scholarly journals AN EVALUATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING VEGETABLE COMMERCIALIZATION IN KENYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mbiti Job M’ithibutu ◽  
Elisha Otieno Gogo ◽  
Fikirini Lugogo Mangale ◽  
Gregory Baker

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish factors that influence vegetable commercialization among smallholder farmers of fresh vegetables in Kenya. The present study defined commercialization against farmer characteristics including portion of land committed to vegetable farming, share of household income generated from it, and the producers’ perception that the vegetables they consumed at the farm were produced or procured without any substantial cost. Methodology: The researcher adopted a cross-sectional survey design to randomly recruit a sample of crop farmers (n=118) from Kirinyaga and Kiambu counties in Kenya. Data on agrochemical use, crop diversity and scale as well as logistical issues regarding proximity to markets and social status of the crop farmers were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire in a one-on-one interview. These data were initially entered on MS Excel spread sheets for cleaning and later transferred to Minitab (Ver 12) for statistical analyses. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to isolate crucial commercialization factors responsible for varying agrochemical use behaviours among crop farmers and later presented in scree plots. Results/Findings: The study revealed that commercialization of tomatoes and kale was real in different areas of study which was influenced by structural and socio-demographic factors. From the study findings, structural policies to promote horticulture and high value crop production had a positive impact on production of vegetables while wildlife conservation and livestock development resulted to human-wildlife conflicts due to agrochemical abuse. Various socio-demographic factors that influence commercialization of vegetables included: household size, farm size, proportion of land used for vegetable production and household income. It emerged that household size (Eigen value EV=3.63), income (EV=2.61) and farm size (EV=1.27) accounted for 68.4% of variability in agrochemical abuse. This finding also explains their marginalization from county government extension services and high costs of market access. Unique contribution to theories, practice and policy: The study finds that vegetable farmers’ perception of commercialization leaned more towards increasing production in response to consumer demand and not necessarily to raise household food supplies. Famers dedicated over two thirds (66.67%) of their land to vegetable farming to support their livelihood (97.1%, SE= 1.30). Commercialization of vegetable farming was influenced by the level of education (SE=3.68). The study found out that that access to ICT equipment, particularly mobile phones, were the prime means via which farming techniques and agribusiness practices were learnt or improved (V= 0.196 Pearson, p=0.11).

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-79
Author(s):  
Quoc Trung Pham ◽  
Hiep Hai Phan ◽  
Matteo Cristofaro ◽  
Sanjay Misra ◽  
Pier Luigi Giardino

Among investors of cryptocurrencies there are supporters and detractors; this claims for the identification of the behavioral and socio-demographic factors that push to invest (or not) in cryptocurrencies. A survey has been administered to 275 Italian investors. Together with socio-demographic features (gender, income, age, and education), behavioral factors derived from the theory of planned behavior (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control behavior) and from the financial behavior literature (illegal attitude, herding behavior, perceived risk, perceived benefit, and financial literacy) have been collected and analyzed. While attitude, illegal attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, herding behavior, and perceived risk have a positive impact on investors' intentions. Socio-demographic factors and financial literacy have no influence on the intention to invest in cryptocurrencies. This is the first study that comprehensively investigates the influence of behavioral and socio-demographic factors on the intention of investors to invest in cryptocurrencies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Lucie Setiana ◽  
Mochamad Sugiarto ◽  
Oentoeng Edy Djatmiko

