International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:2 Issue: 3, Sep 2012

This study examined the status and determinants of rural households’ food security in Moyale district of pastoral area, Oromia regional state, in Ethiopia. Both secondary and primary data were used for the study. The study was based on the survey of a total of 100 farmers randomly selected using a three-stage sampling technique. Analytical tools used include descriptive statistics, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) model and logit model. The findings revealed that about 49.5% and 50.5% of pastoral households were food insecure and food secure respectively. Logit model analysis result showed total farm income, off-farm income and livestock holding households were the major factors positively and significantly influence food security status. However, family size negatively affects household food security in the study area. The findings suggest the following set of policy recommendation. Identifying and understanding factors that are responsible for household food security status and its determinants is important to combat food security problems at the household level. The study findings suggest that in selecting priority intervention areas, the food security strategy should consider statistically significant variables as the most important areas. [Amsalu Mitiku et al. Analysis of Factors Determining Households Food Security in Pastoral Area Oromia Region, Moyale District, In Ethiopia. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):105-110].

The study assessed economic of maize production in Ogori/Magongo local government area of Kogi State. To this end, effort was made to examine the socio economic characteristics of the maize farmers, determine the resource use efficiency, problems as well as profitability of maize production in the area. To achieve the objectives of this study 48 maize farmers where randomly selected from 5 wards from the local government area, three wards from Ogori and two wards from Magongo. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin and multiple regression models. Results showed that 68.75% of farmers used hired labor, 93.75% personal savings and 70.83% used seed from previous harvest for their farm operations. Analysis revealed that farm size, fertilizer and seed were significant factors influencing output level. Estimated efficiency ratio (r) shows that resources where underutilized and the gross margin per hectare of land was N 35,370, implying that maize production is profitable in the study. The problems identified by maize farmers were inadequate capital (68.75%), lack of improved seed (52%) while (31%) of the farmers lacked fertilizer to increase production. [A. B. Mohammed et al. Economic Analysis of Maize Production in Ogori / Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):111-115].

The study was carried out in Anambra State, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of one hundred and eight (108) small-scale farmers. Percentage, mean score, standard deviation and factor analysis were used for data analysis. The duration of the study was June 2009 and March, 2010. Results of the study indicated that the major constraints to effective use of ICTs by small- scale farmers were cost of mobile phones, computer, television, etc (M= 2.67); no electricity to charge phones (M= 2.65); poor network coverage for mobile phones, television and Internet services (M= 2.51); inability to pay service charge for Internet services (M= 2.36); high cost of air-time for mobile phones (M= 2.36); non-durability of electronic devices (M= 2.33), among others. The study recommends that efforts are highly needed by the government to invest in rural ICT infrastructure, training and development; this will necessitate effective use of ICTs by the end users. [E. N. Ajani. Mohammed et al. Constraints to Effective Use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) among Small-scale Farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):117-122].

It is a challenge for a farmer with limited resources to decide on the production of commodities and investment in the farm. Transformation of smallholder subsistence agriculture, to market oriented value addition based agriculture is vital for poverty reduction in Ethiopia. This study was initiated to explore the factors which contribute for the adoption of improved wheat and pepper varieties and intensification of the farm in Bure district, Ethiopia. The study took a random sample of 200 households using two stage sampling procedure with a probability proportional to size technique. Descriptive statistics and econometric statistical tools were used for analyzing the data and answering research questions. Different demographic, social, economic and access to institutional support service variables which are theoretically supported to influence the adoption and use of improved technologies and intensification of the farm were used for the logit and multiple linear regression model respectively. Resource endowments of the farm household, institutional factors and socio-economic factors are found to be vital in the decision making for intensification and adoption of improved varieties. It is found that different institutional support services in the rural economy have had significant role to enhance the uptake of technologies and intensification of smallholder agriculture. [H. Yesigat. Transformation in smallholder agriculture through intensification in Ethiopia: determinants and implications. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):123-128].

