Profitability analysis of small-scale catfish farming in Kaduna State, Nigeria
August 2014
This study analysed the profitability of small-scale catfish farming in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Sixty respondents were randomly selected and interviewed using interview schedule to elicit information through multi-stage sampling technique. The data were analysed using frequency, percentages, mean, and ranking while budgetary analysis (gross-margin) was used to determine the profitability of catfish farming. The result...
Agricultural knowledge management through women’s collective action: A case of women dairy co-operatives in Rajasthan, India
August 2014
The present study was undertaken to analyze the capacity building needs of members of Women Dairy Cooperative Societies (WDCS), to harness the potential of women’s collective action in knowledge management for improving their livelihoods. A survey of fifteen randomly selected WDCS operational in Jodhpur district was undertaken to analyze the facilities, inputs and services of veterinary doctor and other dairy...
Application of sustainable livelihoods concepts in promoting biosecurity in free range poultry in rural Nigeria
August 2014
Poultry production is very significant to the livelihoods of Nigerian rural populace which constitute 70%. Free range scavenging poultry constitutes up to 90% of the total stock. Disease such as Newcastle and recent past the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or bird flu H5N1 among other constitutes serious threat to poultry production in the country. Interventions targeted at preventing diseases at low cost...
Specialists’ attitudes toward factors affecting on development of nuclear research in agriculture
July 2014
This study provides an insight into affecting factors on the development of nuclear research in agriculture from scientists and researchers perspective and also explores the correlations between them. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 165 scientists and researchers who work in Nuclear Science and Technology Research center and Biotechnology Institute, Tehran, Iran. Collected data were analyzed using...
Vegetable farmers’ attitude towards organic agriculture practices in selected states of South West Nigeria
July 2014
Organic farming as a sustainable agricultural approach is a growing concept in South West Nigeria. This study investigated the attitude of vegetable farmers toward organic agriculture practices in South West Nigeria and the determinants of their attitude. Cluster sampling was used to select 315 farmers from list obtained from the farmers’ cooperative societies. Farmers were interviewed in person. Attitude was...
How intentions guide the application of principle in co-creating sustainable agriculture
July 2014
Transitions towards sustainability require processes of decision-making that enhance sustainability in several dimensions at the same time. This article is about farmers’ decision-making in the context of their intentions and practice, as they seek simultaneously to support natural systems and the social quality of their farms. What does it take? An initial response is provided by an exploratory study based on...
Consumers’ attitude towards local rice production and consumption in Ondo State, Nigeria
July 2014
The Nigerian soils are well adapted to the production of rice. In all the ecological zones of the country, rice production is well entrenched. Despite their favourable soil and ecological conditions for rice production, Nigerians still spend substantial proportions of their earnings on imported rice. Why? It is against this backdrop that this study was carried out in Ondo State, Nigeria to investigate the...
Contribution of agricultural and forestry extension services to inclusive extension system in North-West Pakistan: A case study of Mansehra and Swat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
June 2014
Agriculture and forestry are generally considered as parallel activities where different institutions are working for rural people. The mountainous region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KP) of Pakistan makes an interesting case study because good forest cover is appeared and farming is an important component of local livelihood system. This study presents the findings from the field survey of 48 extension services...
Institutions of agricultural land acquisition and transfer: Experience from Central Highland of Ethiopia
June 2014
Access to agricultural land is a matter of life and death among the peasant society. Control over this resource is also the most disputable and contentious aspect of rural setting in Ethiopia which affects the overall socio-economic and welfare status of an individual and a group. This research is an attempt to identify and analyze both formal and informal institutions rendering agricultural land acquisition and...
Access to and utilization of development information by rural women in dire dawa administrative council, Eastern Ethiopia
June 2014
Access to and utilization of information makes individuals to be more rational, increases decision-making abilities and allow to take informed decisions. Hence the purposes of this study were to assess rural women’s access to and utilization of development information related to reproductive, productive and community roles performed by them in a case study conducted in Dire Dawa Administrative Council, Eastern...
