Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology
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Impact of Agricultural Diversification on Food Security among Smallholder Farming Community in Kilifi South Sub-County, Kenya
No full textFood security is critical to the economic, social, religious, political and cultural development in Kenya. It is crucial to the attainment of economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development. Kilifi Sub-County is food insecure and this is a major hindrance to its rural development strategy. Rainfall unreliability, poor distribution and its erratic nature is major challenge to food security in this Sub-County. Despite past efforts put to increase food agricultural production in the Sub-County, food insecurity continues to be felt. Factors causing food insecurity are not clearly understood. The objective of this study is to: determine the influence of agricultural diversification as a livelihood strategy on food security status in Kilifi Sub-County. The research methodology involved a survey using a standard questionnaire which was administered to a sample size of 384 households selected using systematic random sampling procedure. The main data to be collected are indicators which include food availability and food access. Quantitative research method was used to capture data on agricultural diversification as a livelihood strategy among the smallholder farmers in Kilifi south Sub-County. To further enhance food security and improve food security status in Kilifi South Sub-county, engagement in agricultural diversification activities should be encouraged. The findings of this study would be beneficial to leaders, stakeholders and policy makers in decision making process pertaining suitable interventions in attainment of food security in Kilifi South Sub-county. The data was analyzed using multiple regression to measure the combined contribution of livelihood strategies. The analysis of the influence of agricultural diversification on food security revealed that 19% of the households kept cows, 13% kept sheep, 33% kept goats and 35% kept poultry. Additionally, 62% relied on maize, 9% on cassava, 2% on sorghum, 18% on cowpeas and 9% relied on coconut. The study revealed that the households which kept poultry were 35% food secure and those who planted maize and cowpeas were 62% and 18% food secure respectively. It was recommended that these variables were to be addressed by all stakeholders in order to improve the food security status
Digital Transformation in Libraries: A Quantitative Analysis of the Adoption of the New Technology and Its User Impact
No full textThis paper investigates the digital transformation of libraries in the Indian context, employing a systematic review and quantitative analysis of existing literature. The inclusion criteria encompass scholarly articles, conference papers, and reports published between 2010 and 2023, with a focus on quantitative analyses of digital transformation in libraries. The findings reveal a substantial increase in government funding, driving a 40% rise in digitization projects across universities. Notable success stories include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) implementations, yielding efficiency gains and reduced book losses. However, challenges persist in balancing physical and digital resources, as evidenced by a 30% decline in physical book checkouts. Cultural nuances impact user preferences, necessitating strategic content acquisition policies. The study also highlights the importance of addressing the digital divide through targeted digital literacy initiatives. As Indian libraries navigate this complex terrain, a synthesis of qualitative and quantitative insights provides a roadmap for an inclusive and dynamic future
Fostering Expertise: Designing and Standardizing a Knowledge Test for Agricultural Scientists
No full textThe study adheres to a methodology for creating and standardizing test items designed to assess the knowledge of Agricultural scientists. Initially, 75 test items were identified through literature review. Subsequently, through consultation with experts, a refined set of 60 items emerged after screening, enhancement, and editing processes. These items underwent item analysis, including item difficulty index and discrimination index based on ratings from a panel of 60 experts. Thirty-four test items were retained for the standardization phase from the initial 60 items. To assess the validity of the test items, point biserial correlation was conducted, resulting in the final selection of 30 items for the knowledge test. The reliability of the test items was evaluated using the Spearman Brown split-half coefficient, yielding a value of 0.911, indicating high reliability and fairness for the study. Consequently, the standardized items proved the suitability for measuring the knowledge of Agricultural scientists
A Study on Agri-preneurial Behaviour of Kalanamak Rice Growers in Siddharth Nagar and Sant Kabir Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh, India
