MSCAGR (Agricultural Economics) / Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness / See the attached abstract below

This exploratory study assessed attitudes and perceptions of smallholder farmers towards agricultural technologies in Kakamega County, Kenya. Through a mixed-methods sequential design, the study evaluated the key variables predicting farmer adoption of agricultural innovations. While social sciences provide a clear human-driven pattern explaining the process of choices and behaviors regarding technology use, there is still little clarity on the influences of adoption decisions among smallholder farmers in rural Kenya. Using the diffusion of innovations theory, the study explored the attitudes and perceptions of smallholder farmers toward technology adoption in seven sub-counties of Kakamega County (Lurambi, Ikolomani, Shinyalu, Mumias East (Shianda), Malava Butere, and Khwisero). The study design utilized a quantitative survey of 245 smallholder heads of households, followed by focus group discussions to further probe attitudes, values and practices that could influence technology adoption. The survey questionnaire tested two hypotheses: (H1) socio-demographic characteristics are related to agricultural technology adoption; and, (H2) farmer access to extension services was related to agricultural technology adoption. A binary logistic regression model was used to quantitatively estimate socio-demographic variables presumed to influence the adoption of agricultural innovations. Subsequently, four informal focus group discussions of 28 discussants was conducted across representative sub-counties (Lurambi, Shianda, Malava and Ikolomani), to elicit an in-depth understanding of farmers’ perspectives on technology adoption. The focus group participants included farmers recruited from among survey participants. The qualitative research instrument sought to answer three questions, (RQ1) what are farmer attitudes and perceptions towards agricultural technologies; (RQ2) what socio-cultural values influence farmers’ choice of agricultural technologies; and, (RQ3) what sources do farmers use for obtaining information on agricultural technology? Quantitative results included a principal component analysis (PCA) in which 14 attitudes questions were reduced to five conceptual clusters. These clusters included: challenges in accessing modern agricultural technologies (explained 19.09% of the total variance); effectiveness of agricultural technologies (11.88%); enjoyment of agricultural technologies (10.02%); social influence in use of technology (9.47%); and experience with agricultural technologies (8.13%). A logistic regression model indicated that independently age (.07), education (.10), and off-farm income (.08) were significantly associated with adoption of technology at the 90% confidence level when controlling for all other variables in the model. However, agricultural extension (.42) was not a significant predictor of agricultural technology adoption in this model. Qualitative results provided rich insights which enhanced findings from the survey data. Key insights in the thematic analysis included: farmers’ ambivalence about agricultural technologies; lack of trust in agricultural agents; low levels of agricultural technology knowledge; extension services as the main source of information dissemination to farmers; predominance of gender in determining agricultural technology adoption; and gender inequity in agricultural decision-making. In conclusion, the study results suggested that a mixed-methods approach was valuable in probing the nuances of farmers’ perceptions of agricultural extension and technology adoption among smallholder farmers. The results supported the following recommendations: the agricultural extension efforts could be more effectively structured in order to support the dissemination of agricultural information; the issue of gender should be adequately addressed by engaging male and female in collaborative agricultural efforts to help break the barrier of gender inequity; and future research would benefit from disaggregating public and private extension services as a more robust method for determining their individual effects in the promotion of agricultural innovations among smallholder farmers.

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Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health challenge. It threatens the achievement of multiple SDGs with disproportionately negative consequences for LMICs. AMR is associated with the misuse of antibiotics, which is especially dominant in livestock farming. On-farm biosecurity has been identified as an effective way to prevent diseases. This requires a change in the daily behaviours of farmers. While the application of social-psychological models gained immense popularity in veterinary and agricultural research, these models lack predictive and explanatory character, leading to the so-called intention-action gap. The emerging field of behavioural sciences likely offers a better explanation of human behaviour, however, studies published often lack use of an explicit theoretical framework. Therefore, this exploratory study aims to address this gap by using Kahneman’s Dual-Process Theory as a theoretical framework for behaviour science studies. To this end, a qualitative study with 15 smallholder poultry farmers in rural Ghana was conducted. The findings suggested the presence of cognitive biases and heuristics that hinder farmers’ uptake of biosecurity measures, such as temporal discounting, social cues, cognitive overload, psychological inertia and habits. However, all factors must be considered, including knowledge gaps, as well as practical and economic constraints. It is clear from the study that farmers are not a homogenous group and that any promotion of biosecurity is destined to fail if they do not take farmers' psychological and contextual reality into consideration. Therefore, this thesis concludes that additional insights and hypotheses can be generated using behavioural science and that it offers a better and more holistic theoretical framework than currently used behavioural change models. Suggestions for further work include more empirical study in farmer decision-making related to on-farm biosecurity from a behavioural lens. Specifically, the use of quantitative and experimental methods to investigate and confirm the hypotheses that emerged from this study.

