There has been growing interest, locally, nationally, and internationally in agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKISs) stemming from their important role in facilitating learning, innovation and the sharing and exchange of knowledge and information. Despite the fact that small-scale farmers and farmers‘ groups are among the key actors in an AKIS, little attention is devoted to their needs. This study aimed to understand the AKISs of small-scale farmers (male, female and the youth) in Kirinyaga district, Kenya. The study investigated small-scale farmers, and in particular farmers‘ groups as key actors in supporting agricultural development and linkages between actors, their information behaviour, sources of information and knowledge, linkages and flows of knowledge and information including the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The study also investigated the usage of these resources, barriers to accessing knowledge and information, and existing knowledge and information management practices. The study adopted multiple paradigms and perspectives but was mainly guided by the Social constructivist paradigm and the Soft systems perspective. The theoretical framework was constructed upon an integration of the Sense-making1 theory, Social cognitive theory, Social capital concept, Communities of practice (CoPs), Wilson‘s general model of information seeking behaviour, Meyer‘s information transfer model, Knowledge management theory and the Cynefin framework. The research design was a multiple methods approach that triangulated qualitative, quantitative Sense-Making, Participatory and Soft systems methodologies. Data was collected through interviews with individual farmers belonging or not belonging to a group; key informants; research, training and education institutions; civil society organisations (CSOs); and government departments using semi-structured interview guides unique to each category of informant. Focus group discussions were conducted with farmers‘ groups while questionnaires were sent to information providers. Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Knowledge Systems, participatory rural appraisal methods, unobtrusive observation of the activities of farmers and other actors in the community and secondary information sources were also used to collect data. The findings of the study showed that rich and deep data was collected through the multiple methods research design, and that no conflict arose from using multiple paradigms in a single multifaceted and multidisciplinary study where specific research questions were addressed. The Sense-Making methodology provided useful approaches to studying the information behaviour and decision making processes of small-scale farmers, and to investigate the feelings, emotions and dreams of farmers in Kirinyaga district. However, the experience of this study showed that using a multiple methods research design could result in a very large study. The findings show that small-scale farmers need information from diverse sources and on a wide range of topics along the production and marketing value chains, based on their enterprise(s), geographic location and the actors active on the ground. Male and female farmers expressed needs on similar topics but the needs were gender differentiated with variations in the priorities, types of information needed, the weight attached to each topic, and the information seeking behaviour. Most farmers and almost half the groups combined external information and local knowledge in their farming, and information and knowledge was shared orally along social and cultural lines. Most of the groups were legally constituted and had the status of farmers‘ groups; a few were cooperatives. Farmers‘ groups emerged as key actors in the AKIS of the district and provided platforms for learning, innovation, sharing and the exchange of ideas, information and knowledge among their members. The findings show that most groups did not share information with non-group members, which led to information asymmetries between farmers belonging or not belonging to a group. The findings of the study show variations in sources used by male only, female only, youth only and mixed groups. Male only groups relied mostly on private sector sources, while female only, youth only and mixed groups depended more on public extension services. The main sources of market information were local markets, followed by neighbours, other farmers and cooperatives and societies. Extension emerged as the most important source of advice, information and knowledge on farming in general, followed by the private sector and neighbours. Groups mainly obtained information on news, new technologies or farming methods from extension, media and private sector actors, while they obtained most answers to their farming questions from their groups, extension services, neighbours and other farmers. There were variations in the sources used by different types of groups for advice, information or knowledge in general, as well as in sources used by farmers belonging or not belonging to a group in different geographic divisions. There were more than 150 actors in the public, private and CSO sectors, and there were many AKISs in Kirinyaga district, which were location specific and depended on the enterprise(s) produced and the actors that were present on the ground. Most linkages were horizontal and were weak. Farmers‘ groups and social networks provided a unique linkage mechanism to other actors and access to services such as extension, markets and basic needs. This finding suggests the need to strengthen the capacity of farmers‘ groups and encourage farmers to join or form groups. There were variations in the importance, strength and quality of the relationships