Awareness and use of m-banking services in agriculture: The case of smallholder farmers in Kenya

Smallholder farmer access to agricultural finance has been a major constraint to agricultural commercialization in developing countries. The ICT revolution in Africa has however brought an opportunity to ease this constraint. The mobile phone-based banking services that started in Kenya urban centers have spread to rural areas and even other countries. Using these services farmers could receive funds invest in agriculture finance transactions. This study examines the awareness and use of m-banking services among rural farmers in Kenya. It also assesses the factors conditioning the use of such services. The study finds high awareness of m-banking services among the smallholder farmers. It also finds that education, distance to a commercial bank, membership to farmer organizations, distance to the m-banking agents, and endowment with physical and financial assets affect the use of m-banking services. It discusses the implications of these findings for policy and practice.Mobile phones, m-banking services, awareness and use, smallholder farmers, Kenya, Financial Economics,

Does the environment in which ICT-based market information services (MIS) projects operate affect their performance? Experiences from Kenya

The need to provide agricultural information to farmers has led to emergence of numerous ICTbased MIS projects in developing country. These projects aim at promoting commercialization of smallholder agriculture and subsequently their welfare. This study examines the how the environment in which such ICT-based MIS affect their performance. It specifically uses the DrumNet project, an ICT-based MIS, to assess how the socio-economic, physical, political and physical environment in the project areas affected its performance. The study finds that those transaction-related problems, especially strategic default, deriving from these environmental factors greatly undermined the performance of DrumNet forcing it to relocate severally. It discusses policy implications of these findings.ICT-based MIS projects, the DrumNet model, operational environment, performance, Kenya, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Framework for analyzing the role of ICT on agricultural commercialization and household food security

This paper develops a framework for analysing the link between ICT application in smallholder agriculture, household commercialization, and food security. Lack of market information exacerbates the problem of low-level equilibrium poverty that locks smallholder producers into subsistence production where they typically trade in low volumes. The paper examines the effectiveness of ICT-based market information systems on smallholder market linkages in a broader context that encompasses, among others, different cultures, commodities, and farmer types. Investment in physical infrastructure and in providing access to inputs/assets that farmers need in order to facilitate the use of such information services is important

Drudgery reduction for women in agriculture sector in Nepal: An analytical study

Analysis of rural womens’ livelihood identifies a ‘triple burden’ of work to in the productive, reproductive and social spheres. Feminization is the common phenomenon in Nepal where the roles of men and women are unbalanced at household and community level. Due to the migration of economically active men to other countries and urban area for better jobs, the agricultural labor is being increasingly feminized. This paper assesses factors influencing the women drudgery in agriculture sector, possible interventions and recommendation for reducing such drudgery. It consisted desk review, key informant interview and stakeholders’ consortium meetings to collect information, and triangulation of findings during 2017-2019 at regional and national levels. The study suggests that the workload of women (e.g., time and energy) in the farming activities can be reduced in two ways: (1) making existing tasks easier or increasing the productivity of existing labor, or (2) changing farm practices with new technology. Changes in the existing practice or introduction of new technology often reduces the workload of women in terms of both time and energy, but it requires external inputs and extra knowledge and coaching. Such interventions must consider the aspects of wider acceptance, economic viability and environmental friendliness. Further, the mechanization of agricultural tools and technology have alleviated the burden of tasks traditionally handled by both men and women in the sector. This paper recommends major tools, techniques and skills for women drudgery reduction in agriculture sector in Nepal that will be equally applicable in Asian region

Impact of Commercialization on rural households' Food Security in Major Coffee Growing Areas of South West Ethiopia: the Case of Jimma zone

This study aimed to analyze the impact of smallholder commercialization on rural food security in Major coffee growing areas of south west Ethiopia: the Case of Jimma zone. For the purpose of analysis both primary and secondary data was used to generate the required information. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 150 smallholder farmers. Descriptive and inferential statistics tool used include, Crop Output Market Participation (COMP), Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) model and logit model. The results showed that about 68% of the small holder farmers were food secure households. Smallholder farmer commercialization has effect on food security level of smallholder farmers. The estimation results of the logit model showed that family size (FSIZEAE), Age of household (HEADAGE), Size of cultivated land (FLANDha), Crop output market participation (COMP), Access to credit (AC-CREDT), were significantly affect rural household food security. The study suggests for policies that will improve smallholder farmer family planning service, accesses to credits, Capacity building, better land conservation practices, market information and road in designing food security policy in the sampled population.Jimma Universit

