جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « farmers » در نشریات گروه « مکانیزاسیون کشاورزی »

Risk is an integral part of agriculture. risk management is the process of choosing an appropriate strategy from among different options to reduce risk. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the factors affecting the effectiveness of farmers' risk management strategies in Khuzestan province. The research is exploratory in terms of its purpose, in terms of the nature and type of data study of the newly emerging foundation, and in terms of time, it is a survey research. The statistical population of the research consists of professors, managers and leading farmers and experts who had sufficient experience in the field of agriculture. The sample size included 15 experts. The analysis method in the qualitative part is the content analysis method. The research results in the qualitative part identified 10 main factors (individual factors, environmental factors, economic factors, market factors, product insurance, human factors, educational-promotional factors, agricultural characteristics, social factors and political-institutional factors), and 28 dimensions. (Age, education, family size, background, access to credit and financial services, income, savings and investment, price, economic situation of the country, ownership, severe market fluctuations, approximate distance from the garden to the sales center, middlemen, government guaranteed purchase , promotion of agricultural insurance culture, land characteristics, climatic factors, pest and disease, manpower information, education, promotion factors, crop cultivation, social trust, use of indigenous knowledge, social participation, stability of laws and regulations, communication with foreign neighbors, government support). finally led to the identification of 99 effective concepts on the effectiveness of risk management strategies.

The work assessed the production characteristics of cocoyam farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to elicit relevant information from a sample of 80 randomly selected respondents. Frequency, percentage and mean were used for analysis. The mean household size was 6 with the mean farming experience of 24.0 years. 47.5% had mean farm size of 2.3 hectares with average annual income of N30543.8. Production practices utilized by cocoyam farmers are use of organic fertilizer (X=2.74) and use of manual labour in land preparation (X= 2.99). The information sources of farmers are friends (X=2.26), neighbour (X=2.46), co-farmers (X=2.46). Information needs of farmers were sourcing of farm inputs (X=3.88), sourcing of improved farm tools (X= 2.84) among others. Production constraints were incidences of pests and diseases (X=3.68), lack of extension contact (X=2.98) among others while ways of improving production are use of disease resistant varieties (X=2.95), formation of farmers` cooperative societies (X=2.44), among others. The study recommended among others that research institutes, federal and state government should in partnership, develop weed, pest and disease resistant cocoyam varieties, subsidized farm inputs, and provide extension services to cocoyam farmers.

Post-Harvest Losses are fast becoming a major problem causing huge losses for farmers and various countries at large. This challenge has resulted in various attempts to reduce the losses as much as possible. Crop production is essential to life sustenance, hence post-harvest losses are undesirable as it results in a threat to life and a reduction in income for Farmers. This study reviews post-harvest losses, especially in developing countries that are mostly affected by the supply chain, post-harvest losses in vegetables, fruits, and cereals have also been studied. Measures and technologies that can be adapted to reduce post-harvest losses have been discussed in this study with the sole aim of ensuring a reduction in such losses. It is believed that when these various measures as discussed herein are applied, the incidence of post-harvest losses would be drastically reduced. This reduction could result in a wider profit margin for the masses.

This study examined the determinants of frequency of cellphone applications’ usage among farmers in North-West Nigeria using Negative Binomial Regression Model (NBRM). Using ex-post-facto research design, multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 385 respondents from ADP geo-ecological zones of three agrarian states (namely Katsina, Kano and Kaduna) for the study. Thereafter, three Local Government Areas (LGAs) were randomly selected from each state and from which 5 communities were randomly selected from each of the LGAs in Katsina and Kaduna, and 10 from the most densely populated Kano state. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and summarized using frequency counts, percentages and mean. Though most frequently used mobile applications include voice call app (mean value of 1.410), SMS app (0.932 mean score) and Opera with 0.640 mean value, weighted mean values showed that all the apps were rarely being put to use by the farmers, indicating generally low frequency of usage. NBRM analysis results showed that educational attainment, knowledge, phones farmers operate well, phone as information garget, app store, social media and agencies as sources of apps positively influenced the frequency of mobile apps usage. A well guided effort through appropriate policies that would encourage the frequency of mobile phone usage by farmers for information accessing, should be put in place by major stakeholders of rural and agricultural development in the area.

The present study seeks to evaluate the agricultural research, extension, and farmers linkages in Gezira State, Sudan. A field survey was used to collect data from50 extension agents, 50 farmers and50 researchers in Gedarif State, Sudan. The collected data were coded, fed to the computer, statistically analyzed using (SPSS), discussed, and interpreted using descriptive statistics. The results revealed weak linkages between research and farmers, between extension and farmers, and between research and extension. The used method of communication between research, extension, and farmers are workshops, training periods for extension agents, field days, and demonstrations. The Main constraints facing the linkages between research, extension, and farmers are a lack of budgets for linkage activities, weak infrastructure, transfer of extension agents, and separate administrations of research and extension organizations. From this study, it can be concluded that the weak linkages between these three agricultural pillars will lead to low adoption of new agricultural technologies and consequently lead to low income from agricultural production in the country. The study recommends that constraints facing agricultural research, extension, and farmers linkages should be solved.