Sentul chicken is one of indigenous poultries maintained by most people in Ciamis Regency, West Java Province. This study aimed at determining the influence of socio demographic factors on the income generated from Sentul chicken farming in Ciamis Regency. A survey method was conducted to the members of seven farmer groups institutionally assisted by the Ciamis Regency Government Unit. The descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis were used to describe the profile of respondents and to analyze the influence of socio demographic factors on the income generated from Sentul chicken farming. The results showed that the farmers’ length of education was 11.8 years with 5.8 years experience raising the Sentul chicken while the farm size was averagely 9 heads of chicken. The Sentul chicken farmmaintained in 70 days with semi-intensive production system has generated income ranging from IDR 756,000 to IDR 19,900,000. Farming experience and farm size significantly influenced the income generated from Sentul chicken farming. Increase the farming experience of Sentul chicken farmers and enlarging Sentul chicken farm size with semi-intensive production system may improve the income generated from Sentul chicken farming in Ciamis Regency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Zheng Cai ◽  
Shengsheng Li ◽  
Guoming Du ◽  
Ruhao Xue

Food security and environmental protection—led by sustainable agricultural development—are key development goals of Heilongjiang Province. One of the main challenges facing the Heilongjiang Province is improving soil and livelihood by integrating smallholder farmers into the pilot crop rotation project. This paper investigates a comprehensive project—the new crop rotation pilot project in Heilongjiang (NCRPPH)—which aims to improve the livelihood of the pilot participants by involving smallholder farmers in the pilot crop rotation program and connecting them with the food industry through farmers’ cooperatives. This paper analyzes the impact of the NCRPPH on farmers’ crop rotation, grain yield, multi-agent cooperation, food security, and education based on data collected in 2019 and other retrospective information. The instrumental variable method and three different estimation strategies are used to solve the endogenous problem. The results show that the project has a vast and positive impact on the gross and net value of grain production per hectare and the share of products sold to food manufacturers through cooperatives. Regardless of the farm size, farmers have equal opportunities from which they can benefit. In addition, our analysis shows that the NCRPPH improves the educational situation and food security without affecting crop rotation practices. Finally, our research proves the effectiveness of this project.


2010 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. CIN.S4774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdoul Hossain Madani ◽  
Madhurima Dikshit ◽  
Debanshu Bhaduri ◽  
Abdolreza Sotoodeh Jahromi ◽  
Teamur Aghamolaei

The aim of this study was to recognize factors associated with cancer of oral cavity considering socio-demographic characteristics. The cases were 350 with squamous-cell carcinoma of oral cavity diagnosed between 2005 and 2006 in Morbai, Narandia, Budharani Cancer Institute, Pune, India. Similar number of controls match for age and sex selected from the background population. Cases and controls were interviewed for tobacco related habits and general characteristics; age, gender, education and possible socio-demographic factors. Chi-square test in uni-variate analysis and estimate for risk showed that education, occupation and monthly household income were significantly different between cases and controls ( P < 0.001). Irrespective to gender, relative risk, here odds ratio, (OR) of low level of education (OR = 5.3, CI 3.7–7.6), working in field as a farmer (OR = 2.5, CI 1.7–3.7), and monthly household income less than 5000 Indian Rupees currency (OR = 1.7, CI 1.2–2.3) were significant risk factors for oral cancer. While, there was no significant relationship between religious and or marital status either in males or females.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Shu Fen Ho ◽  
◽  
Yit Siew Chin ◽  
Abdul Rashid Mohd Shariff ◽  
Poh Ying Lim ◽  
...  

Introduction: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the associations of socio-demographic factors, eating behaviours, fast food purchasing by parents for family meals, and availability of neighbourhood fast-food outlets with BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) among adolescents. Methods: Through multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method, a total of 420 adolescents from five selected public secondary schools participated in the current study. Data on socio-demographic factors, eating behaviours, and parent’s purchases of fast food were obtained through selfadministered questionnaires. The availability of fast-food outlets was assessed using Geographic Information System (GIS). Body weight and height of the adolescents were measured. Results: The prevalence of overweight, obesity, thinness and severe thinness among adolescents in the present study were 17.6%, 15.5%, 3.1% and 0.7%, respectively. The current findings showed that a higher monthly household income (rs =0.12, p=0.02) and less purchases of fast food by parents for family meals (rs =-0.11, p=0.03) were significantly associated with higher BAZ of the adolescents. However, there were no significant associations between eating outside of home, eating at fast-food restaurants, buying delivery fast food, and availability of neighbourhood fast-food outlets with BAZ. Multiple linear regression showed that less purchases of fast food by parents for family meals significantly contributed towards higher BAZ (β=−0.25, p=0.02). Conclusion: A higher household income and less fast food purchasing by parents were associated with higher BAZ. Fast food purchasing of adolescents were not associated with BAZ. Therefore, an appropriate obesity intervention programme should focus on adolescents and their parents from middle- and high-income households in Labuan.


