Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T19:24:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Hernandez Hernandez.pdf: 3158706 bytes, checksum: 62d0c80e1a396806112462820f82a55a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 / Water use, both to supply the population, as for food production, in increasing numbers, forces countries like Brazil to adopt strict regulations regarding the use of water, which soon will be in effect throughout the Brazilian territory. The drip irrigation systems have increased employment in the face of the above. This thesis aimed to adapt the methodology of statistical process control, widely used in the industry since 1924, to the evaluation process of irrigation and drip fertirrigation, marketed as "drip irrigation kit for household farming". The research was developed at the Experimental Center of Agricultural Engineering - NEEA, State University of West of Paraná - UNIOESTE, in Cascavel, Paraná State, Brazil. Two different systems were settled: an irrigation one and a fertirrigation other, each system was subjected to four treatments (T) according to the variation of hydraulic head (H) applied by gravity, for which we used plastic stents with the capacity of to 200 L, reused from the property. The treatments and their heads identification were as follows: for the irrigation system treatment 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; treatment 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; treatment 3 (T3), 16 kPa; treatment 4 ( T4), H = 18kPa; for fertirrigation H = 12 kPa T5, T6 H = 14 kPa, 16 kPa H = T7, T8 = 18kPa. In each treatment were carried out 25 tests on irrigation and 27 ones on fertirrigation, each test was composed of three repetitions, in each repetition the collected volumes of water or fertilizer solution of 40 emitters, 10 seconds on each side line according of the Keller & Karmella Deniculi's methodologies and over a period of four minutes. It was also measured the pressure in the second input (Pinício) and in the fifth lateral line (Pfinal). With these data, flow rates were computed, as well as the Distribution Uniformity (DU), total coefficients of variation (CVt), mean pressure; analyses of descriptive statistics were performed, charts to evaluate the hydraulic performance were elaborated, as well as control charts or Shewhart control charts for DU and CVt. It were applied the ratio of process capability (Cp) and the centrality of process (Cpk) for assessment of uniformity. The statistical analysis, hydraulics, uniformity and statistical process control checked and confirmed that all irrigation tested meets the specifications provided by the manufacturer. The methodology is the beginning of further research for other types of emitters, material manufacturing, culture, and diversity of relief. / A pauta mundial, desde 1990, é a seguridade alimentar, podendo ser afetada em grande maneira pelas mudanças climáticas devido às políticas de desenvolvimento sem os cuidados necessários para evitar efeitos nocivos ao meio ambiente. O uso da água, tanto para abastecimento populacional como para a produção de alimentos, em quantidade cada vez maior, obriga países como o Brasil a adotar regulamentações rígidas quanto ao uso da água, que em breve estarão em vigor em todo o território brasileiro. Os sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento têm emprego crescente, diante das situações acima mencionadas. Esta tese teve por objetivo adaptar a metodologia do controle estatístico de processos, muito utilizado na indústria desde 1924, ao processo de avaliação dos sistemas de irrigação e de fertirrigação por gotejamento, comercializado como ―Kit de irrigação por gotejamento para agricultura familiar‖. A pesquisa desenvolveu-se nas dependências do Núcleo Experimental de Engenharia Agrícola NEEA, da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná UNIOESTE, no Município de Cascavel, Paraná, Brasil. Instalaram-se 2 sistemas um de irrigação e outro de fertirrigação, cada sistema submeteu-se a 4 tratamentos (T) em função da variação da carga hidráulica (H) aplicada por gravidade, para o qual utilizaram-se contenedores de plástico com capacidade de 200 L, reaproveitados da propriedade. Os tratamentos e respectivas cargas identificaram-se da seguinte forma: para o sistema de irrigação, tratamento 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 3 (T3), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 4 (T4) = 18kPa; para o de fertirrigação, tratamento 5 (T5), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 6 (T6), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 7 (T7), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 8 (T8), H = 18kPa. Em cada tratamento realizaram-se 25 ensaios na irrigação e 27 na fertirrigação, cada ensaio compôs-se de 3 repetições. Em cada repetição coletaram os volumes de água ou de solução do fertilizante de 40 emissores, 10 em cada linha lateral segundo as metodologias de Keller & Karmelli e Deniculi, num período de 4 minutos. Mensuraram-se também as pressões de entrada na segunda (Pinício) e na penúltima linha lateral (Pfinal). Com estes dados calcularam-se as vazões, os Coeficientes de Uniformidade (CUD), Coeficientes de Variação Total (CVt), pressões médias; realizaram-se análises de estatística descritiva; confeccionaram-se gráficos para avaliação do desempenho hidráulico, gráficos de controle ou cartas de Shewhart para CUD e CVt. Empregou-se a razão de capacidade de processo (Cp) e o de centralidade de processo (Cpk) para avaliação das uniformidades. As análises estatística, hidráulica, de uniformidade e de controle estatístico de processo verificaram e confirmaram que o conjunto de irrigação ensaiado atende às especificações fornecidas pelo fabricante. A metodologia desenvolvida é o início do desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas para outros tipos de emissores, de materiais de fabricação, de culturas e diversidade de relevo.