The reductions in quality and quantity of marketable mango fruits due to fruit fly infestation have impact on farmers through revenue losses. The study identified the common fruit flies on mango plantation; assessed the control measures of fruit flies infestation; among others. Interviewers administered questionnaire was used to elicit information from 200 mango farmers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The results revealed that majority of the respondents were males (55.5%), had non-formal education (47.5%), with mean age of 60 years, mean household size of 4 members and years of farming experience was 20 years. The study further revealed that marula fruit fly (92.5%) was ranked first. Hand picking (94.0%) was identified as the most prominent control measure. The respondents perceived fruit flies as causing premature dropping of fruits (62.0%) as the major effect of fruit flies on mango. The result further revealed that at p<0.05, age (r=0.267), household size (r=-0.297) and years of experience (r=-0.158) were significant to farmers’ perception on the effect of fruit flies infestation. The study concluded that fruit flies infestation affect mango farmers in several ways. The study therefore recommended that extension training in orchard management should be organized for the mango farmers.

Bioenergy is one of renewable energy types. The expansion of production this type of energy can create employment and sustainable income for society in addition to reducing pollution caused by fossil fuels and protecting the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the preferences of sugar beet farmers in the north of Khuzestan province to the presumptive contracts of sugar beet planting to use in production of bioenergy. The statistical population of the research included 1890 sugar beet farmers of Khuzestan province in 2017-18 which 320 people were selected through the stratified sampling method. The required data were collected in person by referring to farmers and completing the questionnaire. Factors influencing the preferences of farmers were identified using the experimental approach of the attribute-oriented declared choice method to determine the important attributes of different sugar beet planting contracts and to estimate the conditional Logit regression model. The estimation results of the Logit model showed that coefficients related to the contract period, the area covered by the contract, the contract price, the cost-sharing in the contract, the product insurance in the contract and experience of sugar beet planting are positive and significant. The coefficient of the interaction of the variables of attitude to energy production, area under sugar beet planting, Experience of planting sugar beet and the area under sugar beet planting with ASC is significant and positive and the coefficient of the interaction of Farmer's risk attitude with ASC is significant and negative.
 

The role of tomatoes as nutritive vegetable crop in the diet of most humans has been stressed or advanced by many scientists. This study therefore, assessed the profitability of tomato production using organic and inorganic fertilisers on a typical irrigated soil in Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria, with the intent of ensuring a more acceptable measure of sustainability among rural farming communities. A total of 120 (60 in each category) producers were purposely selected from 2016/2017 irrigation season for the study. Data were collected through a cost route method by application of structured questionnaire and complemented with interview and group discussions. Descriptive statistics, Gross Margin Analysis and Net Farm Income were engaged in the analysis of data. Findings showed that most of the farmers were married males aged between 31 and 60 years with farming experience ranging from 11 – 20 years. A larger proportion of the farmers had first school leaving certificates and cultivated less than a hectare of farmland. While the most popular organic fertilisers among the farmers were cow dung and small ruminant droppings, Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium 15-15-15 (NPK) fertiliser was largely applied among the respondents. The returns on Naira (₦) invested for users of organic and inorganic fertilisers were 2.5 and 0.73, respectively, signifying that the former farms were more profitable. Conclusively, it can be stated that the application of organic fertilisers yielded more profit than the chemical fertilisers. Therefore, institutions of concern should strongly work towards making the application of organic fertilisers more popular.

Pakistan is at 28th amongst the countries that are going to be hurt badly by climate change. It falls in ten major wheat-producing countries of the world in terms of area, production and yield per hectare. Global warming, as a result of climate change, may negatively affect morphological characters of wheat. The present study was undertaken in district Layyah to find out the impact of climate change on wheat crop.The district had a total of three (3) tehsils(sub-divisions) and two(2) tehsilswere selected purposely which were badly affected by extreme climatic event like floods.Thereafter,there (3) union councils from each tehsil,three(3) villages from each selected union council and seven (7) farmers from each village were selected.Thus, a sample of 126 farmerswere chosen and interviewed through a pretested structured interview schedule at their fields.The data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS).Vast majority (94.4%) of the respondents informed that climate change had effect on wheat cropproductivity.Majority (above 90%) of the respondents reported that climate change was affecting their crop almost at every stage in the way of unpredicted rains, sudden rise in temperature and long drought periods.

