International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:13 Issue: 2, Jun 2023

The study examined the effects of farmers’ perceptions of the national Farmers’ Day awards scheme on farm productivity in the Tolon District of the Northern Region of Ghana. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A total of 270 farmers were used for the study using a multi-stage sampling technique. The study revealed that there is a significant difference in farmers’ general perceptions, selection criteria and the effect of the national Farmers’ Day awards programme on farm productivity based on farmers’ demographic characteristics. The findings have also demonstrated the effects of the perceptions of the farmers on the national Farmers’ Day awards programme on farm productivity in the Northern Region of Ghana. It is recommended that the award scheme should be fair in selecting farmers for the awards, irrespective of their farm sizes. Government should ensure that agricultural extension agents are made available to facilitate and observe the majority of the farmers whose farms are not reached for selection. The award scheme should review the selection criteria to include all the socio-cultural narratives (i.e., gender issues, land ownership, etc.) of the farmers in order to make the awards programme inclusive.

The study used cross-sectional data collected from a randomly selected sample of 320 households in important rice growing areas in northern Ghana. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of all-year round rice production on the welfare of farm households. Endogenous Switching Regression techniques were used to estimate the true welfare effect of all-year round rice production. Descriptive results showed a mean distance from the food expenditure poverty line of GHS46.17 with a significant difference between participants’ (GHS16.03) and non-participants (GHS60.46). With only 6.3% of all-year-round rice producers being poor, as high as 23.6% seasonal rice producers are poor. Important factors contributing to higher household food consumption expenditure are farm size, non-farm work, contract farming and education whilst household size tends to reduce it. The study found that the observed per capita food expenditure (GHS 364.00) of farmers participating in all-year round rice production is much higher than their counterfactual per capita food expenditure of GHS 179.79, suggesting that engaging in all-year round rice production has a significant positive impact on household food consumption expenditure in northern Ghana where the bulk of the country’s rice is produced. The finding implies that all-year round cultivation of rice has a potential role in improving rural household welfare as higher consumption expenditure translates into enhanced food security and lower poverty status of farm households. The study recommends the expansion in irrigation infrastructure in northern Ghana to encourage more farm families to adopt all-year round cultivation of rice.

The main purpose of this study is identifying strategies for agricultural sustainable development in Iran. This research is a mixed exploratory research and has been carried out in a combination of qualitative and quantitative parts. In the qualitative part, various methods such as semi-structured interviews and focus group techniques were used. In a quantitative part, the population of the study consisted of wheat farmers of Khouzestan province, Iran. The stratified random sampling method was selected as the research sampling method. In order to formulate strategic planning, the model of analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) was used. Also, in the quantitative part of the research through Structural Equation Model (SEM), the role of the identified strategies was evaluated and the designed model was approved. Based on the results, it can be found that the predictive positive effect of WO1 (β=0.512, t-value=3.453, p<0.001), WO2 (β=0.533, t-value=3.516, p<0.001), WO3 (β=0.581, t-value=4.129, p<0.001), WO4 (β=0.916, t-value=5.821, p<0.001), WO5 (β=0.861, t-value=4.523, p<0.001), WO6 (β=0.823, t-value=5.123, p<0.001), WO7 (β=0.694, t-value=5.212, p<0.001), WO8 (β=0.761, t-value=4.928, p<0.001), WO9 (β=0.832, t-value=5.257, p<0.001) and WO10 (β=0.621, t-value=4.153, p<0.001) on the ASD. Based on the results, the amount of R2=0.74 was estimated. This indicates that 10 strategies and 34 construct have the ability to explain 74% of the ASD variance. Based on the results obtained, the overall goodness of the fitting statistics showed that the structural model is well consistent with the data. The designed strategic plan can play an effective role in the sustainable development of agriculture.

The study investigated resource-use efficiency of pepper production in Ado Local Government area Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study specifically estimates the costs and returns, determines the resource-use efficiency, and identify the main constraints to pepper production in the area. Primary data were used with the aid of a well-designed questionnaire. A two-stage sampling technique was used to randomly select 120 respondents. Descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and multiple regression model were used to analyze the data. The results showed that farmers earned an average net income of ₦100,159 per hectare while the return on investment was estimated to be 1.3. This implies that for every ₦1 invested, the farmer makes N1.30k, confirming the profitable of pepper enterprise in the area. The results of multiple regression revealed that labour, quantity of glove, seed and farm size were the significant factors affecting pepper production in the area. The estimates of resource-use efficiency showed that all the variables in the model were underutilized except variables such as cutlass and quantity of glove which are overutilized. The results further revealed that pest and disease, lack of credit, and inadequate storage facilities were the main constraints to the optimal productivity and profitability in the area. The study recommends the provision of credit facilities, effective pest and disease management strategies, and efficient use of inputs to enhance the productivity and profitability of pepper farming in the area. Therefore, the study is vital by identifying the underlying factors that would improve the sustainability and profitability of pepper production.

This study examines the impact of seasonality on the profitability of smallholder tomato farmers in rural areas of Malawi. The Malawian government has implemented initiatives to promote horticultural crop production, including tomatoes, to reduce reliance on tobacco as the primary source of foreign exchange earnings. Using a mixed-methods approach, data from 75 participants in the Thyolo District of Malawi was collected and analyzed. The study evaluates profits in different seasons, compares average earnings in winter and summer, and investigates price variations in markets. Findings show that tomato prices are higher in summer, reflecting the inverse relationship between prices and production cycles. Tomato production remains financially viable in both seasons, but the dry season is more economically rewarding with higher gross profits. The study recommends empowering farmers to increase year-round tomato cultivation. Further research could explore factors contributing to profitability disparities between seasons and investigate the impact of weather conditions and climate change on tomato production. The findings have important implications for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders interested in sustainable agriculture and rural development in Malawi.

To avoid the moribund path of most of the earlier implemented agricultural-based interventions in Nigeria. Anchor Borrowers’ program was introduced to contribute meaningfully to the economy. The study investigated on rice farmers’ technical efficiency and level of poverty in Nigeria: Evidence from the Anchor borrower program. Primary data were analyzed using Descriptive analysis, Gini coefficient, Stochastic production Frontier model, Regression analysis, and Vulnerability Index. Evidence from the result revealed that the average yield per hectare of paddy rice for the beneficiaries (70%) majorly was 4500 kg while non-beneficiaries (52%) was 3500kg. The production function showed that the coefficient of regression for herbicides, seed and fertilizer was positively significant at 5% and %, respectively. The factors that influencing technical inefficiency (farm organization, farm size, farm experience and ABP loan) were found to be negatively significant. The logistic regression model estimate revealed that factors influence loan acquisitions of respondents include: (farm organization, extension agent visit, age of household, and farm size) which were positively statistically significant and this is important in explaining ABP credit acquisition access among households. The results of the Gini coefficient also indicated that income inequality was higher in ABP beneficiaries than non-beneficiaries. Vulnerability index results showed that ABP non-beneficiaries were more vulnerable to poverty than beneficiaries. Additionally, the non-beneficiaries have a poorer population than beneficiaries. However, these results indicate that the Anchor borrower program has a positive impact on beneficiaries’ welfare.