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:48:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Hernandez Hernandez.pdf: 3158706 bytes, checksum: 62d0c80e1a396806112462820f82a55a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 / Water use, both to supply the population, as for food production, in increasing numbers, forces countries like Brazil to adopt strict regulations regarding the use of water, which soon will be in effect throughout the Brazilian territory. The drip irrigation systems have increased employment in the face of the above. This thesis aimed to adapt the methodology of statistical process control, widely used in the industry since 1924, to the evaluation process of irrigation and drip fertirrigation, marketed as "drip irrigation kit for household farming". The research was developed at the Experimental Center of Agricultural Engineering - NEEA, State University of West of Paraná - UNIOESTE, in Cascavel, Paraná State, Brazil. Two different systems were settled: an irrigation one and a fertirrigation other, each system was subjected to four treatments (T) according to the variation of hydraulic head (H) applied by gravity, for which we used plastic stents with the capacity of to 200 L, reused from the property. The treatments and their heads identification were as follows: for the irrigation system treatment 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; treatment 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; treatment 3 (T3), 16 kPa; treatment 4 ( T4), H = 18kPa; for fertirrigation H = 12 kPa T5, T6 H = 14 kPa, 16 kPa H = T7, T8 = 18kPa. In each treatment were carried out 25 tests on irrigation and 27 ones on fertirrigation, each test was composed of three repetitions, in each repetition the collected volumes of water or fertilizer solution of 40 emitters, 10 seconds on each side line according of the Keller & Karmella Deniculi's methodologies and over a period of four minutes. It was also measured the pressure in the second input (Pinício) and in the fifth lateral line (Pfinal). With these data, flow rates were computed, as well as the Distribution Uniformity (DU), total coefficients of variation (CVt), mean pressure; analyses of descriptive statistics were performed, charts to evaluate the hydraulic performance were elaborated, as well as control charts or Shewhart control charts for DU and CVt. It were applied the ratio of process capability (Cp) and the centrality of process (Cpk) for assessment of uniformity. The statistical analysis, hydraulics, uniformity and statistical process control checked and confirmed that all irrigation tested meets the specifications provided by the manufacturer. The methodology is the beginning of further research for other types of emitters, material manufacturing, culture, and diversity of relief. / A pauta mundial, desde 1990, é a seguridade alimentar, podendo ser afetada em grande maneira pelas mudanças climáticas devido às políticas de desenvolvimento sem os cuidados necessários para evitar efeitos nocivos ao meio ambiente. O uso da água, tanto para abastecimento populacional como para a produção de alimentos, em quantidade cada vez maior, obriga países como o Brasil a adotar regulamentações rígidas quanto ao uso da água, que em breve estarão em vigor em todo o território brasileiro. Os sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento têm emprego crescente, diante das situações acima mencionadas. Esta tese teve por objetivo adaptar a metodologia do controle estatístico de processos, muito utilizado na indústria desde 1924, ao processo de avaliação dos sistemas de irrigação e de fertirrigação por gotejamento, comercializado como ―Kit de irrigação por gotejamento para agricultura familiar‖. A pesquisa desenvolveu-se nas dependências do Núcleo Experimental de Engenharia Agrícola NEEA, da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná UNIOESTE, no Município de Cascavel, Paraná, Brasil. Instalaram-se 2 sistemas um de irrigação e outro de fertirrigação, cada sistema submeteu-se a 4 tratamentos (T) em função da variação da carga hidráulica (H) aplicada por gravidade, para o qual utilizaram-se contenedores de plástico com capacidade de 200 L, reaproveitados da propriedade. Os tratamentos e respectivas cargas identificaram-se da seguinte forma: para o sistema de irrigação, tratamento 1 (T1), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 2 (T2), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 3 (T3), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 4 (T4) = 18kPa; para o de fertirrigação, tratamento 5 (T5), H = 12 kPa; tratamento 6 (T6), H = 14 kPa; tratamento 7 (T7), H = 16 kPa; e tratamento 8 (T8), H = 18kPa. Em cada tratamento realizaram-se 25 ensaios na irrigação e 27 na fertirrigação, cada ensaio compôs-se de 3 repetições. Em cada repetição coletaram os volumes de água ou de solução do fertilizante de 40 emissores, 10 em cada linha lateral segundo as metodologias de Keller & Karmelli e Deniculi, num período de 4 minutos. Mensuraram-se também as pressões de entrada na segunda (Pinício) e na penúltima linha lateral (Pfinal). Com estes dados calcularam-se as vazões, os Coeficientes de Uniformidade (CUD), Coeficientes de Variação Total (CVt), pressões médias; realizaram-se análises de estatística descritiva; confeccionaram-se gráficos para avaliação do desempenho hidráulico, gráficos de controle ou cartas de Shewhart para CUD e CVt. Empregou-se a razão de capacidade de processo (Cp) e o de centralidade de processo (Cpk) para avaliação das uniformidades. As análises estatística, hidráulica, de uniformidade e de controle estatístico de processo verificaram e confirmaram que o conjunto de irrigação ensaiado atende às especificações fornecidas pelo fabricante. A metodologia desenvolvida é o início do desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas para outros tipos de emissores, de materiais de fabricação, de culturas e diversidade de relevo.