L. J. S. Baiyegunhi

Socio-economic and Institutional Factors Influencing Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Hai District, Tanzania

Abstract The aim of this study was to explore households’ socio-economic characteristics as well as institutional factors influencing the adoption of improved maize varieties (IMVs), using a cross-sectional data collected from a survey of 160 maize growing households in Hai District, Tanzania, using logistic regression model. Empirical result from the study show that off-farm income, access to extension services, access to credit, farmers membership of groups/association and participation in on-farm trials/demonstrations are statistically significant factors influencing the adoption of IMVs. The results suggest that improving smallholder farmers’ basic education, access to extension service and credit facilities, and the promotion of farmers’ groups/association could increase adoption of improved agricultural technologies. There is need for research institutes and extension services to increase on-farm trials/demonstrations on improved agricultural technologies, in-order to enhance farmers’ awareness and adoption of technologies.

Determinants of smallholder farmers' participation in maize and pigeonpea markets in Tanzania

ABSTRACT This paper analyses factors influencing market participation decisions and the level of commercialisation among maize and pigeonpea smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The study utilises cross-sectional farm household-level data collected in 2010 from a randomly selected sample of 700 smallholder farming households. The two-step decision-making process was analysed using a Heckman selectivity procedure. The results showed that fixed transaction costs associated with market information and household characteristics such as gender and education level of the household head had a statistically significant influence on market participation. Proportional transaction costs (distance to market) and variables such as output prices, farm size, labour force, membership of farmer associations and geographical location of households influenced both market participation and intensity of participation. The results suggest that policies aimed at improving rural road infrastructure, market information systems, smallholder asset accumulation, human capital and promotion of farmer association could reduce transaction costs and enhance market participation and marketed supply by smallholder farmers.

Adoption of agrochemical management practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana

This study explores smallholder cocoa farmers’ adoption decisions of agrochemical inputs in the Ghanaian cocoa industry using farm-level data collected from a sample of 838 farm households in four cocoa producing regions. Multivariate probit and Tobit models were used to examine the determinants of agrochemical inputs adoption and the extent of adoption, respectively. The result of the study showed that agrochemical management practices are complementary and thus the adoption of an agrochemical input is conditional on the adoption of others. Different household characteristics, household assets, institutional variables, and the perception of soil fertility status and the incidence of pests and diseases influence the adoption of individual agrochemical inputs. Furthermore, the result of the study showed that intensity (or extent) of agrochemical adoption (measured as farmers’ expenditure on agrochemicals) is also influenced by some socioeconomic and institutional variables such as extension services and farmers’ visits to demonstration farms. The implication of this result provides empirical guidelines necessary for farm-level programmes designed to improve adoption and intensity of adoption of agrochemical management practices in the Ghanaian cocoa sector.

Pr ocessing and Marketing of Selected Cassava Products in South-east Nigeria

Abstract The study investigates the processing and marketing of cassava products in the Southeast, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling was used to select 120 respondents, using structured questionnaire to collect primary data on the quantity and the cost of cassava used for processing each product, the method of processing and cost of processing. The return per naira on investment of the cassava products was evaluated, and the result showed that cassava processing is a profitable venture. Processing cassava tubers into flour was more profitable with a return of 9 kobo per N1 invested in the business as against 7.8 kobo and 7.1kobo for garri and chips respectively. Several constraints associated with processing and marketing of cassava products were identified. This study recommended the need for government and the private sector to assist cassava processors with credit, processing and storage facilities, good road network as this will boost the economic performance of this sector of the economy.

Does fertiliser use improve household welfare? Evidence from Ghana’s cocoa industry

ABSTRACT This article analyses welfare impacts of fertiliser adoption using data collected from 838 cocoa farm households in the four key cocoa-producing regions in Ghana. Using propensity score matching (PSM), the study indicates that application of fertiliser leads to significant gains in farm yields, farm income, consumption expenditure, consumption expenditure per capita, and value of productive farm assets. The article concludes that cocoa-specific programmes such as Cocoa High Technology (Cocoa Hi-tech), initiated to intensify the application of improved farm technologies such as fertiliser, should be strengthened through effective and efficient management systems.