The increasing gap between the demand and supply of wood products is linked to large-scale forest conversions to agricultural land and high population growth. Fast growing tree species like Eucalyptus have been popularised and planted by many farmers in different parts of Ethiopia to reduce the enormous supply gap. The objective of the study was to examine the value chain and identification of upgrading options for Eucalyptus poles and fuelwood in Sidama zone, Hawassa Zuria District, southern Ethiopia. The study applied value chain analysis, the theory of access, value chain governance and upgrading as well as gross margin to explores explicitly Eucalyptus products and their lines, chain actors, their function and interaction, estimate cost and value-added distribution, identify the role of Eucalyptus pole and fuelwood for actor’s livelihood strategy, mechanisms and structure of access to benefit and governance type, explore supporting and enabling environments along the value chain and finally to identify options for upgrading the value chain. For the collection of primary data key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, market assessment and direct observations were used and complemented by secondary data. A total of 49 actors along the chains including tree growers, middlemen, transporters, wholesalers and retailers of pole and fuelwood, workers, brokers, as well as the customers for instance constructors and carpenters, were interviewed. SPSS and excel solver was used to analyse the data and presented in graphs, tables, and descriptive texts. The results of the study revealed that tree growers, workers, middlemen, transporters, Tulla and Hawassa wholesalers and retailers of the pole, large fuelwood wholesalers and retailers, small fuelwood retailers and consumers are direct actors. Government, brokers and service providers were considered to be indirect actors in the value chain of Eucalyptus poles and fuelwood from Chefasine kebele. Among the different products produced in the kebele, Eucalyptus poles were the most traded (85%) products at Tulla and Hawassa towns followed by fuelwood (5%) traded mostly at Tulla town along the chain. The chain has two major lines for pole (line one: Chefasine to Tulla and Line two: Chefasine to Hawassa) and one major line for fuelwood. Very limited processing takes place at the tree growers’ level for both pole and fuelwood and the major proportion of value addition occurs at the middlemen level for line two of pole and fuelwood, and at Tulla pole wholesalers and retailers’ level for line one of Eucalyptus poles. Production, processing, marketing and consumption were the four main functional activities along the chain. The trade of Eucalyptus products was financially profitable for all actors in the chain. However, the benefit distribution was unequal and commercialization margin was increasingly distributed towards the downstream actors for poles while for fuelwood, middlemen grasped the higher benefit and commercialization margin. Eucalyptus was the second profitable livelihood option next to homestead agroforestry but was the first profitable as compared individually with khat, coffee, enset and other activities. Apart from income provision, Eucalyptus was used for conservation of degraded land, construction, firewood, shading, and a form of saving among other uses in the study area. The income from Eucalyptus was also among others used for education fees, house renting and purchase household consumption goods (food, cloth, equipment) and others. Supporting services were almost non-existent for Eucalyptus production and marketing. Access to finance, market information, relationships building, capital, labour opportunity, license and Eucalyptus products were the means of controlling and maintaining market dynamics. Market types of value chain governance with a low level of horizontal and vertical coordination as well as low level of explicit coordination was observed for the value chain of Eucalyptus poles and fuelwood. Disease, lack of market information, lack of support, lack of road access, lack of storage space and limited technologies as well as inadequate land were the major constraints identified from the focus group discussion and Participatory Innovative Platform (PIP). Organising tree growers for marketing and information sharing, organising traders for storage, provision of market infrastructures, easing credit access, training on silvicultural management, technologies adoption, implementing the existing policies and enforcing rules and regulations were some of the options identified for the upgrading of the product's chain.