The role of internet in the professional development of agricultural educators: The case study of Kermanshah Province, Iran
June 2014
Internet is one of the most important innovations in the field of information and this has a significant impact on education. The use of technology is increasing rapidly. Today, in the scientific communities, a large number of individuals are interested in internet. This is expected for researchers to update their knowledge to provide information to the internet for its services to be used. The aim of this study is to...
Farmer Field Fora and adoption of yam integrated pest and disease management technologies in Northern Ghana
May 2014
Justification for the use of public funds on programmes and the determination of their effectiveness among other factors call for their evaluation. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the effectiveness of Farmer Field Fora (FFF) and adoption of yam Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) Technologies in the Nanumba North and Kpandai Districts of the Northern region of Ghana. A multi-stage sampling...
Effects of season, browse species and polyethylene glycol addition on in vitro degradability of forages in the sub-humid subtropical savannah, South Africa
May 2014
Effects of season, browse species and polyethylene glycol (PEG) on in vitro digestibility of five plant species from sub-humid subtropical savannah of South Africa were investigated. Leaves of Acacia natalitia, Acacia nilotica, Dichrostachys cinerea, Scutia myrtina and Chromolaena odorata were harvested during dry (June/July), early wet (November/December) and late wet (February/March) seasons. An in vitro technique (72...
Rural household food security status and its determinants: The case of Laelaymychew Woreda, Central Zone of Tigrai, Ethiopia
May 2014
An assessment and analysis on food security status and its determinant, the experience of the farmers’ food insecurity coping mechanisms and the major farm operation problems were the major focusing objectives of this study; which was conducted in Laelaymychew Woreda Central Zone of Tigrai. The required data was collected from three kebeles of 125 randomly selected rural households. The data collected were...
Coping strategies of Darfurians displaced women in Khartoum
May 2014
This study was designed to identify the Drarfurians (Darfurians: Refers to Darfur States people of western Sudan that face ongoing civil war and tribal conflicts) displaced women's sustainable strategies to meet their basic livelihood survival needs in Khartoum, Sudan. The purposive non-random sampling technique was adopted to select 90 displaced women. Data were collected in the face-to-face interviews by using a...
Assessing the effectiveness of water quality education programs in controlling soil phosphorus levels in the Beaver River Watershed, Utah
April 2014
Federal Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 319 Program funds were obtained to educate landowners on how to make improvements on their farms that would help keep manure and P-laden sediments out of the Beaver River Watershed in Utah.The primary objective of this study was to employ an integrative evaluative tool (long-term monitoring of soil P test levels) to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational efforts.The...
Impact of agricultural modernization on sustainable livelihood among the tribal and non-tribal farmers
April 2014
The sustainable livelihood links with security to basic human needs, food security, sustainable agricultural practices and poverty has an integrating concept. A large number of tribal communities are bereft of stable livelihood and thus they fall in the category of the vulnerable section of Indian society. Considering this fact, the study was conducted in Sabarkantha district of North Gujarat region of Gujarat state, as...
Impact of youth rural-urban migration on household economy and crop production: A case study of Sokoto metropolitan areas, Sokoto State, North-Western Nigeria
April 2014
Over the past decades, rural-urban migration research has focused on the hypothesis that the migration of household population, especially youths, has significant influence on the economy and crop production of households. This study aimed at examining the impact of youth rural-urban migration on household economy and crop production in Sokoto metropolitan area of Sokoto State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique...
Factors encouraging ICT usage by agricultural extension scientists in North India
April 2014
The role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the research institutions and universities is becoming increasingly prominent because of the potential value of such technologies. ICTs can be used to increase effectiveness and efficiency of extension system. So, in this era of information revolution, the agricultural extension Scientists should be encouraged to use ICTs for extension education. Therefore,...
The effect of malaria on staple food crop production in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region of Ghana
March 2014
Malaria disease is a widespread problem in tropical countries. Recent publications have pointed to a correlation between enhanced agricultural activities and increasing prevalence of the disease. This paper therefore examined the relationship between food crop production and incidence of malaria in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Ninety-two percent of sampled respondents had reported...
