Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology
Not a member yet
2852 research outputs found
Sort by
Constraints of Agripreneurs Engaged in Value Addition of Jackfruit in Kerala, India
No full textAims: India is a leading producer of jackfruit in the world with Kerala being the top-producing state. Jackfruit is the state fruit of Kerala and has recently been recognized around the globe for its health benefits. Even then, jackfruit which is abundantly found in Kerala is not used to its full potential and is rotting in the trees which could be reduced by the process of value addition. Many of the agripreneurs are already in this sector processing jackfruit and its value-added products but still, the fruit is underutilized. Given this, the study identifies the constraints faced by the agripreneurs engaged in the value addition of jackfruit in Kerala. By addressing these, initiatives can be put forward to harness these hurdles and to make a conducive environment for the agripreneurs engaged in the value addition of jackfruit in Kerala.
Methodology: The data for the study were purposively collected from 39 agripreneurs engaged in the value addition of Jackfruit. The selected agripreneurs were the proprietors of jackfruit processing units registered under the DICs in Kerala and were operating the unit at the time of the survey.
Results: According to the study, the main financial problem that agripreneurs encountered was the inability to purchase modern machinery. The primary barrier to marketing was limited market accessibility, while the cost and shortage of competent labour hindered technological innovation. Few of the agripreneurs faced legal restrictions. A lack of knowledge and the complexity of the licensing procedures were the biggest concerns for them. The seasonality and decreased availability of quality jackfruit driven by climate change caused additional difficulties for the agripreneurs involved in jackfruit value addition in Kerala.
Conclusion: The limitations of agripreneurs can be abridged with the right help from government institutions, such as through the organizing of exhibitions, knowledge enhancement initiatives, hand-holding support, and financial aid. Kerala may see a rise in income and job possibilities as a result
Commercial Plant Nurseries in Kerala, India: A Critical Analysis of Key Success Drivers
No full textThis study investigates the factors that are pivotal to the success of commercial plant nurseries in Kerala, with a focus on keydimensions impacting agribusiness performance. The study had been conducted among the plant nursery entrepreneurs in three districts of Kerala i.e. Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Wayanad. Among the five primary dimensions analyzed for the study, social responsibility emerged as the most significant contributor to success, followed by employment and customer-related dimensions. The findings indicated that most respondents demonstrated moderate to high levels of success, i.e.,61.1%, with fewer falling into the low-performance category.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified eight core factors shaping nursery success, which include influence and competence, social capital, financial acumen, achievement motivation, community and asset, self-driven leadership, self independence, and creativity and the total variance explained by PCA is 68%. It was observed that older entrepreneurstended to have limited use of mass media tools, such as the internet and mobile technology, and exhibited lower managerial capacity which undermined their ability to handle operational and employee-related challenges.
In summary, social responsibility dimension played a critical role in the success of agribusiness ventures, complemented by strategies focused on employment and customer engagement. The study highlights the importance of entrepreneurial traits and factors such as influence and competence factor, social capital factor, financial acumen factor in the success of commercial plant nurseries, which calls for framing more policies oriented towards formulating& imparting softskill development training programs to nursery entrepreneursinimproving the leadership skills and managerial ability
Social Analysis of NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Products) Dependent Livelihoods of South India
No full textAim: This study explores the socioeconomic factors influencing the collection of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) among tribal communities in Wayanad, Kerala, South India. It also examines their perceptions of the decline in NTFP availability and their awareness about the conservation measures necessary to address the issue.
Methodology: The data was collected from 105 households to assess NTFP dependency, and their perceptions. Multilinear regression was used to analyse the factors affecting NTFP collection and Likert scale was utilized to understand their perception and awareness.
Results: Results revealed significant gender disparities, with men primarily involving in physically demanding NTFP collection activities. The findings indicated a relatively low interest among the youth towards NTFP collection, with younger generation increasingly disengaging in favour of alternative employment opportunities linked to higher education. variables such as tribal group, land ownership, total marketing expenditure, income from wages, agricultural income, and overall annual income significantly influenced total NTFP income levels. Majority of tribals had a medium level of awareness, recognizing the primary causes of decline but lacked a comprehensive understanding.