Impact of Integrated Striga Management (ISM) technology on maize productivity in northern Nigeria: A treatment effect approach

This paper evaluates the impact of adopting Integrated Striga Management (ISM) technologies on maize productivity among rural households of northern Nigeria. The study utilizes cross-sectional data collected in 2014 from a randomly selected 643 households. A treatment effect regression model was used to estimate the causal impact of ISM technology adoption on farm productivity. The results revealed that adoption of ISM technology has a significant positive impact on maize yield per hectare. This confirms the potential role of ISM technology adoption in the Striga infested areas in improving rural household productivity and its ability to withstand production risk. An analysis of the determinants of adoption suggested farmer age, cooperative membership, past participation in on-farm trials, access to cash remittances, access to fertilizer, access to improved seeds and yield perception as the key determinants of ISM technology adoption. Results from the treatment effect model indicate that adoption of ISM technologies has a positive effect on farm productivity, with adopters on average achieving a 47% increase in maize yield per ha above that of non-adopters. Policy implications for promoting ISM technology adoption and farm productivity are discussed.

Household wealth and adoption of Integrated Striga Management (ISM) technologies in northern Nigeria

Agricultural households in developing countries often are unable and unwilling to adopt new technologies due to the deterrents to adoption imposed by numerous socio-economic, institutional and ecological factors. However, economic theory predicts that relatively wealthy households have better ability to cope with production and price risks and as a result are more willing to adopt improved farm technology compared to poor households. Cross-sectional farm-level data collected from 643 households in Kano and Bauchi states in northern Nigeria in the 2013/2014 cropping season was used for the study. The study first categorized households into two wealth groups – poorly-endowed and well-endowed, to test whether differences in their wealth/stock of productive assets affects their Integrated Striga Management (ISM) technologies adoption and use intensity decisions. Separate double-hurdle models were estimated for each wealth groups. Empirical results show that factors explaining adoption decision and use intensity of ISM technologies differ across the two wealth groups. Hence, it is imperative that policies that are aimed at increasing the adoption and use intensity of ISM technologies and their subsequent impacts on households’ food security and livelihood target different wealth groups.

The welfare impacts of market channel choice by smallholder farmers in Tanzania

ABSTRACT This article analyses the impact of market channel choice on household welfare by maize and pigeon pea smallholder farmers in Tanzania, using a multinomial endogenous treatment approach. The study utilises farm household-level data collected from a randomly selected sample of 700 smallholder farmers. The results show that participation with traders in nearby markets and wholesalers in nearby towns have a positive effect on consumption expenditure per capita relative to brokers at the farmgate, for both maize and pigeon pea-farming households. The study suggests that interventions that aimed at inclusion of smallholder farmers in more profitable markets could improve household welfare and reduce poverty among rural households.

The Choice of Marketing Channel by Maize and Pigeonpea Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from the Northern and Eastern Zones of Tanzania

ABSTRACT This study examines the factors affecting the choice of marketing channel used by smallholder maize and pigeonpea farmers in the northern and eastern zones of Tanzania. The reason for the focus on maize and pigeonpea is because these products are key crops that contribute to household production, consumption and cash income in the study zones. A Multinomial Logit Analysis of a multistage sample of 562 smallholder farmers, who market maize and pigeonpea, showed that transaction costs, household wealth, access to credit and extension services, and social capital affect their choice of marketing channel. This outcome suggests that policies aimed at reducing transaction costs, improving access to productive assets, prudent use of credit, and promoting the use of well-organised farmer groups to access appropriate technology and information could enhance market access and better integrate smallholder farmers into markets in the study areas.

Adoption of striga ( striga hermonthica ) Management Technologies in Northern Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study examined the adoption of Integrated Striga Management (ISMA) technologies among maize farmers in Bauchi and Kano states of northern Nigeria. It employs a double-hurdle approach to analyse the factors influencing adoption and intensity of ISMA technologies among households, using cross-sectional data of 643 farmers from the two states. The results show that the estimated coefficients of exogenous income and proximity to extension office are negatively significant (P < 0.05), while higher total farm income, polygamous households, past participation in on-farm trials, awareness of the technology, contact with extension agents and access to cash remittances are positive and significant (P < 0.01), and are the most significant factors likely to influence ISMA technologies adoption. Marital status, household size, farm size and access to cash remittances are most significant factors influencing adoption intensity. Maize farmers in the study area who adopted ISMA technologies obtained higher output than the non-adopters, which resulted in a positive and significant effect on their total farm income. Hence, policies targeted at increasing maize productivity through Striga management need to include ISMA technologies as a potentially feasible option. The study recommends actions to improve farmers’ access to financial services to increase their liquidity. Nevertheless, the most immediate action will be improvement in farmers’ access to extension services as they have proved to be a reliable source of information in the rural areas.