Agricultural extension, as an informal educational system, is one of agricultural development tools that lean on human capitals. Inefficiency of public bureaucracy on the one hand, and managerial problems on the other hand, as well as neglecting real needs of beneficiaries in planning, have determined responsible to transfer administrative tasks to the private sector and reduce government''s tenure. This survey was conducted in Kerman as the first ranked province of pistachio production in Iran to investigate attitudes about extension private services among pistachio farmers. A questionnaire was used as the research tool for data collection. Face validity of the questionnaire was verified by extension experts and Cronbach''s alpha computation showed that reliability of the questionnaire was between 0.8 and 0.89. The study ran among pistachio farmers of five counties (Rafsanjan, Sirjan, Zarand, Kerman and Ravar). Random cluster sampling method, with a sample size of 382 respondents was applied. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results revealed that several factors such as education level, participating in extension activities, innovation acceptance, membership in associations, cosmopolitan, positive attitude toward knowledge and information, applying numerous information resources, pistachio yield per hectare, area of the pistachio garden and satisfaction of the private consultants had relation with attitude toward privatization of extension. Also, the level of participation in extension activities and attitude toward the public extension could explain 24.8 percent of changes in attitude toward private extension.

The study addressed the economic comparison of the achievements of Fadama III agricultural enterprises in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria using task-target performance approaches. It aimed at identifying the indicators, tasks and targets and achievement of Fadama III. Some materials used were secondary information collected from the various Fadama III project offices. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select three locations: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta States. The results included: the mean achievement index across the study area as percentage increase in income (163%), crop based activities (132%), fisheries based activities (105%), number of staff trained (162%) and number of monitoring visits to sub projects (149%). However, some indicators did not achieve set tasks and targets as in livestock based activities (51%), agro-processing based activities (13%), marketing equipment (7%), irrigation/drainage equipment (3%) and storage facilities (10%). The three States met their target of 40% increase in farmers’ income by achieving far beyond the set target: Akwa Ibom (155%), Bayelsa (163%) and Delta (170%) Upon contribution into Fadama Users’ Equity Fund (FUEF), achievable were: Akwa Ibom reached 101%, Bayelsa reached 75% and Delta reached 232%. Only Bayelsa State did not achieve the set target of getting up to 100% in FUEF contribution. The study concluded that the economic achievements of Fadama III project activities was commendable. The study recommended that there should be critical followed up for enterprises with proven agro-economic performances with success story of tasks and targets achievement for project sustainability.

This study was conceptualized to determine resource use efficiency and misery of sweet potato production window into financial surplus for farming households in Delta State, Nigeria. Multiple sampling technique was applied in picking the samples. One hundred and sixty (160) producers were erratically chosen and interviewed with structured questionnaire. The information gathered were evaluated with descriptive statistics, profitability index and double-log production model. The result indicated that they had average oldness of 38 years, 72.5% of respondents were female with mean family magnitude of 5 individuals and mean number of years spent on farming was 13 years and mean farm land of 0.81 ha and very many of them were educated. On the aspect of costs and returns, it was found that production of sweet potato was highly profitable as specified by the BCR (4.39). The double-log regression model result disclosed that labour, fertilizer, age of farmer, farm size, planting materials expenses and years of farming experience were significantly related with output at 1% and 5% probability levels. The results of resource use efficiency also showed that planting materials, fertilizer farm size and labour were underutilized. The constraints encountered were: inadequate fund, lack of storage and processing facilities and absence of extension visit It is recommended that government intervention is needed to reduce cost and facilitate increased sweet potato production.

The study examined factors influencing rice farmers` vulnerability to poverty, identified coping strategies employed by farmers to manage livelihood shocks that predisposes them to poverty and determined the impact of poverty on rice production in Nasarawa state, Nigeria. The study was carried out in Nasarawa rice hubs Nasarawa state. A two stage sampling technique was employed to select 121 rice farming households across 5 communities. Data was collect using questionnaire and personal interview and the data was analysed using household vulnerability index (HVI),fussy set analysis, regression analysis(ordered probit and OLS) as well as descriptive statistics. HVI analysis reveals that 16.5% of the households has low vulnerability to poverty, 65.3 has moderate vulnerability to poverty while 18.2% has high vulnerability to poverty. Ordered probit regression result reveals that access to information, number of shocks (idiosyncratic and covariate) exposed to by households, and years of farming significantly affect household vulnerability to poverty in the studied area. The study therefore, concludes that majority of the households are moderately vulnerable to poverty which implies majority of the household has been affected so hard that they need rapid-response poverty alleviation strategies to be liberated from poverty. It was also shown that rice farmers in the study area rely majorly on help from friends and relatives, also borrowed food in order to cope with livelihood threats. The study also concludes that Fulani herds men crisis, communal crisis, flood and poor linker roads are the major challenges facing farmers in the studied area.