Thesis (MSc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The South African agricultural sector plays an important role in creating jobs, alleviating food insecurity and poverty, and also contributes to exports. Agricultural produce from smallholder farmers is often lost after production due numerous marketing challenges which make it difficult for smallholder farmers to explore full market potentials. This, among other challenges, reduces smallholder farmers’ motivation to participate in formal (commercial) or high-value markets. The study aimed at assessing factors hindering marketing among smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers in the Polokwane Municipality. The objectives of the study were to: identify and describe socio-economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers; examine the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers; identify factors hindering marketing among smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers and constraints faced by smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers in the study area. Primary data with a sample size of hundred and twenty smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers was used. Descriptive statistics, the Marketing Hindrance Index and Tobit Model were employed as analytical tools to achieve the objectives of the study. Results of data analysis revealed that there are factors hindering marketing among smallholder vegetable cooperative farmers in the Polokwane Municipality. The major factors affecting smallholder farmers are source of water and types of vegetables grown, respectively. From the Tobit Model results, access to credit, access to reliable information about marketing, age, access to storage and farming experience in years were found to be significant. In view of the research findings, the recommendations of this study include: encouraging youth participation in agriculture, improved access to agricultural information and formal market access, improved access to credit and enabling accessibility through the development of better infrastructure in the form of storage facilities.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Agriculture is not only the backbone, but also an important sector of the South African economy. It provides food and employment to a majority of people in the country, especially in the rural areas. Smallholder farmers play an important role in livelihood creation and the alleviation of poverty among the population of the Limpopo Province. However, despite their significant contribution, smallholder farmers’ production is still low. Climate change has bought increasing frequencies and severity of drought conditions and uncertainties in the length and quality-growing season. Drought threatens the production of maize as a staple food and without measures to counter climate change, food security will be a major problem in South Africa. This study therefore examined factors determining the adoption of drought tolerant maize among smallholder farmers in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality. Primary data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires to achieve the objectives of the study. Multistage sampling was used for the study because larger clusters were subdivided into smaller and more targeted groupings for surveying. Descriptive Statistics and the Binary Probit Model were used to analyse the data. The results of the Probit Regression analysis indicated that farm size, hired labour and maize produced per hectare had positive significant influence on the probability of farmers adopting drought tolerant maize varieties. Farm size and maize produced per hectare were statistically significant at 1% and hired labour was statistically significant at 5%. Based on the sample of this study,74% of the households grew non-drought tolerant maize varieties, while 26% of the smallholder farmers grew drought tolerant maize varieties. The results indicate that 24,4% of the farmers were not affected by any constraints in terms of their adoption of drought tolerant maize varieties whilst 76,6% said they are affected by those constraints in Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality. Based on the study’s findings, it is recommended that extension officers should make it a priority to provide smallholder farmers with timely and accurate information. Extension officers should effectively disseminate information about the adoption of drought tolerant maize through a combination of different pathways.

Aus theoretischer und empirischer Sicht ist zu diskutieren, ob die Genossenschaften positive Auswirkungen für ihre Mitglieder haben. Das Forschungsziel dieser Dissertation ist die Erklärung und Bewertung der Auswirkungen, die landwirtschaftliche Genossenschaften auf ihre Mitglieder in diesen Kontexten haben. Die Leitfragen lauten: (1) welches sind die sozioökonomischen Merkmale der Landwirte, die Mitglieder von Genossenschaften sind? und (2) welche spezifischen Auswirkungen haben landwirtschaftliche Genossenschaften auf ihre Mitglieder? Die Fragen werden in einer systematischen Literaturarbeit und drei empirischen Artikeln behandelt. Die systematische Literaturrecherche zeigt die empirischen Belege für positive Effekte von Genossenschaften finden sich in den Kategorien Zugang zu und Nutzung von landwirtschaftlichen Betriebsmitteln, Einkommen, Preise sowie Status und Entscheidungsmacht von Frauen. Im zweiten und dritten Artikel werden die Eigenschaften der Mitglieder und Preiswirkungen von Genossenschaften im argentinischen Wein- und Milchsektor untersucht. Landwirte, die an Genossenschaften verkaufen, erhalten in den untersuchten Fällen niedrigere Preise für ihre Produkte als Landwirte, die an anlegerorientierte Unternehmen verkaufen. Das vierte Papier analysiert Mechanismen, die zur Inklusion benachteiligter Haushalte in sambischen Maisgenossenschaften beitragen. Inklusion entwickelt sich in Genossenschaften, die Engagement zeigen und entweder vulnerable Mitglieder mit Finanzdienstleistungen versorgen, soziale Identität fördern oder benachteiligte Mitglieder dafür entschädigen, dass sie keinen Zugang zu subventionierten Betriebsmitteln haben. Die Gesamtergebnisse zeigen, dass Genossenschaften im Allgemeinen mit den am stärksten benachteiligten Landwirten zusammenarbeiten. Sie erzielen verschiedene positive Wirkungen für ihre Mitglieder. Dennoch gibt es auch einen relevanten Anteil von Fällen, in denen es nicht genügend empirische Belege für ihre Auswirkungen gibt. / From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, whether cooperatives provide their members with benefits remains open to debate. The research objective of this thesis is to explain and assess the effects agricultural cooperatives have on their members in developing contexts. The guiding questions are: (1) what are the socio-economic characteristics of farmers who participate in cooperatives? and (2) what are the specific effects of agricultural cooperatives on their farmer members? The questions are addressed in a systematic literature review and three empirical papers. The systematic literature review finds that what is known about cooperatives is based upon a very limited set of cases. The most conclusive evidence of positive effects corresponds to the categories access to and use of inputs, income, prices and women’s status and agency. The Paper Two and Three explore member characteristics and price effects of cooperatives and Investor-Oriented Firms in the Argentinean non-varietal wine and dairy sector, respectively. Farmers selling to cooperatives receive lower prices than farmers selling to Investor-Oriented Firms in the studied cases. Since cooperative members differ from other farmers in terms of size, assets and the cost of accessing the market, it can be concluded that cooperatives deal with more disadvantaged farmers at the expense of lower prices. The Paper Four analyses the mechanisms that contribute towards inclusion of disadvantaged households in Zambian maize cooperatives. Inclusion develops in cooperatives that show commitment and either provide financial services to vulnerable members, promote social identities or compensate disadvantaged members for not being able to access subsidised inputs. The overall results show that cooperatives generally work with the most disadvantaged farmers. They create multiple positive effects for their members. However, there is also a meaningful share of cases with a lack of sufficient evidence of effects.