Author(s):  
M. A. Abdulaleem ◽  
F. M. Oluwatusin ◽  
O. S. Ojo

Maize is cereal crops commonly grown in Nigeria and it is a source of livelihood for many farming households. This study analyzed the resource use efficiency in maize production among smallholder farmers in southwest, Nigeria. A multistage sampling method was used to select two hundred and seventy (270) farmers for this study. Primary data were collected using well-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and stochastic frontier production function were used as analytical tools. The results showed that the mean age of the farmers was 47.7 years. Most (76.3%) are males which were married (82.2%) with household size of 5.8. There is high (82.9%) level of literacy among the farmers. The average output of production was 5,038.25kg which were gotten from planting of improved maize seeds (88.5%). Maize cultivation is profitable enterprise because for every ₦1 invested, ₦1.74will be realized as gain. The Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) results revealed that the technical efficiency of maize farmers varied due to the presence of technical inefficiency effects on maize production. Farm size (5%), quantity of fertilizer (10%) and capital input (1%) are the factors significantly affecting technical efficiency. Also, household size (5%), marital status (1%) and gender (10%) are the factors that significantly influence technical inefficiency. The explanatory variables can account for 66% of the total variations in the efficiencies of production, while 34% of the variations are given to error. Policies and programmes that focus on encouraging more young people and women to agriculture should be enacted and implemented.


Author(s):  
Joseph Kipkorir Cheruiyot

Smallholder farms in Kenya continue to suffer from crop-productivity declines due to loss of soil quality as a result of soil erosion among other factors. Low adoption of soil conservation technologies persists in spite of previous interventions. This study was conducted to investigate links between farmers’ socio-demographic factors and the adoption of soil conservation technologies. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Purposive and multi-stage random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 150 farmers from six catchment areas of the hilly terrain of Tinderet in Nandi County, Kenya. A total of 138 participants were accessed. Questionnaires administered by enumerators were used to collect data. Data was analysed to generate descriptive statistics. Kendall-Stuart Tau-c and Goodman-Kruskal’s gamma were used to estimate correlations between socio-demographic factors and adoption. Age, Gender, duration of residence and farm size were not significantly associated with adoption (P > 0.05).Education levels, household size, level of awareness and income were positively associated with adoption (Gamma =.359, P = .034), (Gamma = .229, P = .088), (Gamma = .485, P = .000) and (Gamma = .282, P = .042) respectively. It is recommended that stakeholders address soil erosion problems through farmers’ capacity-building, particularly for low-income farmers.