between actors in different divisions, locations and sub-locations, but the linkages with farmers were generally weak. The Kirinyaga stakeholders‘ forum and a few partnerships of actors facilitated vertical flow of information between actors but the linkages were equally weak. Farmers mainly used oral communication to access and share information and knowledge. While farmers belonging to a group generally used meetings, neighbours and radio, farmers not belonging to a group mostly used radio, neighbours and cellular phones. The findings indicate that farmers preferred to use radio, television and cellular phones for accessing agricultural information but the usage of modern ICTs was low and most of the users were male. Farmers encountered many barriers in accessing and sharing agricultural information and knowledge including insufficient sources in the community; lack of awareness of who the ―knowers‖ in the community were; limited availability of information providers; poor access to and quality of information on production, value addition and markets and prices; high cost of information services; inadequate information resources and few learning opportunities; personal, social and cultural barriers; communication barriers; and illiteracy. To address these barriers and constraints, farmers used diverse sources of external information and local knowledge for decision making, problem solving, innovation and for improving understanding. While most farmers obtained operational, technical and awareness information from major sources, there was little usage of ICT based information systems. There was no bibliographic control of agricultural information resources and there were very few resource centres in the community. Most local knowledge was tacit and was held in people‘s heads and therefore shared orally from elders to the younger generations and through CoPs in the groups. The study concludes that the AKISs in Kirinyaga district were complex, dynamic, and location specific, and although there were diverse and complementary actors, the information and knowledge within the AKIS was not sufficient to meet the needs of small-scale farmers. Public extension services emerged as the key source of information for small-scale farmers and private extension services such as those offered by horticultural exporting companies were a pillar of support for commercial farmers. There were insufficient numbers of information providers, which meant extension officers were not easily accessible. These findings suggest the need to formalise and strengthen linkages between actors, to improve access to agricultural knowledge and information, and to formulate policy and regulatory frameworks that are gender responsive. There is a need for policies that facilitate the collection, processing, storage and dissemination of external agricultural information and the capturing, documenting and sharing of local knowledge. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Fertilizer plays a major role in the profitability of the farmer’s business, his/her future success as well as the sustainability of his business. Fertilizer is also one of the most expensive farm inputs, and therefore, has the ability to make or break the farmer. The emerging farmer market segment is expanding and holds a great deal of potential for fertilizer companies to supply the growing need of fertilizer in this market. Almost all fertilizer marketing strategies of South African companies have been designed to cater for the commercial farming sector; however, if fertilizer suppliers want to focus on the emerging farmer market segment, they need to understand buying behaviour of emerging farmers as well as their needs when developing strategies to utilize opportunities in this developing market. This study aims to do just that by identifying factors playing an important role in the buying behaviour of emerging farmers in the Free State when purchasing fertilizer. This study was conducted in two phases. During phase one, a literature review was conducted; phase two consisted of an empirical study. Questionnaires were used as a measuring instrument and were filled out by 32 participants to determine emerging farmer buying behaviour. Data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics and correlation analyses. The Coefficient of Cronbach’s Alpha was employed to verify the validity of the data. The results show that four (4) factors; (i) Service, (ii). Brand, (iii) Product and (iv). Learning/Psychological factors highly influence emerging farmers’ fertilizer purchase decision. The study also finally draws recommendations and conclusions for managerial perusal. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Cotton has over the past years become a less profitable crop to grow. This has affected millions of people cultivating it. In India the struggles of cotton farmers become clear when looking at the high suicide rates amongst them with economic reasons being the most common cause. In this thesis the aim is to investigate the situation of small cotton farmers in India and define the important factors in deciding their profitability. To be able to achieve this, a qualitative multiple case study in Maharashtra district, India was conducted with farmer interviews as the backbone of the study. Our contribution through this thesis is to provide an improved understanding of the cotton farmers’ situation and the factors that affect their yield. We found that for the farmers in this study insufficient access to water was the most pressing issue. Water is an important factor in deciding the yield of cotton and thus important for the farmers’ economy. This finding may not be representative for other cotton growing areas as the issues can vary greatly geographically.