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Animal Production)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Pigs are of high economic importance, especially among the smallholder pig farmers as they contribute to human nutrition, food security, poverty alleviation, enhanced livelihood and creation of employment for the rural community. However, reproductive inefficiency is the main limiting factor due to inaccessibility to superior germplasm. Therefore, advances in reproductive technologies such as oestrus synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) offers unprecedented opportunities for livestock improvement for smallholder pig farmers. The first objective determined the status of pig productivity in smallholder farms of Gauteng Province prior to the introduction of advanced reproductive technologies (ARTs). The population was divided into four strata, namely West Rand, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Sedibeng district municipalities. A proportional stratified random sampling procedure was used to select 71 smallholder pig farmers with the assistance of extension officers from Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD). The majority of the respondents were males (67%) and were above 50 years of age (67%), whilst 56% of the respondents had high school education. Majority of the respondents privately owned the farms (62%) and the farm infrastructure had facilities with low cost housing and modern facilities. Additionally, 47% of the respondents fed their pigs with feed swill. A large proportion of the respondents did not vaccinate their pigs (81%). Majority of respondents did not identify their pig herds (63%). Interestingly, majority of the respondents did not have breeding boars (73%) and sold their pigs at auctions (70%). The second objective determined semen characteristics evaluated by a Computer Aided Sperm Analyser® (CASA®) as a measure of boar fertility to be used for artificial insemination (AI). Sixteen ejaculates were collected from three Large White boars that are routinely used for semen collection purposes using the gloved-hand technique. The semen was extended with a commercial semen extender; Beltsville Thawing Solution, and the AI dose used consisted of 80mL semen sample (3×109 spermatozoa/mL). Aliquots of diluted semen were evaluated for spermatozoa motility using CASA®. Spermatozoa viability was evaluated using Synthetic Binding CD-14 (SYBR+)/Propidium Iodide (PI-), whereas spermatozoa morphology was evaluated using Eosin Nigrosin stain. The average semen volume, concentration and pH were 210 mL, 264.8 x 106 spermatozoa/mL and 7.1, respectively. The average values for total spermatozoa motility was 95.1%, ranging from 82.7 and 98.5%. However, XIX there were lower values found for progressive spermatozoa motility, ranging from 13.6 to 39.0%. The mean values for morphologically normal spermatozoa ranged from 47.8-60.9% and live spermatozoa ranged from 71.8-77.7%. The third objective determined sow fertility following AI at smallholder farms A total of 73 multiparous sows were artificially inseminated. Conception rates, farrowing rates, litter size and number born alive were recorded. The average conception and farrowing rates were 78.1 and 57.5%, respectively. Furthermore, AI resulted in acceptable fecundity (i.e., 11.8 litter size and 10.0 number of piglets born alive). The fourth objective determined the relationship between spermatozoa quality characteristics and sow fertility at smallholder farms in Gauteng Province. Of all fertility characteristics studied, conception rate was significantly related to total spermatozoa motility rate (r= 0.37, P<0.01), progressive motility (r= 0.31, P<0.01) and rapid motility (r= 0.40, P<0.01), although relatively low. There was a low negative relationship between spermatozoa morphological characteristics and fertility (P>0.05). The fifth objective determined the pre-weaning growth performance of piglets born following AI at smallholder farms of Gauteng province. Individual piglets were weighed using an electronic weighing scale. Litter size, number of piglets born alive, number of piglets weaned, the average piglet birth weight and average piglet weaned weight were recorded. The average litter size was 11.8 ± 0.2. The average birth weight and weaning weights were 1.9 and 6.2 kg, respectively. No significant differences were found between male and female piglets for all the growth performance characteristics. Piglets born during winter had a significantly higher (P<0.05) birth and weaning weight as compared to autumn and summer months. Season had a significant effect on birth and weaning weight (P<0.01). However, sex of piglets had no effect on all the characteristics recorded (P>0.05). The