From "best practice" to "best fit": a framework for designing and analyzing pluralistic agricultural advisory services worldwide

"The paper develops a framework for the design and analysis of pluralistic agricultural advisory services and reviews research methods from different disciplines that can be used when applying the framework. Agricultural advisory services are defined in the paper as the entire set of organizations that support and facilitate people engaged in agricultural production to solve problems and to obtain information, skills and technologies to improve their livelihoods and well-being... To classify pluralistic agricultural advisory services, the paper distinguishes between organizations from the public, the private and the third sector that can be involved in (a) providing and (b) financing of agricultural advisory services. The framework for analyzing pluralistic agricultural advisory services presented in the paper addresses the need for analytical approaches that help policy-makers to identify those reform options that best fit country-specific frame conditions. Thus, the paper supports a shift from a “one-size-fits-all” to a “best fit” approach in the reform of public services... Based on a review of the literature, the paper presents a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches derived from different disciplines that can be applied when using the framework in empirical research projects. The disciplines include agricultural and institutional economics, communication theory, adult education, and public administration and management. The paper intends to inform researchers as well as practitioners, policy-makers and development partners who are interested in supporting evidence-based reform of agricultural advisory services. from Authors' AbstractAgricultural extension work, Pro-poor growth, Capacity strengthening,

In-depth assessment of the public agricultural extension system of Ethiopia and recommendations for improvement:

Eighty-three percent of the population of Ethiopia depends directly on agriculture for their livelihoods, while many others depend on agriculture-related cottage industries such as textiles, leather, and food oil processing. Agriculture contributes about 46.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) (World Bank 2008) and up to 90 percent of total export earnings. As part of the current five-year (2006–2011) Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), the government is continuing to invest heavily in agriculture. A core part of the government's investment in agriculture is the public agricultural extension system. This study was conducted to assess the strengths and constraints of the public extension system and to provide suggestions on “best fit” solutions and their scale-up opportunities. The review used a variety of analytical tools to develop the overall findings, including extensive field visits to six of nine regions in Ethiopia; interviews with farmer trainees at farmer training centers (FTCs), more than 100 extension personnel, extension experts, nongovernmental organization (NGO) groups, and government representatives; and a literature review on Ethiopian extension. The study assessed strengths and constraints in the field-level extension system, the ATVET system, and the extension institutional environment. The researchers also considered the overall enabling environment within which extension operates. The field-level extension service has a strong foundation of FTCs and trained development agents (DAs) already in place in the field. Roughly 8,489 FTCs have been created throughout Ethiopia, and about 62,764 DAs have been trained in total, with a reported 45,812 staffed on location. Woreda (district) and regional offices are adequately staffed. DAs and woreda staff have strong technical skills and theoretical knowledge, and are generally trained as specialists. Pockets of entrepreneurialism and innovation exist in specific FTCs and woredas. While acknowledging these strengths, the researchers also identified several sets of constraints within the field-level extension system that will require attention. Basic infrastructure and resources at the FTC and woreda level remain a major constraint, particularly in relation to operating funds: the vast majority of FTCs and kebeles do not have operating equipment or inputs to pursue typical extension activities on the demonstration farm. There are major “soft” skill gaps for DAs and subject matter specialists (SMSs) in the FTCs and woredas, and their ability to serve farmers is limited given a lack of practical skills. Finally, the overall field-level system is often limited in its ability to meet farmer needs and demands; mechanisms to make it more farmer-driven and market-oriented would yield greater results. The authors employed a similar approach at the ATVET level to identify strengths and constraints. Strengths at the ATVET level include a strong record of training broad groups of DAs, a strong technical curriculum, and some pockets of innovation and practical training, including linkages to markets and farmers. Constraints include limited success in enabling DAs to gain practical experience, particularly related to their internships at the woreda level; limited linkages to the broader educational system and research system in Ethiopia; and a general lack of resources to effectively transmit the required skill set to DAs. The countrywide enabling environment in which extension operates is critical to extension efforts. Various aspects of the enabling environment were considered, including seed and other inputs, water management, and credit systems, as well as producer groups. Constraints were also assessed, leading to the conclusion that the enabling environment requires strengthening, particularly in the areas of seed and credit, if extension is to achieve its full potential impact.trained development agents (DA), farmer training centers (FTC), ATVET system, Extension, Agriculture,