Impact of farmer research group interventions on maize farmers in Central Rift Valley of Oromia: An empirical study
March 2014
The project on “strengthening Technology Development, Verification, Transfer and Adoption through Farmers Research Group (FRG)” implemented in the Central Rift-Valley of Oromia from 2004 to 2009 was used to promote and institutionalize participatory research in Ethiopian agricultural research system. A group of farmers were established as maize FRG working on maize improvement in two districts. Hence, this...
Improving agricultural extension services in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria
March 2014
A survey was conducted in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State in 2012 by administering structured questionnaire to 30 farmers each from 5 villages in the Local Government. The aim was to determine the quality of extension service in Moro Local Government Area with a view to improving it. Results show that most of the farmers (28.2%) are in the age group of 21 to 30 years. A greater percentage of the farmers...
Knowledge and adoption of cabbage management practices by farmers
March 2014
Vegetables are the most important diet for human’s health, because they possess high nutritive value and are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh was selected as the research area because it has temperate and good conditions for vegetable production. The area is suitable for production of different types of vegetation and their breeding. Himachal Pradesh...
Convergence of the Nigerian food and agricultural crisis on sustainable development
February 2014
Food and agricultural crisis as well as hunger are widespread and getting worse in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainable development necessitates change in public policies, personal attitudes and behaviors. The issues related to agricultural and food crisis may be solved by reversal of negative policy trajectory. The social welfare needs of Nigeria are grossly inadequate, resulting in many people especially...
Prospects of occupational diversification among rural women in sub-Saharan Africa: A review
February 2014
Rural women need to diversify their occupations since farming is rain-fed and therefore seasonal. This is to enable them to acquire additional income and meet up with economic responsibilities during off-season periods. The paper reviews current literature in the field in both farm and non-farm occupations and the impact of occupational diversification. Occupational diversification is of increasing importance for women...
Improved agricultural technologies, prelude to higher yields of maize: A case study of two farmer based organizations in Ghana
February 2014
Maize production in Ghana is characterized by very low technological input which translates to lower yields. Informal training organized at the instance of the Millennium Development Authority for Farmer Based Organizations and facilitated by the Crops Research Institute impacted positively on yield. This study examined the extent to which two FBOs in the Akwapim South Municipality of the Eastern Region adopted improved...
Farmers’ perception of their level of participation in extension in Ethiopia: Policy implications
February 2014
This study examined farmers’ perception of their level of participation in Public Agricultural Extension Service (PAES) in Soddo-zuria Woreda in Southern Ethiopia vis-à-vis seven selected farmers’ characteristics; namely, sex, age, educational status, wealth status, farming experience, experience with extension and frequency of contact with extension agents. For this study, 225 farmers were randomly...
Knowledge of saffron growers on saffron production technology in Kashmir
January 2014
An investigation was undertaken to access the knowledge of saffron growers on saffron production technology in Kashmir Province of J & K State. This study was conducted in six villages of block Pampore, selected on the basis of maximum area under saffron. The data collected from 180 saffron growers revealed that the majority among them had high knowledge on traditional practices, but they had low to medium knowledge...
Innovative approaches for sustainable productivity among tribal families of East Godavari district
January 2014
The effectiveness and efficiency of the agricultural extension system in India can be improved by motivating and mobilizing the rural and tribal folk towards sustainable productivity. It requires efficient and innovative approaches in order to organize and strengthen the farming community in an effective way for better participation, adoption and empowerment. A sample of 500 tribal families were selected on stratified...
Investigation on production constraints and adoption of inorganic insecticides and spraying regime in management of cowpea (Vigna uncuiculata L. Walp) insects in Mubi zone, Nigeria
January 2014
Between 2008 and 2009, constraints in cowpea cultivation and adoption of inorganic insecticides in insect pest management were investigated among cowpea producers in Mubi zone of Adamawa State. Structured questionnaires were used to source for information from 611 respondents, who were randomly selected. The Chi-square test, Likert scale test and logistic regression method were used to analyze the data set. Preference...