interaction between sex and season was only observed on the total number of weaned piglets (P<0.01). A highly significant positive correlation was found between litter size and number of piglets born alive (r= 0.86) and total number of piglets weaned (r= 0.50). A highly significant correlation was found between total number of piglets born alive and total number of piglets weaned (r= 0.55). In conclusion, the study demonstrated the potential benefit of adopting AI technology under smallholder production systems to disseminate superior genetic material to smallholder pig farmers in Gauteng Province. The total spermatozoa motility, progressive and rapid spermatozoa motility were the only spermatozoa motility characteristics significantly correlated XX with conception rate. Conversely, litter size and number born alive were not correlated with CASA® spermatozoa motility attributes. No relationships existed between spermatozoa morphological characteristics and fertility. The sex ratio percentage of piglets born following AI was 52:48% (females: males). The number of piglets born alive was 10.2 and 9.5 for number piglets weaned. Season influenced birth to weaning weight. However, sex had no significant influence at birth and weaning weight. Litter size affects the number of piglets born alive and weaned. The study showed that the introduction of advanced reproductive technologies improved productivity of pigs at smallholder pig farms in Gauteng Province. / Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) and Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL

The dissertation consists of three studies that seek to identify school caterer and women farmer constraints that have hindered the buy-local policy mandate of the Ghana School Lunch program, and to explore gendered agricultural technology adoption and contract participation strategies that could facilitate the policy mandate. The first study documents the constraints that have minimized caterer purchases of school food items from local farmers. The study presents an overview of the Ghana School Lunch Program and the buy-local policy mandate issued to school caterers. Survey data and descriptive analysis are employed to document and discuss the constraints that prevent school caters from purchasing from local farmers as well as the constraints faced by smallholder women farmers in supplying to school caters. The study subsequently discusses school caterers’ compensating variation of a hypothetical policy that requires them to firstly provide recommended portions of vegetables and protein, and secondly include fruits in the lunch of the schoolchildren. The second study analyses the factors underlying the probability that women smallholder farmers - compared to male farmers - adopt less a) improved seeds, b) fertilizer, c) herbicides and d) pesticides. The study further examines the sensitivity of gender differences in technology adoption to crop choice, particularly maize and legume, as well as the possible heterogeneity of technology adoption differences within rural and peri-urban communities. The adoption of these improved technologies is modeled using multivariate probit regressions. A gender gap is observed among legume farmers for improved seed and pesticide adoption. Moreover, the findings indicate that female maize farmers who have input into all cash crop production decisions are more likely to adopt improved seeds and pesticides. Among legume farmers, the results indicate that female farmers who are educated and have access to credit are more likely to adopt fertilizer, while female legume farmers who have a say in what the use of income generated from cash crop farming are more likely to adopt pesticides. These results imply that policy-makers and development practitioners in sub-Saharan Africa should consider strategies to target and increase educational, financial and productive assets of female farmers in order to close the gender technology gap and increase multiple technology adoption. The third study examines the use of farm-to-school contracts as a means to provide access to credit for women farmers in rural and peri-urban areas and facilitate the buy-local policy mandate. In particular, the study examines the factors influencing male and female smallholder farmers’ minimum willingness to accept (WTA) farm-to-school-lunch contracts for maize and cowpea beans. The minimum WTA simultaneously measures the decision to participate as well as the minimum price at which the smallholder farmer accepts the contract. Using sex-disaggregated data from a field experiment, a Tobit model is applied to explain the underlying factors influencing male and female smallholder farmer’s minimum WTA for a set of hypothetical maize and cowpea beans contracts. The results for the pooled sample indicate that the delivery at harvest option increases farmers’ minimum willingness to accept both the maize and beans contracts. The study further examines heterogeneity in the minimum WTA among smallholder farmers. The results in the female specification indicate that, the advance pay option lowers the minimum WTA for maize contracts. Additionally, women farmers who own non-farm business, compared to a male with a non-farm business, have a lower minimum WTA for the maize and beans contracts. The results suggest that if the government considers contractual arrangements between school caterers and local farmers to facilitate the buy-local policy mandate, an advance pay option to women farmers may yield lower premiums for contracted food items.