Conclusion: The study emphasizes the urgent need for integrating traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation practices, promoting sustainable harvesting methods, enhancing market infrastructure, and the need for targeted interventions that empower women in NTFP-related livelihoods, offering them training and access to higher-value NTFP collections. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the social upliftment of tribal communities and sustainable management of NTFPs
Analyzing the Seasonal Variations and Price Trends in Major Onion Markets of India
No full textThe study was conducted about to analyse the onion price trend, seasonality and correlation in major markets of larger onion producing states of India with a study period of twenty years for onion crops (2001 to 2020). These data were collected from various portals such as APEDA, Agmarknet, and NHB. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using different methods. Twenty years data was used to analyze the seasonal and irregular fluctuations in onion prices, the variability of onion prices in major states in India and to measure trend and estimate rates of change in onion price in major states of India. The co-efficient of quadratic trend (T2) found non-significant in all markets reveals no change in growth pattern of onion price in last two decades, which indicates that farmers were not benefited by rise in price; it is the effect of inflation factors only. On an average the onion prices in major markets of India was increased annually at the rate of 8.50 per cent during last two decades. The seasonality is prevailing throughout all markets of onion in India. The price indices were found more than 100 in the months of August to January and lower during February to July. The magnitude of price volatility was found the highest in Bhopal (88.25%) and the lowest in Mahuva (53.81%) market. Whereas, the magnitude of arrival volatility was found the highest in Mahuva (187.25%) and the lowest in Mumbai (31.97%) market. The monthly (>0.87) and yearly (>0.90) onion prices were found highly correlated among all the markets. As onion price are highly volatile, requires creation of storage capacity to meet specific requirement of humidity and temperature, and the Government should take immediate action to enhance export, when price falls drastically and allow the import, when price increase beyond certain level
Exploring the Constrained Faced by Farmer in Use of ICT Mediated Extension Services in Arghakhanchi District of Nepal
No full textA study was conducted to find out the profile characteristics of the respondents and constraints faced by farmers in usages of ICTs mediated extension services by the farmers of Arghakhanchi district of Nepal in 2020. A total of 180 farmers were randomly selected for the study from 6 wards of 2 municipality of the district. Data was collected by structured interview schedule and used different statistical analysis tools for interpreting the data such as Frequency, Percentage, Arithmetic Mean, Standard Deviation and Rank order. The constraints perceived by farmers were divided on 4 sections i.e., Infrastructural constraints, financial constraints, Content related constraints, and Personal constraints. Majority of respondent possessed the lack of network connectivity is first problem among infrastructural constraints, high cost of internet facilities in village on financial constraints, Similarly Complexity of message content on content related constraints and lack of specialized training on ICT on Personal constraints
“Knowledge and Utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agricultural Sector, its Problems and Prospects- A Study in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam, India”
No full textAgriculture is different from other industry and it plays a vital role in the economic development of a country. In a country like India, its prosperity depends upon the development of agricultural. There are different sorts of agricultural products that have been produced in India and therefore the production and marketing of these farm products is quite difficult. Awareness of farmers regarding different methods of production, components of market information and its utility is generally verypoor with compared to the traders. In this context, Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have a great role to change the existing traditional agricultural system in developing countries. An attempt is made to study the relationship between various socio-economic factors and knowledge and utilization of ICT in agricultural sector in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam. Apart from these, problems and prospects of using ICT in agricultural sector is also analysed in the study area. Through application of ICTs in agriculture it is possible to; make efficient information dissemination, bring precision agriculture, production decision and increase market access of farmers. Now-a-days, most of the farmers of developing countries majority of rural farmers’ have access to ICT tools. However, most of the farmers have no enough awareness on the significance role of ICTs for agricultural production and its subsequent impact on welfare improvement. It is found that age and farm experience, extension contact and agricultural enterprise are negatively associated with knowledge and utilization of ICT among farmers. On the other hand, education, land holding, income and mass media participation are found to have positive correlation with knowledge and utilization of ICT among farmers. Lack of awareness, lack of reliable content in vernacular medium and high cost are some significant constraints of using ICT in agriculture. Therefore, proper training, provision of adequate training channelizing ICT to farmers through farmers organization can enhance the use of ICT in agricultur
Government and Non-Governmental Organisation Led Agricultural Development Projects and the Accumulation of Social and Economic Capitals in Mezam, Cameroon