The cell phone is one of the potential Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in agricultural development especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. Thus, this paper deals with the farmers’ communication with the agricultural extension agents using mobile phone. The study was conducted in Mymensingh District in Bangladesh. Data were collected from a sample of 110 farmers while both descriptive and inferential analyses were used. The majority (53.64 percent) of the farmers had low cell phone contact while a good number (44.54 percent) of farmers had no cell phone contact, 1.82 percent had medium contact and no farmers had high cell phone contact with agricultural extension agents. Education, farm size, annual family income, extension contact, knowledge on ICT and cell phone use frequency correlated positively while only ‘age’ is correlated negatively to their cell phone contact with extension agents. Household size and organizational participation did not show any significant relationship. Small numbers of farmers were receiving information on seed, fertilizer, culture practices, pest control and market related through cell phone. Farmers’ communication preferences through cell phone comparatively were Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO), Trained Farmers (TF) and Seed and Fertilizer Dealers. Lack of awareness on receiving information through cell phone, apathy to getting agricultural information through cell phone, poor knowledge about cell phone operation were the major problems of farmers’ communication with the agricultural extension agents using mobile phone. Respective authorities should encourage and train both farmers and extension agents to use mobile phone as easy, low cost and popular communication medium.

The study examined agrobiodiversity conservation techniques adopted by rural farmers in Kware Local Government Area, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was used to arrive at 120 farmers from three selected villages. Forty (40) interview schedule were administered in each of the sampled villages. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the primary data collected. Results of the findings showed that most of the farmers (25.0%) were in their active age with fairly large family size (6-10 persons). Majority were married (90.8%) with most of them having secondary education (33.3%) or less and earning between N101, 000 - N200, 000 annually. Most of the farmers conserve animals using random mating (30.8%). On the other hand, 43.3 percent conserve plants by practicing collection and preservation of seeds. The major challenge faced by the farmers was insufficient capital (43.3%). Government and NGOs need to educate and provided necessary support to the farmers who practice agrobiodiversity conservation.

This study assessed the effect of rural-urban transportation on agricultural produce in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Primary data obtained from 90 rural farming households were analysed using frequency count, Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression analysis and mean score from a 3 point Likert type of scale. Results of the study revealed that majority of the farmers were married males in their active productive age of 41-60 years and a household size of 4-9 members. Farming in the area was still on a subsistence level as only 22.2% of the farmers cultivated above 3 hectares of farm land. The major modes of transporting farm produce identified in the area include the use of tricycle (92.2%), motorcycle (70%), and pick up van (64.9%). Furthermore, annual cost of transportation and number of years spent schooling (education) were negatively related to farmers’ income at 1% and 10% level of significance respectively. The major challenges faced by farmers in transporting their produce were bad road network (M= 2.4) and high transportation cost (M = 2.3). It was recommended that government should provide good road network and transportation facilities as it will ease the movement of farm produce to urban areas and as well increase farmers’ productivity and better their standard of living.

The study investigated the effects of communal crises on selected crops production among farmers in Langtang North local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted; four local government areas were selected in each of the local government selected, four villages affected by communal crises were selected purposively. In two of the villages selected, 24 respondents each (people affected by communal crises) were selected and 25 respondents each were also selected randomly in the other two villages giving a total of 98 respondents. Primary data were collected through administration of structured questionnaire; data gathered were analyzed by descriptive statistics and correlation. The findings revealed that 38.8% communal crises were caused by religion, 43.9% communal crises leads to loss of lives, 87.8% used assorted types of guns during communal crises and there was significant reduction in quantity and value of money on crops produced before and after communal crises. The study recommends that government should implement white paper reports on communal crises and religious organizations should continually organize inter-religious group public enlightenment programmes to encourage peaceful co-existence among believers of different faiths.

The study assessed the use of rural radio as agricultural information dissemination tool among farmers in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. The specific objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identify rural and agricultural programmes normally aired on radio, find out the level of patronage of the programmes, identify the convenience of the time of presentation to the target audience, identify the necessity for rural radio among the rural farmers, identify the problems militating against the listening audience of the rural radio. A 3 – stage sampling technique was used to randomly select 150 respondents for this study, using a well structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results of the finding shows that majority of the respondents listened more to their traditional programmes on daily basis. The major constraints to the respondent’s listenership of the radio programmes were language barrier and lack of feedback amongst others. It was recommended that agricultural and rural development information be coded in the form of traditional/local music or incorporated into the traditional music to arouse the interests of the target audience and move to take actions and that research messages should be translated into the simplest language possible and translated to the prevalent languages.