July 2018

Determinants of collective marketing and marketable surplus for smallholder sorghum producers in Oyam district, Uganda

In 2000, Uganda instituted a tax rebate of 10 to 15% to industries willing to use locally sourced raw materials. This attracted Nile Breweries Ltd (NBL) to start using locally produced sorghum for beer production in 2002 and intervened in the sorghum value chain through mobilization of farmers into producer groups, established bulking centers and appointed buying agents. Despite these interventions, some farmers still...

Author(s): Nangobi R. and Mugonola B.

July 2018

Technical efficiency and profitability of potato production by smallholder farmers: The case of Dinsho District, Bale Zone of Ethiopia

The study aimed to analyze the technical efficiency and profitability of potato production by smallholder farmers in Dinsho District of Bale Zone of Ethiopia. Cross sectional data collected in 2015/16 production year from 147 surveyed households was utilized in achieving these objectives. Non-parametric net crop revenue analysis and Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier approach were used to analyze enterprise profitability...

Author(s): Ahmed Kasim Dube, Burhan Ozkan, Amanuel Ayele, Diriba Idahe and   Ahmed Aliye

July 2018

The Role of Pastoralists’ Indigenous Knowledge and Practices in Reducing Household Food Insecurity in West Pokot, Kenya: A Binary Probit Analysis

In recent decades, researchers and development practitioners have explored strategies to manage shocks and reduce food insecurity in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) especially through introduction of modern scientific approaches and interventions; for instance promotion of exotic livestock breeds, but these interventions have not yielded desired results. This has been attributed to the fact that most of these...

Author(s): Deborah Namayi Muricho, David Jakinda Otieno and Willis Oluoch-Kosura

July 2018

Determinants of microfinance loan utilization by smallholder farmers: The case of Omo Microfinance in Lemo District of Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

This study investigated factors determining microfinance loan utilization by smallholder farmers from Omo Microfinance institution in Lemo District of Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Both primary and secondary data were used and a total of 118 sampled farmers were considered for the interview. Both descriptive statistics and independent double-hurdle model were used to analyze the microfinance loan utilization and loan...

Author(s): Amanuel Ayele and Degye Goshu