Orientador: Rafael Silvio Bonilha Pinheiro / Coorientador: João Paulo Franco / Coorientadora: Cristina Andrigueto / Banca: Antonio Lazaro Sant'Ana / Banca: Sedeval Nardoque / Resumo: A produção e o consumo de carne ovina no Brasil têm crescido e estimulado a realização de pesquisas com esta espécie animal. Portanto, conhecer informações sobre os produtores de ovinos como controle zootécnico, práticas de manejo, dificuldades na criação e escoamento dos produtos da espécie animal é fundamental para agrupar os dados coletados e sugerir alternativas para a melhora dos sistemas produtivos. Objetivou-se com esse estudo caracterizar os sistemas de produção de ovinos utilizados na região Noroeste do Estado de São Paulo. Foram realizadas entrevistas com os produtores de ovinos para conhecer as principais atividades realizadas nas propriedades e informações sobre o sistema produtivo. Dos entrevistados 97,56% conhecem outros produtores, sendo que 70,73% deles trocam experiências a respeito do manejo, alimentação, comercialização e enfermidades. A ovinocultura não é uma atividade exclusiva nas propriedades rurais da região Noroeste do Estado de São Paulo. A principal finalidade da criação de ovinos é a produção da carne (68,29%) sendo que a comercialização ocorre nas propriedades e grande parte é destinada ao consumo próprio. O sistema de produção predominante é em pastagem associada com algum tipo de suplementação alimentar (68,29%). A assistência técnica não atinge satisfatoriamente o produtor, o abate clandestino, a desestruturação dos canais de comercialização, a alta mortalidade de cordeiros e a verminose, são fatores limitantes para o desenvolvimento da atividade / Abstract: The production and consumption of sheep meat in Brazil have grown and stimulated further research on this species. Therefore, knowing information on producers of sheep as livestock control, management practices, difficulties in establishing and disposal of animal species products is fundamental to group the data collected and suggest alternatives for the improvement of production systems. The objective of this study was to characterize the sheep production systems used in the State of São Paulo Northwest. Interviews were conducted with sheep producers to know the main activities on the properties and information on the production system. 97.56% of respondents know other producers, with 70.73% of them exchange experiences on the management, nutrition, marketing and disease. The sheep industry is not an exclusive activity in rural properties in the State of São Paulo Northwest. The main purpose of sheep is the production of meat (68.29%) of which the sale occurs in the properties and is largely for their own consumption. The predominant production system is in pasture associated with some type of supplemental feeding (68.29%). Technical assistance not satisfactorily reaches the producer, illegal logging, the disruption of marketing channels, the high mortality of lambs and worms, are limiting factors for / Mestre

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

In Australia and the US, women play a vital role in the agricultural sector. However, historically farmwomen’s contributions to agriculture as well as their individual knowledge and social resilience to stressors like climate and climate change have been unrecognized and rendered invisible. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from geography and the humanities, this dissertation explores the farm as place in a changing climate, drawing on women farmers’ experiences, under three distinct themes: identity, place, and photography. The dissertation research includes three distinct parts. First, incorporating non-fiction writing and photography, I explore my agricultural and religious heritage, as well as familial connections to the landscape of rural Idaho. Second, and in conjunction with The Invisible Farmer Project, the largest ever study of Australian women on the land, I analyze women’s photo voices, relying primarily on interview and Facebook data, as well as photographs, to understand women’s emotive connections to the farm as place, farmer identities, and roles in the agricultural sector. Analysis of the Facebook posts revealed how women are establishing a new dialog about what it means to be a woman farmer and how emotion is the foundation for establishing community and connection. Women's posted photo voices allow us to gain new insights into the women farmers' connections to the farm as place as well as their diversified perspectives and identities. Third, using integrative methods, I study women farmers and ranchers in Idaho, United States and Victoria, Australia through an environmental history lens. Examining the history of water in each region, and how the layering of social and environmental factors shapes the farm as place, resilience, and women’s work, I study how the identities of the women farmers and the farm as place cannot be separated. In both the second and third parts, I seek to redefine "farmer" by revealing experiences that have been invisible in the traditional agricultural sector. Rural women farmers have diverse identities and experiences, and their contributions to the agricultural sector are significant. They perceive and adapt to climate impacts and they are resilient. Their experiences with the farm as place is at the center of their identities, resilience, day-to-day work, and shapes their adaptation strategies and emotional well-being.

