的是记录厄瓜多尔中部热带高地奶业系统的管理做法，并了解牧场坡度对这些做法的影响。在皮钦查省农村地区的42个奶牛场开展了一项调查，采用问卷调查的方式确定了牛群的生产和管理活动，并基于GIS数据评估了牧场的平均坡度。结果表明，养殖场平均面积为40 ha，奶牛群数为60±63头，以荷斯坦奶牛为主(65%)，单头奶牛日产量15.1±3.4 kg。轮牧和瞬时放牧强度高、占用时间短的复员率最高的养殖场的生产力最高(< 0.05)。单头奶牛日产量与牧场平均坡度呈负相关(r = - 0.323, p = 0.037)。因此，利用极短的占用时间进行轮牧似乎可以使单产最大化。更多的研究应该阐明具体的牧场设计和轮作制度是否有助于减少观察到的高坡对个体奶产量的负面影响。
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