Providers and beneficiaries view of the contributions of state level non-governmental organizations (NGO) to rural community development in Anambra State, Nigeria
January 2014
The study was carried out to ascertain contributions of state based-Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to rural community development (RCD) in Anambra State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was employed to select seventy respondents (35 NGOs members and 35 beneficiaries/rural people) from 4 local government areas, 7 NGOs and 7 villages in the state. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire...
Factors influencing community based youth organisations’ involvement in rural development activities in Osun State, Nigeria
January 2014
The study determined the factors influencing Community Based Youth Organisations’ (CBYOs) involvement in rural development activities in Osun State, Nigeria and identified the types of rural development activities in which the organisations are involved. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 431 different CBYOs members who serve as respondents from 12 Local Government Areas in the State. Frequency count...
Strategies for setting and running of small scale enterprises by women entrepreneurs of Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh
January 2014
The present study was conducted on proportionately randomly selected 180 women entrepreneurs of Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. The findings revealed that for enterprise establishment in general 5 to 6 steps were followed by the respondents. These were realization of the oppourtunity, obtaining training, consolidation of resources (infrastructure, machinery/equipments, raw material and finance), production on small...
Allelopathic effect of aqueous extracts of different part of Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. on some crop and weed plants
January 2014
The present study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic effects of Eclipta alba weed on seed germination and seedling growth weed plants (Cassia tora L., Cassia sophera L.) and crop plants (Phaseolus aureus L., Oryza sativa L.). Root, stem and leaf aqueous extracts of Eclipta at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0% concentrations were applied to determine their effect on seed germination and seedling growth of test plants...
Assessment of Fadama project phase II in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
January 2014
This study assessed Fadama project phase II in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: Assess the need for gender analysis in Fadama project as the basis for policy formation in agriculture; examine benefits and challenges encountered by beneficiaries in the course of involvement in the project. Primary data were used. The data were collected from 100 respondents using simple random...
Household size and agricultural land-use pattern in Obagaji area of the Guinea Savanna region, Nigeria
January 2014
In the past two decades, population-environment research has focused on the hypothesis that house hold population has significant influence on agricultural land-use patterns and the health of the environment. This study is therefore aimed at providing land use planners in Nigeria with basic data and information that will be useful in identifying the prospects for and constraints to intensive cultivation systems in...
The lost and forgotten cornerstones: A rural development model
December 2013
Postcolonial South Africa has the world’s widest gap between the poor and the rich, and this gap continues unabated as the prices of commodities go unchecked. Chronic poverty is exacerbated by the unavailability of accessible quality education and training, relevant development and self sustaining skills, appropriate less cumbersome government support, and practical government poverty elevation schemes. The...
Determinants of career choice of Agricultural profession among the Students of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Ekiti State University, Nigeria
December 2013
The study aimed at identifying the factors determining the choice of Agriculture professional career among the Students of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Ekiti State University, Nigeria. A total of 160 randomly selected respondents were utilized for the study, while a structured interview schedule was used to elicit information from them. Frequency counts and percentages, Likert scale, as well as, Probit...
Contributions of mediating and independent variables to the adoption of co-financing public extension visits
December 2013
Most public extension organizations worldwide operate on inadequate budgets. Extension field surveys, therefore, need to be as cost-efficient as possible. The study investigated the comparative contributions of mediating and independent variables to the adoption of co-financing of the delivery of public extension visits. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from 97...
Extension agents access and utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) in extension service delivery in South East Nigeria
December 2013
This study was carried out to assess field extension agents’ access and utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) in extension service delivery in South East Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure involving purposive and simple random sampling techniques were employed in selecting 120 Extension Agents used for the study. Primary data were collected with the aid of a well-structured...