Author(s):  
Bunthan Tray ◽  
Elena Garnevska ◽  
Nicola Shadbolt

Modern retail markets have grown in Cambodia, but vegetable growers are unlikely to gain benefits from these high value markets (HVMs). Producer cooperatives (PCs) could play a critical role in linking smallholder farmers to HVMs. The purpose of this paper is: (1) to examine the role of PCs in linking vegetable producers to HVMs; and (2) analyse the factors affecting successful participation in HVMs. This study applied a mixed methods approach to PCs selling the members’ vegetables to HVMs (PC-HVMs), and PCs selling members’ vegetables to traditional markets (TMs) only (PC-TMs). Both groups of PCs provided services to their members (e.g. input, financial, extension services). However, the content and quality of these services were different. PC-TMs emphasised only on support linked to production, while PC-HVMs focused on both production and marketing support. This study indicated that vegetable farming experience, total vegetable produce, and average vegetable prices had a statistically significant influence on producers’ participation in HVMs. However, vegetable farm size showed a negatively significant effect on participation in HVMs. As one of the very few empirical studies on PCs in Cambodia the research provides valuable context for further studies. It has developed and tested a framework for analysing the factors affecting successful participation in HVMs and provides an explanation of why some PCs can successfully participate in HVMs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martinson Ankrah Twumasi ◽  
Yuansheng Jiang ◽  
Frank Osei Danquah ◽  
Abbas Ali Chandio ◽  
Wonder Agbenyo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of savings mobilization on access to credit among smallholder farmers’ in the Birim central municipality of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional primary data set was used to estimate the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ access to credit and size of loan to be borrowed using the IV-Probit and IV-Tobit model. Findings The results of the study revealed that savings mobilization has a positive significant impact on access to credit and the total amount of credit one can borrow as well. Other control variables such as transaction cost and farm size depicted a negative significant impact on access to credit. Land ownership, member of an association, household size, years of farming experience and education also showed a positive significant impact on access to credit. Research limitations/implications The paper only examined the savings effect on credit accessibility among smallholder farmers in one of the municipality’s in the Eastern region of Ghana. Future research should consider all or many municipality for an informed generalization of findings. Practical implications This paper provides evidence that smallholder farmers knowledge on the financial market is poor and it would require the policymakers or NGOs to organize financial management training programs so that the farmers high ignorance of the financial market will significantly reduce. Originality/value Although existing studies have examined smallholder farmers’ access to credit, the unique contribution of this paper is the analysis of the impact of saving mobilization on credit accessibility in Ghana, a major access to credit determinant in the financial market. In addition, those researchers who factored in savings as an access to credit determinant did not also consider the casual relationship between these two variables, thus, the present of endogeneity of which this paper does.


Author(s):  
Mohamed Hassan Elnaem ◽  
Nur Hasyimah Kamarudin ◽  
Nabeel Kashan Syed ◽  
Hasniza Zaman Huri ◽  
Inderpal Singh Dehele ◽  
...  

The perspectives of hypertensive patients on the state of hypertension control during the ongoing pandemic restrictions have not been extensively studied in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of socio-demographic factors, health literacy, and adherence on the overall hypertension management in a group of Malaysian hypertensive patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous, online cross-sectional study was conducted over three months that involved a group of Malaysian adults with hypertension. A validated, self-administered 30-item questionnaire was prepared in Malay and English languages on Google Forms. The link was then distributed to participants on social media (Facebook and WhatsApp). Following survey validation, a pilot study with 30 participants who met the inclusion criteria was carried out. The total scores for health literacy, adherence, and pandemic impact on hypertension control were calculated and compared across all independent variables. In a total of 144 study participants, controlled blood pressure was reported in 77% (N = 111). There were good levels of adherence and health literacy scores but moderate levels of pandemic impact scores. The total adherence scores showed a statistically significant difference between age groups (χ2 = 6.48, p = 0.039) and those who reported having controlled and uncontrolled blood pressure (U = 1116, p = 0.001). Moreover, the analysis revealed statistically significant differences in total pandemic impact scores based on the age group (χ2 = 15.008, p = 0.001), household income (χ2 = 6.887, p = 0.032), employment (U = 1712, p = 0.006), and marital status (U = 520.5, p < 0.001). The youngest age group (18–39) years, the lowest income group, unemployed and unmarried individuals, had significantly higher pandemic impact scores. This denotes that those individuals were more prone to be negatively affected by the pandemic regarding their hypertension management. Most participants reported relatively controlled blood pressure and good levels of health literacy as well as adherence amidst the pandemic. To a moderate extent, study participants perceived that the pandemic had a negative effect on hypertension management. The perceived negative impact of the pandemic was attributed to several socio-demographic factors, such as age, household income, employment, and marital status.


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