Thesis (M.Agric. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo / Maize is the most important cereal crop grown in South Africa. This crop is produced throughout the country under diverse environments. The study only focuses on the technical efficiency because it is an important subject in developing agriculture where resources are limited, but high population growth is very common. Technical efficiency is the ability of a farmer to obtain output from a given set of physical inputs. Farmers have a tendency of under and/or overutilising the factors of production. The main aim of this study was to analyse the technical efficiency of small-scale maize producers in Ga-Mothiba rural community of Limpopo Province. The objective of the study was to determine the level of technical efficiency of smallscale maize producers and to identify the socio-economic characteristics that influence technical efficiency of small-scale maize producers in Ga-Mothiba. Purposive and Snowball sampling techniques were used to collect primary data from 120 small-scale farmers. Cobb-Douglas production function was used to determine the level of technical efficiency and Logistic regression model was used to analyse the variables that have influence the technical efficiency of maize production. Cobb-Douglas results reveal that small-scale farmers in Ga-Mothiba are experiencing technical inefficiency in maize production due to the decreasing return to scale, which means they are over-utilising factors of production. Logistic regression results indicate that out of 13 variables included in the analysis as socio-economic factors, 10 of them (level of education, income of the household on monthly basis, farmer`s farming experience, farm size, cost of tractor hours, fertiliser application, purchased hybrid maize seeds, membership to farmers` organisation, is maize profitable) were found to be significant and 3 (gender, age and hired labour) are non-significant. However, farm size was found to be the most significant variable at 99% level, showing a positive relationship to smallscale maize producer`s technical efficiency. Therefore, it is recommended that government should do the on-farm training since farmers mainly depend on trial and error and farmers` should have access to enough arable land and tractor services. However, farmers need to be trained on matters relating to fertiliser application, on the amount of seeds a farmer should apply per ha, and the importance of using hybrid seed.

This research was conducted within the context of smallholder livestock production and government attempts to improve this through a transfer of technology approach. Participatory action research (PAR) was used to enable action for change to emerge, while the research provided understanding and a basis for this action. Tombolo village in South Sulawesi, Indonesia was the location for this research, which first identified the problems and needs of the farmers, and then participatively developed strategies to meet these needs. Fodder security throughout the year was found to be the major constraint to cattle production. Forage technology was introduced, including fodder tree legumes and grasses, resulting in improved livestock production and many associated livelihood benefits. The introduction of these new technologies was adapted by stakeholders to local issues and needs. The extension services had previously aimed to improve livestock production through breeding and veterinary health measures, and had assumed that sufficient fodder was available for livestock. The formation of a learning group of farmers, who used group discussion to set their own agenda, was employed to identify this shortcoming, and how to sustainably overcome it. Participants were able to apply their experience and enhance their cognitive skills to find new meanings and knowledge to plan and take actions to improve their practice and situation. This thesis documents the process of change required to move from a “Transfer of Technology” approach to a “learning approach”. The research has shown that there is considerable potential for the application of PAR to rural community development in Indonesia. More specifically in Tombolo village PAR enabled farmers and extension staff to be empowered by becoming active participants in the research process and take action to improve their own practice. It helped them to analyse the situation to make the technology more appropriate, while also learning how to change the extension methods used towards one in which all stakeholders became partners in developing their situation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This research addresses the broad research question How have Canadian farm families redefined their work roles and relations over the past 20 years to respond to changes affecting the agrifamily household by examining the changing work and decision making roles, gender relations and gender identities of Canadian farm women and their families. The main argument presented here and illustrated by the Agrifamily Household Response Model is that Canadian farm families are active agents, responding to restructuring in agriculture, using and modifying the rules and resources of the agrifamily household, their local communities and the wider social, economic and political systems as they make decisions to respond to economic, political, environmental and social change.<p>Data collection involved a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods that were designed to support and inform each other. Initial focus groups were held to assist in research design. These were followed by six workshops across Canada in which farm women were trained as interviewers and the questions were pre-tested. Over a 15 month period in 2002 and 2003, four separate questionnaires and time diaries were completed by up to 479 Canadian farm women, men and youth. The findings were then discussed with the farm women interviewers in four workshops held in various locations across Canada. <p>The results of this research suggest that during the past 20 years, farm women and their families have responded to increased opportunities and pressures by expanding their work roles both on and off the farm. Farm women and men have chosen a variety of work roles in response to restructuring. These changing work roles signal gradually changing gender identities and gender relationships on the farm. The work role choices of farm women in particular are shown to have a significant impact on the resulting gender relations in the family as women, men and youth redefine and negotiate their work roles in response to structural change. Women are important role models for their children as they learn how to farm and this is especially important for female youth.<p>Decision making on farms has traditionally been divided on the basis of gender, however, farm womens decision-making roles are expanding to reflect recognition of their contributions to the agrifamily household through labour and capital. Broadening roles and changing gender relations and identities in the agrifamily household have affected decision making for men as well. The research indicates there are many participants in major agrifamily household decisions and many roles that are played in the process of decision making. Nevertheless, female youth play a lesser role than any other household members having potentially repercussions for the future role of women in farming. <p>It is evident that Canadian farm women play significant roles in providing labour, capital and decision making to Canadian agriculture. However, these contributions have yet to be acknowledged at the macro level of agricultural organizations and government policy consultations.