Thesis (M.A. Admin. (Development)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014. / Smallholder subsistence agriculture is regarded as an approach that can be adopted by poor rural households to meet their food and nutritional requirements. The practice of smallholder subsistence agriculture is a basis upon which poor households can enhance their household food security through increased incomes and food supply, ultimately generating extra income for other household needs. The present study discusses and analyses the importance of smallholder subsistence agriculture as an effective method easily available to households residing in rural areas to access food and incomes for household purposes. Hence, the study seeks to explore and analyses the role of smallholder subsistence agriculture in contributing to household food security in rural areas. Both primary and secondary data have been used to analyze the factors for the purpose of the study. The primary data were collected through a designed survey questionnaire administered to sampled smallholder subsistence farmers in the study area. This study used purposive sampling technique, through a transect walk, to draw households involved in smallholder subsistence agriculture in Maroteng Village. From the total population in the study area, only 100 households were selected for the purposes of the study. Both descriptive and qualitative techniques were used to analyze salient variables of the practice in order to give an insight of the important role the sector can play in addressing poverty, enhancing incomes and creating employment, consequently contributing to household food security in rural areas. The study shows that the participation on smallholder subsistence farming by households in rural areas could have positive impact on food security situations.

This thesis presents the findings of an investigation of the spatial and temporal distribution of soil macrofauna at multiple scales within smallholder agriforestry fields in a remote, mountainous area of western Honduras. Since 1990, smallholder farmers in the study area have switched from traditional slash-and-burn agriculture to a form of slash-and-mulch agriforestry based on cultivating maize, beans and sorghum amongst dispersed trees. The principal objective was to examine the influence of the slash-and-mulch agricultural system on soil macrofauna abundance, biomass and community composition, and relate soil macrofauna distribution patterns to environmental variables. The initial stage of the research comprised transect-based sampling of soil macrofauna and biophysical variables in four common land uses of the study area. All four land uses (secondary forest, young milpa (agriforestry), mature milpa, and pasture) supported abundant, diverse and heterogeneous soil macrofauna communities, with few notable differences in soil macrofauna distribution among land uses. The most abundant soil macrofauna taxa were termites, ants, earthworms and beetles. Of the 'explanatory' environmental variables that were measured (including land use and selected soil properties, vegetation characteristics and topographic variables), those that had the strongest relationships with soil macrofauna abundance were land use, tree density and soil organic matter content. The second stage of the research was spatially-orientated and used stratified sampling based on within-field differences in farmer-defined soil type, as well as grid-based sampling of soil macrofauna surface activity. There was substantial within-field variation in soil type and topography, which was related to distribution patterns of at least one agriculturally-important soil macrofauna taxon. Earthworm activity was higher in areas of fertile soil and lower slope positions. At a finer scale, there was a positive spatial correlation between tree distribution and earthworm casting activity. The final phase situated the biophysical research in the local socio-economic context through participant observation and interviews with farmers. The results of the three phases of the study were incorporated into an original conceptual model of the relationships among soil macrofauna and environmental variables in the study area across multiple spatial scales and along a chronosequence of land use changes. Specific pointers are provided for further research on the role of soil fauna in influencing soil structure, nutrient cycling and pest species abundance, and for further investigating local knowledge and the socio-economic and cultural drivers of land use change.