The Determinants of Long-Term Growth in Smallholder Agriculture in Rwanda : An Intergenerational Analysis

The current study explores the determinants of long-term growth in small-scale agriculture in a rural area of Rwanda, with a special focus on intergenerational mobility of income and poverty over the past two and a half decades. We use a unique panel dataset that spans over a 26 year-period, constructed from two waves of household surveys conducted in Nyabihu, the most densely populated rural district in Rwanda. The first wave of data was collected by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) from 190 respondents in 1986. While in the second survey done in 2012, we followed the same households and the households of family members who split off from them in order to construct a dataset of extended families that consists of 164 original households and 200 split-off households. The analysis of the demographic structure shows that the sample population has increased by 88 percent over the past two and a half decades. Econometric results indicate that human fertility is positively associated with initial household income, and household head’s age, but inversely correlated with mother’s age at marriage and mother’s education. In this context, we found evidence of Boserup effect in the study area. Accordingly, there is a positive and statistically significant correlation between household size and agricultural intensification as well as farm productivity. However, the obtained inverse association between the family size and per capita expenditure speaks for immediate policy to reduce the growth of population in the study area. The findings from Cobb-Douglass function estimation suggest that factors such as labor, capital, land, and land quality are the key drivers of output growth. Agricultural production in the study area is characterized by decreasing returns to scale economies, with high output elasticities of labor (0.48), followed by lower elasticities of capital (0.17) and land (0.13). However, productivity of labor will not continue to grow at the pace of consumption demand, considering decreasing marginal returns of labor and the prevailing level of population growth. Pathways to less labor intensive agricultural and off-farm employment are highly desirable. The use of cellular phones by farmers has significantly increased output level and income in recent years. The study finds that agricultural output of mobile phone users is at least 38 percent higher than output of non-users, whereas their income level is about 26 percent higher. The provision of network infrastructure and electricity in the study area can enhance agricultural development through increased adoptions of telecommunication technology by smallholder farmers. The transmission matrices and regression results suggest strong income mobility and relatively small persistence of assets holding across generations, especially with regard to land and livestock which are considered as eminent assets in the study area. Everything else being equal, a ten percent increase in parental landholding is associated with a three percent increase in available land for the children. Similarly, an increase of ten percent in parent’s livestock is associated with a two percent increase in livestock for their offspring. Besides, the data suggest a relatively small degree of persistence of poverty across generations in the study area. Therefore, key policy options should not only aim at controlling the population growth, but also ensuring a fair distribution of wealth to ensure poverty reduction and rural development in Rwanda.Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die Ursachen des langfristigen Wachstums in der kleinbäuerlichen Landwirtschaft im ländlichen Ruanda, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf die Mobilität von Einkommen und Armut zwichen den Generationen über die vergangenen zweieinhalb Jahrzehnte gelegt wird. Die Analysen basieren auf einen einzigartigen Paneldatensatz, der sich über einen Zeitraum von 26 Jahren erstreckt und aus zwei Haushalterhebungen in Nyabihu besteht, des am dichtesten besiedelten Verwaltungsbezirkes in Ruanda. Die erste Datenerhebung umfasste 190 Haushalte und wurde im Jahr 1986 vom International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) durchgeführt. In der zweiten Befragung im Jahr 2012 folgten wir den gleichen und weiteren Haushalten, die sich von den ursprünglichen Haushalten abgespalten hatten, um den Datensatz der Großfamilien, bestehend aus 164 ursprünglich existierenden Haushalten und 200 abgespaltenen Haushalten, zu konstruieren. Die Analyse der Bevölkerungsstruktur im Studiengebiet zeigt einen Anstieg der Bevölkerung um 88 Prozent während der letzten zweieinhalb Jahrzehnte. Die ökonometrische Analyse zeigt, dass Fruchtbarkeit positiv mit ursprünglichem Haushaltseinkommen, Alter des Haushaltsvorstands, und negativ mit dem Alter der Mutter bei der Eheschließung und dem Bildungsstand der Mutter korreliert. In diesem Zusammenhang konnten wir Anzeichen für den Boserup-Effekt finden. Demnach besteht ein statistisch positiver Zusammenhang zwischen Haushaltsgröße und der Intensivierung der Landwirtschaft sowie der landwirtschaftlichen Produktivität. Allerdings verlangt die identifizierte umgekehrte Beziehung zwischen der Anzahl der Haushaltsmitglieder und den Pro-Kopf-Ausgaben des Haushaltes umgehend politische Maßnahmen, um das Bevölkerungswachstum in der Region einzudämmen. Die Ergebnisse der Schätzung der Cobb-Douglas-Produktionsfunktion legen nahe, dass Produktionsfaktoren, wie Arbeit, Land und Bodenqualität die Hauptdeterminanten des Produktionswachstums sind. Die landwirtschaftliche Produktion in der Untersuchungsregion ist durch abnehmende Skalenerträge charakterisiert und durch hohe Produktionselastizitäten der Arbeit (0,48), gefolgt von der des Kapitals (0,17) und der Anbaufläche (0,13). Allerdings kann nicht davon ausgegangen werden, dass die Arbeitsproduktivität weiter ansteigt, wenn man das gegenwärtige Niveau des Bevölkerungswachstums betrachtet. Wege zu weniger arbeitsintensiver Landwirtschaft und eine Erhöhung nicht-landwirtschaftlicher Tätigkeiten sind wünschenswert. Der Gebrauch von Mobiltelefonen durch Landwirte führte in den letzten Jahren zur gesteigerten Produktion und höheren Einkommen. Die Studie zeigt auf, dass die Höhe der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion für Handy-Nutzer 38 Prozent höher ist als für Nicht-Nutzer, während deren Einkommen um etwa 26 Prozent höher ist. Die Bereitstellung von Netzinfrastruktur und Elektrizität in der Untersuchungsregion kann eine positive Entwicklung des Agrarsektors durch die Adoption von Telekommunikationstechnologie von Kleinbauern verstärken. Die Übertragungs-Matrizen und Regressionsergebnisse legen eine hohe Einkommensmobilität und eine relativ geringe Persistenz der Vermögenswerte über Generationen hinweg nahe, dies gilt insbesondere für Grund und Boden sowie Nutztierbestand. Unter sonst gleichen Bedingungen führt eine zehnprozentige Zunahme des elterlichen Grundbesitzes zu einer um drei Prozent höheren Verfügbarkeit von Land für deren Kinder. Ebenso führt eine zehnprozentige Zunahme des Nutztierbestands der Eltern zu einer 2,2-Prozent-Zunahme des Bestandes der Nachkommen. Zudem zeigen die Daten in der Untersuchungsregion einen relativ kleinen Grad der Armutspersistenz über Generationen hinweg. Aus diesem Grund sollten die zentralen Politikmaßnahmen nicht nur die Kontrolle des Bevölkerungswachstums anstreben, sondern auch die Gewährleistung einer fairen Wohlstandsverteilung zur Armutsbekämpfung und zur landwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung in Ruanda zum Ziel haben

