International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:10 Issue: 2, Jun 2020

The study investigated the roles of different stakeholders influencing the use of mobile phones in accessing agricultural information in Tanzania. While information is becoming an important ingredient in agriculture, farmers in Tanzania suffer the problem of lacking access to agricultural information. Promisingly, mobile phone technology has become the most valued infrastructure which gives people access to information and services they need. Actually, the subscription of mobile phones in Tanzania is ubiquitous and is ever-growing. However, many farmers are not fully utilizing the potential that the technology prevails. There is an apparent disparity between mobile phone subscriptions which is increasingly being adopted on one hand and their uptake into farming practices. The question is, why farmers not fully utilizing the potential the technology prevails in agriculture and how could they be helped? The research adopted a multi-stage sampling technique whereby, initially two districts were purposively selected followed by a simple random sampling technique to obtain 240 respondents. Data collection methods used was: interviews, key informants interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social (SPSS), whereby some descriptive statistics including frequencies, means, percentages and standard deviations were determined. Chi-square tests and regression analysis were also performed to test for the relationship between variables and rule out variables that are the best predictors, respectively.

This study examined the adoption prospects and challenges of rice-cum-fish production technology among rice and fish farmers in selected States in southern Nigeria (Delta, Edo, Lagos and Ondo States). Using questionnaire, data was sought from 720 sampled rice and fish farmers in the selected States. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, logit regression. Results showed that more than half the respondents were not aware of the rice-cum-fish technology; however, majority had a high perception of the potential benefits associated with the technology and expressed willingness to adopt it (fish farmers = 95.71%; rice farmers = 87.25%). Potential constraints to farmers’ adoption of the technology included inadequate finance, lack of technical competence, perceived difficulty associated with the practice and limited land. Significant determinants of the rice farmers willingness to adopt the technology were age (b = -0.060), education (b = -0.253), income (b = -0.779), awareness of rice-cum-fish technology (b = 1.919) and perception of the technology benefits (b = 0.084). For the fish farmers, the only significant factor was farming experience (b = -0.388). Rice-cum-fish production technology, therefore, has great prospects for adoption in the study area if popularized. To enhance uptake of this technology, farmers should be trained on the rice-cum-fish production technology.

The study assessed the determinants and vulnerability to rural poverty in Nigeria using 2018-2019 Nigerian Living Standards Survey data. Binary probit regression model was used to ascertain the determinants of poverty and probability of the household being vulnerable to poverty. Linear regression model was used to ascertain how various kinds of households’ characteristics impact on the likelihood that the household will fall into poverty. The probit estimates showed that economic growth, debt, inflation, investment, corruption, life expectancy, and unemployment rate were major determinants of poverty in Nigeria as they have potential to aggravate poverty. It was found that lower household size is associated with low vulnerability to poverty. The odd ratios of the probit model showed that household characteristics of age, household size, female-headed households and households located in northern zones of the country are significantly correlated with poverty and are major socio-economic determinants of household vulnerability to poverty. The rate of decrease in vulnerability is marginal in all other northern zones relative to north east but larger in the southern geopolitical zones. Vulnerability to poverty is a more serious issue in Nigeria, particularly in the north-eastern part of the country. The research recommends creation of enabling environment that encourages small and medium scale business to thrive in order to reduce the level of unemployment which has pervasive effect on poverty.

The study analyzed risks in financing agriculture by agricultural cooperatives in Benue State, Nigeria and use research questionnaires for data collection. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample of 210 respondents from 21 agricultural cooperatives. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in data analysis. Loan defaulting (66.7%) and reduction in savings by members (51.4%) were the major causes of risks faced by agricultural cooperatives in the study area. Other were: adverse changes in commodity prices (48.6%), disaster (45.7%) among others. Risks adversely influence the profitability and competition of agricultural cooperatives (82.9%). Multiple regression analysis results showed that the coefficient of multiple determinations was 0.67 implying that the explanatory variables included in the model accounted for 67% of the variation in the level of profitability of agricultural cooperatives. The number of loans, average amount of loan and the interest rate were significant and important determinants of profitability of the cooperatives. Majority of the respondents (88.6%) made use of loan guarantors as a strategy of managing loan default/ repayment. It was found that majority (70%) of the respondents faced the challenge of lack of insurance cover. The study recommend that Agricultural cooperative officials should be encouraged to undergo formal training and education so as to easily acquire administrative skills in the management of agricultural loans, Farmers loan size should be increased and released on time to enable them use it effectively. Policies that enhance insuring farm activities should be put in place so as to discourage farmers risk aversion.

The agricultural extension system in the country is facing challenges and shortcomings due to issues related to the provision of services by the public sector. These challenges highlight the need to review the pattern of agricultural service delivery by the public sector to create the conditions for greater private sector participation. But before entering the process of privatization and huge costs in this sector, it is necessary to identify the existing barriers and in the first step to remove the barriers, then in the second step to implement it to plan and take practical action. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers to privatization of agricultural extension in rural areas of northern Khuzestan Province. Based on the results, it was found that the most important barriers to the implementation of privatization of agricultural extension were economic, social and cultural barriers with an explanatory power of 57% of the changes in the barriers to privatization of agricultural extension in rural areas of northern Khuzestan Province.

A few studies conducted in Ethiopia about rural household’s saving behavior devoting much attention to macroeconomic data. Therefore, this paper examines both motives of rural household’s saving and factors affecting their saving behavior by using micro level data sets. Primary data were obtained from structured and semi-structured questionnaire, key informants interview, field observation and focus group discussion whereas the secondary data were gathered from banks and micro-finance institutions. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study area and178 sample respondents. The descriptive statistical tools including frequencies and percentages were used to examine motives of rural household’s saving whereas chi-square test and t-test were used to examine statistical significance between dependent and explanatory variables. In addition, binary logit model was used to analyze factors affecting rural household’s saving behavior. Results show that mitigating emergency, smoothing future consumption, high interest rate, planning to have luxury life and starting new business were reasons behind the motives of rural household’s saving whereas lack of surplus income, shortage of formal financial institutions, lack of awareness and low interest rate were discouraging factors to save in the area. Furthermore, Age, education level, access to credit and extension service, interest rate, transaction cost and livestock ownership of household heads were factors significantly influencing rural household’s saving behavior . Giving emphasis on adult education, income diversification, expanding branches of formal financial institutions, proving extension service and revising interest rate were points recommended to all concerned bodies to enhance rural households saving behavior in the study area.