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.

The Philippines has a primarily agricultural economy, with many rural residents relying on farming for their livelihoods. The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) was established in 1992 to support smallholder farmers in the country through research and technology development related to carabaos. The PCC's national headquarters in Nueva Ecija's Science City of Muñoz maintains a herd of approximately 400 carabaos and uses a drum sieve to separate the vermicompost from the carabaos for sale and efficient manure management. Vermicomposting is a profitable form of agriculture in the country, utilizing African night crawler worms to convert biodegradable waste materials into organic fertilizer. However, many smallholder farmers who wish to start vermicomposting do not have access to a sieve machine as they are often too expensive. Neighboring farmers often form cooperatives with at least 15 members who work together towards common goals. Because these cooperatives offer services such as loans, training, and equipment access, they would be able to provide a sieve machine for their members and therefore the individual farmer would have a greater chance to be able to start vermicomposting. This study was aimed at designing a more accessible sieve machine for low-income smallholder farmers. The resulting design is a manually-driven machine operated through a pedal mechanism. The machine is smaller, easier to maintain and has no drift costs in comparison to the existing machine at PCC. It has integrated wheels and brakes, a brush for clearing clogged holes, and a collector. However, no physical prototype was made to verify its implementation. The concept is made of a mix of raw materials and purchased components, with the raw materials sourced from the Philippines and the components possibly imported. The estimated price was around PHP 58,468, which was less than the PCC machine, considered reasonable for cooperatives but may not be affordable for individual smallholder farmers. / Filippinerna huvudsakligen en jordbruksbaserad ekonomi, många invånare på landsbygden förlitar sig på jordbruk som sin huvudsakliga inkomstkälla. Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) grundades 1992 för att stödja småskaliga jordbrukare genom forskning och teknikutveckling relaterat till carabao. PCC:s nationella huvudkontor i Science City of Muñoz i Nueva Ecija har en flock på cirka 400 carabaos och använder en trumsikt för att separera maskkompost av carabaos för försäljning och effektiv gödselhantering. Maskkompostering är en lönsam form av jordbruk i landet, där afrikansk nattkrälande maskar används för att omvandla nedbrytbara avfallsmaterial till organisk gödsel. Småbrukare som önskar börja med maskkompostering saknar dock tillgång till en siktmaskin då de ofta är för dyra. Grannbrukare bildar dock ofta kooperativ med minst 15 medlemmar som arbetar tillsammans mot gemensamma mål. Eftersom dessa kooperativ erbjuder tjänster såsom lån, utbildning och tillgång till utrustning skulle de kunna tillhandahålla en siktmaskin för sina medlemmar och därmed öka chansen för den enskilda småbrukaren att kunna börja med maskkompostering. Syfte med det här arbetet var att utforma en mer tillgänglig siktmaskin för låginkomsttagande småskaliga jordbrukare. Den resulterande designen är en manuellt driven maskin som drivs med en pedalmekanism. Maskinen är utformad för att vara mindre, enklare att underhålla och har inga driftkostnader jämfört med den befintliga maskinen på PCC. Den har integrerade hjul och bromsar, en borste för att rensa igensatta hål och en samlare. Framtida arbetet är att ta fram en fysisk prototyp för att kunna verifiera konceptet. Maskinen består av en blandning av råvaror och inköpta komponenter, där råvarorna kom från Filippinerna och komponenterna möjligen var importerade. Maskinens uppskattade pris blev cirka 58 468 PHP, mindre än ursprungliga PCC-maskinen, och anses rimligt för kooperativet, men kanske inte överkomligt för enskilda småskaliga jordbrukare.