Towards improving smallholder agriculture : role of climate information services in Ethiopia

Several studies have suggested effective climate information outreach is invaluable for smallholders’ decision-making on farming operations as a viable strategy to cope with extreme effects of climate change and increased productivity. Starting with the review of development and agriculture issues, this thesis seeks to investigate the knowledge and practice of improved agro-ecological techniques as well as roles of actors and access to information communication technology options among smallholders. It also aims for better understanding of what would constitute an improved role for climate information in the context of agricultural advices to sustaining agricultural production and food security in Ethiopia. With recognitions of enabling soft- and hard-infrastructure facilities in time and space dimensions, this thesis hypothesizes that appropriate climate information enhances smallholders’ ability to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of climate change which hamper their farming. Percentage comparisons, based on responses from households are performed. Knowledge and practice levels of improved agro-ecological techniques, the roles of actors, access to information and communication technology are also plotted. My results suggest smallholders have low knowledge and practice levels of improved agro-ecological techniques. Moreover, family-ties play important roles for knowledge transfers, with both the household and farming managements being highly skewed in favor of men and selective technical supports from extension officers. Low or no access to information communication technology options also account for low adoption of the techniques, which in turn contributes to low agricultural productivity. Moreover, the identification (at niche-, micro, meso-, macro- and exo-levels) of stakeholders forms the basis for distilling concrete recommendations to improve agricultural operations and institutional efficiency. Acknowledging the efforts made so far, the government of Ethiopia should take the initiative to create a gender-balanced and ground-reaching enabling environment for institutions and stakeholders involved in climate information outreach programs. This, undoubtedly, supports development of successful and resilient adaptation strategies to smallholders and the agriculture sector in Ethiopia