No full textKalanamak rice, hailed for its nutritional potency and health benefits, presents a promising avenue for alleviating these challenges. This study, titled “A Study on Agri- preneurial Behaviour of Kalanamak Rice Growers in Siddharth Nagar and Sant Kabir Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh, India,” delves into this potential within the precincts of Siddharth Nagar and Sant Kabir Nagar district. The investigation hones in on two blocks – Birdpur in Siddharth Nagar, and Santha in Sant Kabir Nagar. Methodologically rigorous, the study selected six villages from each block and engaged with a total of 120 Kalanamak growers. Data collection unfurled through personalized interviews, facilitated by a meticulously crafted questionnaire. To unravel patterns and nuances, statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation orchestrated the classification of data. The coefficient of correlation `r` was invoked to fathom the interplay between Kalanamak growers` attributes, their knowledge, and their adoption of Kalanamak rice. Analysis of the respondent demographics spotlighted several noteworthy trends. A preponderance (70.83%) emerged from the middle age group, with educational attainments peaking at the middle school (34.17%). In terms of occupation, 45% were engaged in agriculture, The agrarian landscape was marked by a significant representation from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category (49.17%), Landholding skewed towards the smaller end (49.17%), Family dynamics, as reflected in size and structure, were characterized by medium level (64.17% and 90.83%, respectively)
Gender-based Factors Influencing the Choice of Communication Media for Accessing Agricultural Information in Kilosa and Mvomero Districts, Tanzania
No full textThe study examined socio-economic factors influencing the choice of communication media for accessing agricultural information among gender categories, that is, men, women, and youths in Kilosa and Mvomero districts of Tanzania. Data were collected from a sample of 240 selected farmers. Information was collected using structured and semi-structured interviews, and document reviews. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive, inferential and qualitative approaches. A multinomial logit was estimated to identify socio-economic factors such as age of a farmer in farming, education level, types of assets owned, farmer’s marital status, income and nature of farming enterprise in influencing the choice of communication media for accessing agricultural information among men, women, and youths. Results showed that the choice of either television or video or mobile phones or Internet or leaflets or booklets over radio was not statistically gender based. In addition, the choice of leaflets and television by famers over radio in rural areas was influenced by their education level and income at 1% and 3% level of significance respectively. The increase of 1.5 years in schooling influences the farmer to choose leaflets than radio. Similarly, increase of income by 0.3% influences him/her to choose television rather than radio. The income enables the farmer to increase his/her television purchasing power and meet related operational costs by 2%. Generally, the study concludes that the choice between television, video, mobile phones, Internet, leaflets, or booklets over radio was not influenced by gender. However, farmers with low education and income levels did not choose leaflets and television, respectively. The study recommends that policy-makers should formulate appropriate strategies for motivating farmers with low level of education to read leaflets and mobilizing financial resource to enable the government’s intervention on subsidizing television to boost its usage by low-income farmers for timely access to agricultural information
Seasonal Patterns in Cumin Arrivals and Prices in Indian Markets: A Post-COVID 19 Analysis
No full textCumin known as jeera in India, holds significant economic and cultural importance in the country\u27s spice industry. My research paper explores the seasonal dynamics of cumin arrivals and prices in selected Indian markets, considering the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing data from the Agmarknet portal spanning from January, 2006 to December, 2021, this study employs rigorous statistical techniques to analyze the patterns. The study reveals distinctive characteristics in cumin arrivals and prices across different markets. Notably, markets like Unjha, Jamnagar, Gondal, Merta City and Mumbai witnessed significant seasonal price fluctuations in August (102.40), January (103.23), July (105.37), August (104.49) and October (108.17) respectively. Mumbai, characterized by stable supply and demand, exhibited moderate price variation (CV = 17.81%), whereas Mandore experienced substantial fluctuations (CV = 43.55%) due to seasonal factors exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research provides invaluable insights into the altered seasonal patterns of cumin arrivals and prices following the pandemic, offering vital information for farmers, traders and policymakers. Informed decisions about cumin production, marketing and pricing can be made, aligning with the dynamic post-COVID-19 landscape of the spice market in India
Personal Profile of Cooperative and Private Agri Input Dealers in the Jaipur Region of Rajasthan, India
No full textThe study assessed the personal profile of cooperative and private agri-input dealers in the Jaipur region of Rajasthan. The study was conducted in 2022-23, and the data were collected from 240 cooperative and private agri-input dealers from the Jaipur and Tonk district of Rajasthan. It was revealed from the data that the majority of cooperative agri-input-dealers belong to the middle age group (51.67%) with secondary and senior secondary school education levels (66.67%) and had medium levels of annual turnover with seed, insecticide & pesticide and fertilizer dealership (65.83%), had medium experience with medium level exposure visit in medium category information seeking behaviour and had medium category market orientation with (64.17%) agri-input dealers belonged to the Member of one organization. had a majority of cooperative agri-input dealers (55%) medium category of mass media participation. Case of private agri-input belongs to the middle age group (46.67%) with a graduate education level (65.83%) and had medium to high levels of annual turnover (65%) with seed, insecticide & pesticide and fertilizer dealership (84.17%) and had medium experience of the dealership, high category exposure visit (61.67%) with high category of information seeking behaviour (40.83%) and had no member of any organization category (58.33%) with the medium category of mass media participation. This study considers government schemes for agri-input dealers according to their socio-economic condition
Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Sugarcane Growers in Shahpura Block of Jabalpur District, Madhya Pradesh, India
No full textThe aim of the research, which took place in the Shahpura block in the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh in the period 2015–16 was to examine the entrepreneurial practices of sugarcane farmers. 120 farmers who were chosen using proportionate random sampling from ten villages in the Shahpura block of the Jabalpur district were interviewed in order to get the data. According to the survey, a greater proportion of sugarcane growers (60.84%) exhibited medium levels of entrepreneurial behavior. Only age was found to have a non-significant relationship with the entrepreneurial behavior of sugarcane growers, while the other independent variables—education, size of land holding, area under sugarcane crop, material possession, social participation, annual income, information source utilization, extension contact, economic motivation, and scientific orientation—had positive and significant relationships with the entrepreneurial behavior of the growers
Article Socio Economic Impacts of Insufficient Cow Milk Production in Mauritius
No full textAims: Due to the increase in purchasing power, milk and dairy products have increased steadily in recent years. However, milk production remains insufficient to satisfy the high local demand for milk and dairy products in Mauritius. Adding to the problem of the sector\u27s extinction is the lack of information on the socio-economic impact of dairy production. This study aimed to assess the socio-economic impact of milk production on dairy cattle farms in Mauritius.
Methodology: A survey was carried out among 11 respondents in Mauritius, using a validated two-part questionnaire to collect data from dairy farmers and processors.
Results: The survey showed that the majority of dairy farmers were ethnic Hindus with secondary (77.8%) or university (22.2%) education. The breeds of cattle raised are generally Creole (56%) and Friesian (44%) with extensive livestock farming being practised. For the majority (77.8%) of respondents, family members are the primary source of labour. The main purpose of raising cattle is to produce milk (55.5%). The price of a litre of milk varies between dairy farmers, ranging from Rs 45 to Rs 70 per litre, with an average of Rs 58 per litre, and the revenue per cow per day averages Rs 1.036. About cheese production, the source of acquisition of cheese production technology is apprenticeship. From an economic point of view, with regard to yield, cost of production and profit margin for cheese production, we were faced with a total refusal of response from the producers. However, the quantity of milk used per day, the quantity of cheese obtained and the unit price per kg of cheese vary from one producer to another.
Conclusion: This study has led to the realization that milk is the source of livelihood for the farmer and his family but also for other consumers. The income from the sale of milk contributes to the purchase of food for the farmer’s household and livestock supplements. However, the size of the herd and the low production of milk are an obstacle to the development of this sector
Exploring the Profile of Dairy Farmers in Jabalpur District, Madhya Pradesh, India
No full textThe investigation was conducted in Panagar and Jabalpur blocks of Jabalpur district, selecting 203 commercial dairy farmers purposively. According to the results, the majority (65.52 per cent) of the commercial dairy farmers were from the middle age group (36 to 55 years). Most of the respondents (32.51 per cent) had education up to high school level. Approximately half of the respondents (47.29 per cent) had medium-sized families (6 to 8 members). A majority (61.08 per cent) of the respondents had 9 to 16 years of experience in dairy farming. About half of the respondents (49.75 per cent) had low social participation. Most respondents (61.58 per cent) received only 1 to 2 training sessions about dairying. Approximately half (50.25 per cent) of the respondents were marginal farmers with land holdings up to 1 hectare. For 70.94 per cent of commercial dairy farmers, dairy farming was the major source of income. More than half (58.62 per cent) of the respondents had a herd size of 101 to 250 animals. The majority (66.01 per cent) of the respondents had a milk production of 251 to 1000 litres per day. More than half of the respondents (59.61 per cent) consumed 2.01 to 4 litres of milk per day for their own use. Most respondents (66.01 per cent) sold 251 to 1000 litres of milk per day. The majority (82.76 per cent) of the respondents processed only up to 100 litres of milk per day. Most respondents (92.61 per cent) had a net annual income of up to Rupees 29,13,600. More than half (54.19 per cent) of the respondents had a medium level of mass media exposure, and a higher percentage (52.71 per cent) of commercial dairy farmers had medium extension contact. More than half (55.67 per cent) of the respondents had a medium scientific orientation, majority (61.08 per cent) had medium economic motivation and a higher share (45.81 per cent) had a high level of knowledge about scientific dairy farming practices