A research was conducted to evaluate cassava production by women farmers in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty smallholder female cassava farmers were selected using multi-stage sampling. Data were collected from the respondents using questionnaire and interview schedule. Then descriptive statistics (mean, frequency and percentage) were used in analyzing the data obtained. Result showed that 60% of the respondents were in the age range of 30-60 years. Seventy three percent of them had one form of formal education or another. Majority (78%) of them cultivated 0.5-2.5ha of land with cassava per annum indicating that they were mainly small-scale producers. The use of manual implements such as hoes and cutlasses was pronounced in cassava production by the women farmers. Furthermore, the dominant source of finance for cassava production was personal saving (82%) with only 8% of them obtaining micro-credit from banks. Then 94%, 10%, 3% and 1% of the farmers processed their cassava into garri, fufu, chips and starch respectively. Result also revealed a number of constraints militating against cassava production by the women farmers in the study area. These include among others; lack of finance (93%), high cost of fertilizer (88%) and sex discrimination (81%) in relation to access to land and decision making. Climate change was also found to be a significant factor constraining cassava production in the study area. It was suggested that the women farmers should constitute themselves into cooperative societies to enable them access loans from banks for cassava production. [O. C, Odii. Socio-Economic Evaluation of Cassava Production by Women Farmers in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):129-136].

The study was conducted among the two farmer groups in Bhaktapur and Kavre districts of Nepal. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the differences in belief, attitude and practices felt by the farmers after participation in the IPM FFS. The study has been based on data collected through personal interview with the farmers, focus group discussion, personal observation in the farmers field, discussions with the leader farmers, agro-vet owners, farmer facilitators of the FFS and also on secondary data collected from related publications of various organizations. The study has revealed that FFS is being an effective tool in increasing IPM knowledge and techniques of ecological pest management among the farmers. Integrated Pest Management through Farmer Field approach has not only been a means to sustainable management of pests thereby ensuring sustainable yield of crops but also the IPM based crop management has positive effect on household food security, income and empowerment of farmers. This justifies the potential of IPM FFS as an effective mechanism for increasing the knowledge and techniques of sustainable pest management vis-à-vis being a driving force for socio-economic changes in the lives and livelihoods of the smallholder farming communities. [Pawan Singh Bhandari. Farmers Perception about gains from Integrated Pest Management Farmer Field School. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):137-142].

The study investigated the levels of awareness and use of agricultural insurance scheme in Kogi State of Nigeria. A total of 240 respondents from eight communities were selected through a multistage random sampling technique. Data collected through structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistic, percentages and sigma scoring model. The results revealed that farmers in the State are mostly males (95%) with low levels of education and an average farm size of 3.2 hectares. The study further revealed that majority of the farmers belong to low income group with about 55 percent earning less than N100,000.00 per annum. The sigma score of 5.04 for the level of awareness showed a high level of awareness of agricultural insurance scheme among the rural farmers in the state. However, the sigma score of 3.26 reported for the level of use revealed a low level of agricultural insurance usage in the area. The major sources of information of agricultural insurance scheme to the farmers were cooperative societies (66%) and extension agents (65%). The major problems preventing the usage of agricultural insurance by the farmers in the State were fear of failure to honour agreement (75%), high insurance premium (66%), inadequate financial resources (65%) and non-coverage of many crops (61%). The study then recommended among others, the prompt payment of benefits to farmers and expansion of the scope of the scheme to cover other major crops. [Stephen Jimoh Ibitoye. Assessment of the Levels of Awareness and Use of Agricultural Insurance Scheme among the Rural Farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):143-148].

This study was an attempt to analyze the applications and problems of conducting blended learning (BL) in view point of the agricultural students from Bu-Ali Sina University. The study has employed a surveying methodology with interviewing and included a combination of descriptive and quantitative research methods. Statistical population of the study included 500 agricultural students from Bu-Ali Sina University in 2011 academic year. The factor analysis method was utilized in accordance with the KMO and Bartlett tests to assist in extracting the most important factors related to applications and problems of conducting blended learning. Findings of factor analysis indicated that blended learning applications fall into seven categories of components include: 1) attention to students' needs and individual differences, 2) flexibility in time and place, 3) active involvement and participation of the students in teaching and learning, 4) improvement the quality of education, 5) synchronization of using different educational contents and media, 6) access to up-to-date information and required contents, and 7) possibility of implementing different teaching strategies. The results showed also conducting the blended learning encountered 19 problems. The highest problems in rank were 1) lack of training course on blended learning, 2) lack of familiarity with multimedia teaching methods, 3) network disconnect problem, and 4) lack of students' knowledge toward blended learning. [Reza Movahedi. Analyzing Applications and Problems of Blended Learning (BL) for Agricultural Students. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2012; 2(3):149-155].