A psychological scale to measure the attitude of elected women towards grass root self governance (Panchayati Raj) system in Tamil Nadu, India
December 2013
This paper dealt with the steps involved in developing a psychological scale for assessing the attitude of elected women towards grass root self governance (Panchayati raj) in Tamil nadu, India. The Panchayati raj is the system of village level (Gram panchayat), block level (panchayat samiti) and district level (Zilla parishad) councils, members elected by the people, carrying out administration activities. Due to the...
Handling of maize with formal and informal technologies in San Nicolas de los Ranchos, Puebla, Mexico
December 2013
This research evaluated the use of formal and informal technologies used by farmers in the management of maize and the impact it had on yields per hectare. For this purpose, the Formal Technology Appropriation Index (FTAI) and the Degree of Use of Informal Technology (DUIT) were proposed. It was found that, on average, DUIT is greater (61.3) than the FTAI (40.6), indicating that the use of informal technology is more...
The savannah accelerated development authority: Factors to consider in modernising agriculture in Northern Ghana
November 2013
The move by government through the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to modernise agriculture in the savannah areas of Ghana is in the right direction. However, the specific factors to consider in ensuring that farmers in the operational areas of SADA modernise their farming activities are not well known. This paper examines the factors that SADA must consider in its efforts to modernise agriculture...
Towards sustainable smallholder irrigation development projects: A case study of the Maplotini irrigation scheme, Swaziland
November 2013
Sustainability principles demand that agriculture projects must be capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness to the society over the long run and must be environmentally friendly. Swaziland has made huge investments in irrigation projects over the last half century for improved livelihoods and economic growth. The study aimed to determine whether investments made in Maplotini irrigation scheme has...
The impacts of agricultural technology use on productivity and food security among smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe: The case of Makonde district
November 2013
Zimbabwe’s semi-arid regions are characterized by high incidence of poverty, low rural incomes, low agricultural productivity, and food insecurity. These all lead to difficulties in sustaining rural livelihoods. Relatively little is known about the impacts of agricultural technologies on agricultural productivity and food security in the drier pockets of land located within the wetter regions of the country. This...
Increasing women’s participation in cowpea storage activities: The case of Burkina Faso
November 2013
Cowpea is a major staple and cash crop in West and Central Africa but it suffers serious losses to insects during post-harvest storage. To prevent these losses, triple bagging in polyethylene and polypropylene sacks, a simple, low-cost hermetic technology, has been disseminated over the last five years through village activities in ten countries in West and Central Africa. Participation of women in these extension...
Contribution of the “Cassava: Adding Value for Africa†(C:AVA) project to income generation in Nigeria: The case of cassava farmers and processors in Ewekoro area of Ogun State
October 2013
This Research was about the effects of “Cassava: Adding Value for Africa” (C:AVA) project on cassava farmers and processors in the Ewekoro area of Ogun state, Nigeria. Respondent for this study were selected from five groups of processors targeted by the project in the area. They consisted of five pure cassava farmers and fifteen cassava...
Analysis of factors influencing cattle off-take rate and marketing in Ndiyona constituency of Kavango region, Namibia
October 2013
This paper presents an estimate of the cattle off-take rates in Ndiyona constituency of the Kavango region, north eastern communal area of Namibia and identifies marketing channels and strategies used by small-scale livestock farmers. The study used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) to identify factors influencing cattle off-take rates. The results showed that cattle off-take rate of 6.14 percent for Ndiyona...
A review of government policy on agricultural mechanization in Nigeria
September 2013
The paper reviewed the scope, objectives and performance of the previous Nigerian Government policy on agriculture with specific consideration for components of the policies that concern the agricultural mechanization subsector. The views of previous researchers on the performance of previous policies were reviewed to demonstrate the loopholes within the extant document. Similarly available secondary...
Integrated rice-fish farming as a business: The case of Golinga irrigation scheme small farmers
September 2013
he purpose of the Golinga Rice-fish farming project was to improve the capacities of members of a Farmer Based Organization (FBO) to carry out environmentally friendly, sustainable rural farming business using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques at the Golinga Irrigation Project (GIP) in northern Ghana. The project assisted small scale peasant farmers at GIP to integrate fish farming into...
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