October 2019

Livelihood impacts of Calliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban: Supplementary feed in smallholder dairy farms in Kenya

An agroforestry land use system aimed at improving the productivity of smallholder dairy farms using Calliandra calothyrsus and Sesbania sesban shrubs as feed supplements was introduced to semi-commercial SDFs in Meru, Kenya, as part of a field trial. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of using the C. calothyrsus and S. sesban on family income and livelihoods during the 16-month trial period. Eighty...

Author(s): Makau D. N., VanLeeuwen J. A., Gitau G. K., McKenna S. L., Walton C., Muraya J. and Wichtel J. J.  

October 2019

Factors affecting the technical efficiency of oil palm fruit processing units in South-East Benin

As the independent Benin's first export crop, oil palm continues to play an important role in the Beninese economy and society despite the decline in its production that has begun since the 1970s. It is present in most cropping systems throughout southern Benin. The objective of this article is, on the one hand, to assess the level of technical efficiency of oil palm fruit processing units in South-East Benin and,...

Author(s): Jean Adanguidi  

October 2019

Micro-financing and rural poverty reduction: A case of Rima Microfinance Bank in Goronyo Local Government Area, Sokoto State, Nigeria

Microfinance is proposed to be an efficient and viable means to poverty alleviation in the developing world, but there has been little empirical study on the impacts of microfinance banks. This study examines the impact of Rima Microfinance Bank on beneficiaries’ income and poverty in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Nigeria. A multistage-sampling technique was used to draw the sample and a...

Author(s): M. B. Mustapha, B. I. Yusuf and A. N. Abdullahi