No full textGovernment (GO) and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) undertake agricultural development projects especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where agriculture-dependent livelihoods are predominant. Agricultural development has been accompanied by a theoretical debate vis-à-vis who is best placed to steer the process. Unfortunately, empirical evidence to refute or ramify the theoretical contestations are extremely limited. This article contributes to the literature by comparatively analyzing the effects of GO) and NGO–led agricultural development projects on social and economic capitals in Cameroon. Mixed methods were applied on stakeholders of four selected GO-led and four NGO-led development projects in Mezam division in the North West region of Cameroon, chosen due to its long history of having both GO and NGO-led agricultural development projects. A structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from randomly selected 180 beneficiaries, including 90 from GO and 90 from NGO projects, and 120 project staff that is 15 (2 top, 5 middle and 8 lower management) per retained organization. Recall was applied to construct before-after comparisons with interviewees, in the absence of baseline information. In-depth interviews and observations were done with selected project staff and beneficiaries, respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Results show significant increase in the growth of social and economic benefits for respondents from both GO and NGO-led projects (p < 0.05), though higher for NGO-led projects. The study concludes that agricultural development by both organizational types can enhance social and economic development. Further studies are needed to ramify these results. Comparative analyses between project staff and beneficiaries can highlight any differences in them, in terms of perceptive and actual impacts of GO and NGO-led agricultural projects on social and economic capitals. Comprehensive assessments based on all livelihood capitals are recommended to ground these contentions
Gender Intra-Household Dynamics Comparison of Paddy Profitability Due to the Adoption of Improved Agriculture Technology
No full textTo compare gender intra-household dynamics of paddy profitability due to the adoption of improved agriculture technology. The study used secondary information gathered from 1,184 Tanzanian households in 2020. The gross margin return was used, and a two-sample t-test with equal variance was used to compare profitability between males and females with regard to the intra-household dynamics. The findings revealed that males are dominant in the intra-household dynamics. There was a significant difference in profit between Male (M = [-80009.6], SD = [719178.8]) and Female (M = [-120980.8], SD = [371716.2]); t(7937) = [2.9561], p = [0.0031] for decision on input use. In farm plot ownership there was a significant difference in profit between Male (M = [-79309.96], SD = [717650.8]) and Female (M = [-134222.8], SD = [179688.6]); t(7951) = [3.7523], p = [0.0031] and For the role in land preparation there was a significant difference in profit between Male (M = -75546.25], SD = [7445178]) and female (M = [122535.2], SD = [358831.1]); t(7937) = [3.4394], p = [0.0006].In addition, the study has found that smallholder farmers, in general, are making a loss in production, although females are making higher losses compared to males. Farmers should use improved agricultural technology in package thus combining technology such as use of improved seeds, fertilizers, herbicide, labor saving machine and irrigation. Also empower female paddy producers by offering agricultural credits to smallholder farmers with favorable terms such that farmers can adopt improved agricultural technologies that will improve their rationality and, hence, the economic well-being of their households
Exploring the Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction among Sub Assistant Agricultural Officers in Dinajpur District, Bangladesh
No full textEnsuring job satisfaction is imperative due to its constructive impact on employee welfare, motivation, and output. Exploring the SAAOs’ extent of job satisfaction and finding out the influences of different socio-economic factors towards their job satisfaction, were the aims of this study. Data were collected using a pre-tested interview schedule from randomly selected seventy- one (71) SAAOs of seven upazilas of Dinajpur district. SAAOs’ job satisfaction was measured based on his/her extent of satisfaction with 10 selected items using a 4-point rating scale. The percentages, means, and standard deviations were employed to summarise the data gathered during the interviews. The inferential statistical investigation involved using correlation and regression analysis. Findings revealed that the highest proportion (53.5 percent) of the respondents had medium job satisfaction. The SAAOs were mostly dissatisfied with the financial support and lack of necessary supplies from the office provided by the organization. Ten independent variables namely, additional education, job demand, job control, organizational support, perceived colleagues’ support, job facilities, managerial orientation, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and job performance had significant positive relationships with job satisfaction according to correlation analysis. According to multiple regression analysis, 64.4 percent of the variance in job satisfaction could be explained by all the independent variables, and organizational support, perceived colleagues’ support, psychological well-being, and job performance were the most significant factors. However, perceived colleagues’ support had the highest contribution (56.2 percent) in explaining the job satisfaction of SAAOs. For ensuring the job satisfaction of SAAOs, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) can emphasize on strategies like professional development of the SAAOs, feedback, rewards and accolades and a supportive organizational culture
Livestock Risks and Indemnity Insurance in the West Region, Cameroon
No full textSeveral risks threaten poultry and pig farming in the West Region of Cameroon. Notwithstanding, the absence of insurance has limited farmers’ risk management options and prevented them from bouncing back rapidly from significant losses. This research explores poultry and pig farming risks and the implications for farming insurance schemes in the West Region of Cameroon. To achieve this, 430 poultry and pig farmers were sampled through a cluster and snowball sampling technique in the Mifi, Bamboutos, Upper-Plateau and Koung-Khi Divisions. The risks farmers faced were assessed as low, medium and high, depending on their likelihood of occurrence and potential impact. Farmers\u27 experiences of livestock losses supported this information. Data on the risks farmers would like to get insurance for was analysed using descriptive statistics. Research results revealed that 75% of risks faced by poultry farmers are ranked low, while 25% are medium. For pig farmers, 64% of risks are low, 27% are medium, and 9 % are high. Diseases (epidemic and non-epidemic) and market/price risks are among the top three risks pig and poultry farmers face. Many farmers are willing to get insurance for epidemic diseases (31.5%) and non-epidemic diseases (26.6%). Most farmers in the Bamboutous Division are more willing to get insurance for non-epidemic diseases (54.5%) and epidemic diseases (32.8%). Comparatively, farmers in the Mifi Division are more willing to get insurance for epidemic diseases (46.7%) and less for non-epidemic diseases (1.5%). Insurance companies can start piloting a disease and market/price fall insurance scheme in the Mifi and Bamboutos Divisions. These companies can create awareness of the importance of livestock insurance through the Interprofessional Association of Pig Farmers and the Interprofessional Association for Poultry Farmers in the West Region