Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development

Factors influencing managerial challenges for smallholder and emerging sheep and goat farmers in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District, Free State Province, South Africa

Kgomongwe Neriath, Mthombeni, Danisile, Leonah, Antwi, Michael Akwasi — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This study aimed to identify and analyse the determinants of managerial challenges for smallholder and emerging sheep and goat farmers in the study area by highlighting key factors in order to create an enabling environment for the farmers to improve production and income. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 145 participants from a pull sampling frame of 251 participants. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data by interviewing 145 selected smallholder farmers. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 28.0, was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics and the probit regression model were used to analyse the determinants of the managerial challenges for smallholder and emerging sheep and goat farmers. The results of the study show that only 19% of the participants had business plans, and the absence of business plans impacted farm and livestock management negatively. The probit results indicated that the age of the respondents, off-farm activities, and access to market information had a positive and significant association with managerial challenges. It is recommended that youth and women be encouraged to engage in sheep and goat farming for better management and that farmers must focus their attention on livestock farming instead of off-farm income-generating activities. The Department of Agriculture and municipalities should initiate extension programs that focus on farm and livestock management as well as access to market information.

Harvest and trade of wild edible Russula griseocarnosa in North Vietnam

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This study examines the harvest and trade of wild edible Russula griseocarnosa in north Vietnam. Russula griseocarnosa is an edible forest mushroom, but there is no reliable information on harvesting practices and trade in this species in Vietnam. This study aims to provide ethnomycological and marketing knowledge for this mushroom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with mushroom collectors and traders over 2 years; harvest yields were obtained from local officials; and policy settings were sought from forest managers. About 85% of mushroom collectors were women of the Dao, Lo Ursula, Muong, Nung, Mong, San Chi, San Diu, and Tay ethnicities. The collecting season was bimodal, with the wet season beginning (May) and ending (September). The traders were Hoa, Kinh, Nung and Tay, and 57% were women. Fresh mushrooms sold for 9.1-10.5 US$/kg on dry days and 7.0-7.9 US$/kg on wet days. The best grade of dried product fetched 70.4-83.3 US$/kg. A number of interim policies have been established to encourage local people to protect forests and to help create a sustainable edible wild mushroom market. Our study provides the first detailed account of the role of edible wild mushrooms in northeast Vietnam, and this will inform the co-development of rural livelihood and sustainable forest management plans.

Adoption of mechanical seeder among rice farmers in Cagayan Valley Region, Philippines

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This study examines the adoption of mechanical seeder among rice farmers in Cagayan Valley Region, Phillippines. Mechanical seeder is a machine for planting rice. The mechanical seeder was initially introduced to rice farmers in the Cagayan Valley Region, Philippines. This study assessed the adoption factors regarding farmers' acceptance and utilization of the mechanical seeder. The respondents in this study were the farmer-users of the mechanical seeder for rice. All data were gathered through the use of an interview schedule. Data were analyzed using correlations, linear, and logistic regression. Results revealed that hearing/reading as an independent variable showed a significant correlation with technology acceptance and a highly significant correlation with attendance at promotional activities and training. A farmer who attended the promotional activities has a greater probability of accepting the technology. Attending promotional activities like lecture discussions, demonstrations, field days, seminars, and exhibitions by the farmer-users facilitated the acceptance of mechanical seeder technology. Attendance at promotional activities was also a significant predictor of a higher level of acceptance of the mechanical seeder among farmer users (p<0.01), and the size of the farm was a significant predictor of a higher level of utilization among farmer users (p<0.01). The different mechanical seeder attributes like ease of use, usefulness, and relative advantage positively affected farmer respondents' acceptance and utilization levels.