The research aim was to gain a more detailed understanding of the operation of different key segments for fresh produce supply chains originating in the Highlands Provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research investigates a number of supply chain dimensions of effectiveness which include, value creation and integration of processes, logistics, quality, information, relationship/vertical integration and overall effectiveness. These were linked together in SC framework. Two potato chains were investigated, one formal, the other informal. The informal potato chain involves small holder farmers, input suppliers and local markets including kai bars and the urban market. The chain originates and ends within the Western Highlands Province. The formal potato chain has farmers, input suppliers, wholesaler/marker, transport companies (trucking and coastal shipping agents), supermarkets, hotels and kai bars. This chain originates in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province and ends in Port Moresby, National Capital District. The effectiveness of both the formal and informal chains was identified, and comparisons were made to see how each chain differed. The informal chain was found to have different problems to the formal chains. However, participants to both chains demonstrate a high entrepreneurial behavior. A key finding of the study was that the chains spread their risk by operating in multiple market segments and this can help to solve issues with variable quality. The marketers in each chain position themselves in these different market segments. It was clear from this work that focusing on functions and not the whole chain can lead to a distorted view of chain performance. For example, for the informal chain, a focus on logistics issues, particularly poor roads and problems with availability of seeds, can misrepresent the effectiveness of this chain. Therefore, it was concluded that it is important to look at the overall performance of each chain rather than looking specifically at particular chain functions in isolation.

<p>This study identifies the determinants of sheep prices for small-scale sheep farming households in two districts of the Eastern Cape, namely Amathole and Ukhahlamba (Joe Xabe). Output prices that small farm households receive for their sheep affect their incomes from agriculture (knowing that revenue is a product of quantity and price), which, in turn, influence their living standards. The study isolates three sets of determinants of price formation in local agricultural markets - structural drivers, institutional factors and livelihood shocks - to account for the variations in prices that smallholder farmers receive. Data were collected from 134 households that were selected using purpose sampling and preceded by key informant and focus groups interviews with actors along the sheep value chain. A questionnaire consisting of both open-ended and quantitative questions was used. The relationship between output price formation and clusters of determinants is a typical hedonic pricing framework, which is fitted using a backward stepwise econometric technique that is a widely used experimental tool to identify significant determinants.</p>

<p>Market information and established communication between seller and buyer play an important role in business activities. This thesis investigates the Transkei area in the Eastern Cape&nbsp / Province, South Africa to find out how to empower rural farmers by providing them with less-expensive mobile technology enabling them to post and advertise their produce, access market&nbsp / information on a common database, and find and communicate with potential customers. The farmers&rsquo / requirements were identified using quantitative and qualitative methods and a prototype&nbsp / consisting of USSD and web applications was developed. It allows the farmer to follow a sequence of menu commands to send a request to the database and access market information, such&nbsp / as commodity prices, and post information about their own produce so as to attract more customers. The low cost of USSD and the ubiquity of mobile phones enable the system to be usable, affordable and effective. During the final stage of development, the system was tested successfully and addressed a major problem faced by farmers, i.e. lack of access to market information.</p>

In this study, farm forestry decision criteria were elicited by adopting a behavioral decision-making study approach from households in ten Peasant Associations of the study district. Major decision objectives, available alternatives, constraints, and the likelihood of the chance events were elicited through a questionnaire survey, participatory observation, detailed discussion, and review of archival information. It was found that farmers generally, plant various tree and shrub species for meeting various household needs and for generating cash incomes. The goal of cash generation is for sustenance of livelihoods through fulfillment of various basic obligations and overcoming unforeseen contingencies. The three most economically important tree/shrub species were eucalypts, coffee, and t?chat. Eucalypt wood covers nearly all the construction needs and constitutes a substantial part of the fuelwood consumptions. Coffee and t?chat are vital sources of cash income and makeup an important part of daily diets. Growing of eucalypts for cash income is mainly constrained by lack of access road, low farm gate prices, high competition with food crops for soil nutrients and moisture, and shortage of land and labor. The household uses and cash values of coffee are generally, undermined by high incidence of berry disease and lack of manure. Financial benefits of t?chat are weakened by high local tax rates. The logistic regression analysis confirms that agro-ecological zone, sex of household head, number of eucalypt trees owned, and age of household head represent important explanatory variables that explain farmers readiness to expand eucalypt woodlots. The model so constructed correctly predicted 84.1 % of the households that established additional eucalypt woodlots mainly for cash generation. The total number of eucalypt trees owned by households is significantly related to the attitude of the household head towards eucalypts, wealth status, and landholding size of the household. Financial viability of eucalypt woodlots was assessed through both methods of conventional economic calculations and Chayanovian calculations. Both methods confirmed the highly lucrative markets of eucalypt poles as compared to agricultural crop production. This is mainly because of lack of access to more profitable production techniques and low productivity of agricultural crops per unit area. Otherwise, farm gate prices of eucalypt poles are far from being attractive and outperforming that of agricultural crops.