Exploring the relationship between land characteristics and the sustainable growth of coconut cultivation in Indonesia

Sisca Vaulina, Prima Wahyu Titisari, Elinur, Siti Zahrah, Ilma Satriana Dewi — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This study explores land types as a basis for evaluating the sustainability of coconut plantations in Indonesia, focusing on peatlands and coastal areas that affect productivity and management practices. This research aims to evaluate the sustainability of coconut plantation farming across various land types and identify critical sustainability factors. Carried out in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau Province, the study employed a survey methodology and utilized Rap-Coconut Ordination Analysis coupled with Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). The surveyed area encompasses peatlands and coastlands, and a purposive sampling approach, guided by the Slovin Formula, yielded a sample size of 101 coconut farmers. The sustainability assessment covered five dimensions: ecological (7 attributes), social-cultural (4 attributes), economic (4 attributes), technological (6 attributes), and institutional (7 attributes) and 28 attributes. The study assessed the sustainability of coconut farming in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau Province. Peatlands showed lower sustainability, while coastline lands demonstrated higher sustainability levels. Key factors affecting sustainability include ecological aspects like fertilizer and pesticide use, socio-cultural elements like family involvement and attitudes towards coconut farming, economic factors like the coconut vending system, technological considerations such as optimal planting spacing and seed quality, and institutional factors like participation in extension programs and access to financial resources.

Economic impact of linkage in rice production and consumption in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam: A farm level study

Tran Quoc Nhan, Nguyen Van Nay — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This study examines the economic impact of linkage in rice production and consumption in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Since 2018, the Vietnamese government has implemented an incentive policy aimed at fostering linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural products. Despite this initiative, there is a scarcity of research examining the effects of contract farming on the economic performance of farms in Vietnam. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the causal relationships between farmers' involvement in the linkages of rice production and consumption, facilitated by both private and public enterprises, and various farm performance metrics, including productivity, selling prices, and farm income. Empirical data for this analysis were gathered from 390 rice farmers located in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The data were divided into two categories based on the type of linking contract systems, specifically those led by public and private firms. The propensity score matching method was primarily utilized to assess the impact of these linking contract systems on rice farm performance. The results indicate that participation in linkage schemes, whether led by public or private entities, positively influences farm incomes and selling prices, although it does not affect rice yield. This study suggests that the Vietnamese government should expand the linkage models for rice production and consumption to benefit farmers and various business types, including both public and private enterprises.

Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model to understand farmer's readiness: Implementation of precision agriculture based on digital IoT monitoring apps in West Java, Indonesia

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This research investigates the readiness of farmers in West Java to adopt IoT monitoring applications through the lens of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The digital transformation has introduced precision agriculture, an advanced technology-based approach that enhances the monitoring of crop and farmer needs. Smart farming leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technology to optimize complex agricultural systems, thereby increasing productivity while mitigating environmental impact. Utilizing soil and weather sensors to measure temperature, nutrients, and humidity, the study explores factors such as performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, personal innovativeness, habit, behavioral intention, and use behavior that will influence technology adoption within diverse farming communities. A deeper exploration through the lens of the UTAUT Model reveals that West Javan Indonesian farmers are prepared to utilize the monitoring apps. The factors that affect the Use Behavior (UB) of the farmers consist of their internal or personal characteristics, Habit (H) and Personal Innovativeness (PI), and the external factors that correlate with the app developer’s performance are Facilitating Condition (FC) and Performance Expectancy (PE). Habits from farmers for data recording and the personal innovativeness will increase the intention to use IoT monitoring apps.

Evaluating the challenges of food access and the factors influencing it among residents of peri-urban areas in Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Tulisiwe Pilisiwe Mbombo-Dweba, Simiso Lembete, Themba Andries Sambo — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This research examines the assessment of food insecurity and its determinants among different provinces in South Africa. A quantitative study design was conducted to assess food insecurity status and its determinants in a peri-urban area, namely Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Data was collected from 360 systematic, randomly selected households. The results showed that 71.00% of these were food insecure. Food insecurity was more pronounced among older, unemployed, less educated, and low-income respondents. Households with an income of between R4001 and R5000 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.05; 95% confidence interval (95% CI):0.01–0.41) and those with an income ≥R5000 (AOR=0.01; 95% CI:0.00–0.11) had lower odds of experiencing food insecurity compared with those with an income of <R1000. Households with more than one source of income (AOR=2.36; 95% CI:1.07–5.17) were more likely to experience food insecurity than those with a single source of income. Households that participated in food gardening had higher odds (AOR=3.40; 95% CI: 1.45–7.95) of being food insecure than those that did not participate in food gardening. Food insecurity was very high in this peri-urban area. Food insecurity was associated with household income, number of income sources, and participation in food gardening. Policymakers and other stakeholders should focus on these groups with a view to improving household food security.