Troubles psychiatriques et psychopathologiques de la gravido-puerperalite a Bangui, Centre Afrique

Les troubles psychiatriques de la gravido-puerpéralité semblent être rares en Centrafrique parce qu’aucune étude n’y a été consacrée. L’étude était rétrospective, menée sur une période de 12 mois et portant sur les dossiers des femmes ayant présenté des troubles psychiatriques et psychopathologiques liés à la grossesse et au post-partum ou post-abortum. L’exploitation des dossiers a servi de base de l’étude dont les résultats sont les suivants. Nous avons retenu 45 dossiers. Les patientes avaient un âge moyen de 27,4 ans et la tranche d’âge la plus représentée était celle de 25-34 ans (53,3% des cas). Les femmes les plus touchées par ces affections étaient les paucipares dans 68,8%, les célibataires dans 51,1% et celles exerçant une profession dans 60% des cas. Les troubles étaient apparus au cours de la grossesse dans 28,8% et au cours du premier mois suivant l’accouchement ou l’avortement dans 71,2%. Les psychoses aiguës et les états dépressifs étaient les affections les plus rencontrées dans respectivement 51,1 % et 37,8 % des cas. L’hospitalisation qui a été nécessaire dans 73,3% des cas a permis une stabilisation de l’état psychique des patientes dans 88,9% des cas. Des actions préventives contre les effets néfastes de la primiparité, du célibat et de la précarité des conditions de vie pourraient réduire ces affections en Centrafrique.MOTS CLES: Gravido-puerpéralité -Troubles psychiatriques -Bangui, Centre afriqu

Examining the Gender Productivity Gap among Farm Households in Mali

AbstractThis paper decomposes the gender agricultural productivity gap and measures the factors that influence the gap between male and female agricultural plot managers in Mali. The Oaxaca–Blinder approach and the recentred influence function (RIF) decompositionmethodology are applied to a nationally representative survey of Mali. The results show that the agricultural productivity of female plot managers is 20.18%lower than that of male plot managers. Additionally, while more than half (56%) of the agricultural productivity gap is influenced by female-specific structural disadvantages, 44% of the gap is due to an endowment effect. Socioeconomic characteristics such as the educational level and age of the plot manager, environmental factors and agricultural production practices, i.e., the differential use of inputs (organic or inorganic fertiliser and improved seeds) and the use of hired female workers seem to affect the female-specific structural disadvantages. To reduce or close the gender productivity gap, the underlying causes of femalespecific structural disadvantages must be addressed to enable female farmers to obtain the same returns as men. Traditional means of addressing the gender gap, such as providing education for women in rural areas and facilitating rural women’ access to extension services and improved seeds, can mitigate the endowment deficit. This paper highlights the need to develop a better understanding of the factors influencing the structural disadvantages faced by female farmers inMali that could feed into the development ofmore effective policies to address the gender gap in agricultural productivity, improving productivity and gender equity and reducing poverty

Assessment of Photoperiod Sensitivity and the Effect of Sowing Date on Dry-Season Sorghum Cultivars in Southern Chad

The cultivation of dry-season sorghum on residual moisture in West and Central Africa is highly affected by sowing dates and ecotypes used. Fifty-five dry-season sorghum ecotypes collected from three zones in southern Chadian were sown on two dates, early and late, in 2013 and 2014, in an α-Lattice, and replicated five times to evaluate the effect of sowing date on potential yield, flowering time, and other agro-morphological traits and to determine their photoperiod sensitivity. Trials were conducted in the research fields at the Agricultural Research Extension Farm in Youé, Chad. Year, sowing date, and their interaction significantly affected most of the assessed traits. Delaying sowing significantly decreased potential yield, duration of vegetative phase, and other agro-morphological traits, except staygreen. All cultivars were photoperiodic with late sowing requiring a lower cumulative growing degree unit to flower. The flowering window was not affected by sowing dates across cultivars; however, the flowering time was affected by a decrease in daylength, but not low night temperatures. Generally, late sowing decreased potential yield across cultivars. However, this decrease varied with the region of origin, with seven cultivars having average potential yields at or above the regional potential yield of 1 t/ha, irrespective of year or sowing dates

Can scenario planning catalyse transformational change? Evaluating a climate change policy case study in Mali

The potential of participatory scenario processes to catalyse individual and collective transformation and policy change is emphasised in several theoretical reflections. Participatory scenario processes are believed to enhance participants’ systems understanding, learning, networking and subsequent changes in practices. However, limited empirical evidence is available to prove these assumptions. This study aimed to contribute to this knowledge gap. It evaluates whether these outcomes had resulted from the scenario planning exercise and the extent to which they can contribute to transformational processes. The research focused on a district level case study in rural Mali which examined food security and necessary policy changes in the context of climate change. The analyses of interviews with 26 participants carried out 12 months after the workshop suggested positive changes in learning and networking, but only limited influence on systems understanding. There was limited change in practice, but the reported changes occurred at the individual level, and no policy outcomes were evident. However, by building the adaptive capacity of participants, the scenario process had laid the foundation for ongoing collective action, and potential institutional and policy transformation. We conclude that to enhance the resilience of agricultural and food systems under climate change, participatory scenario processes require a broader range of cross-scale actors’ engagement to support transformational changes. Such process will both catalyse deeper learning and more effective link with national level policy-making process. In addition, individual scenario planning exercises are unlikely to generate sufficient learning and reflection, and instead they should form one component of more extensive and deliberate stakeholder engagement, learning and evaluation processes

Estimation of nitrogen flow within a village-farm model in Fakara region in Niger, Sahelian zone of West Africa

To determine the efficiency of utilization of organic matter in agricultural production, nitrogen flow was estimated within a village-farm model in the west of Niger, West Africa. Nitrogen was focused on in this study as it is known to be a major nutrient component of organic matter and one of the limiting nutrients in Sahelian soil. Local practices regarding the use of organic matter and pertinent information on traditional practices for soil fertility management were determined by interviews with local farmers. To estimate nitrogen flow in farmlands and consumption in the village through various activities, quantitative measurements of crop yield and organic amendment were carried out. Data on human and livestock excreta were taken from published reports. The size and classification of farmlands were as follows: 0.5 ha adjacent farmland, 1.6 ha threshing farmland, 6.0 ha transported-manure farmland, 5.5 ha corralling farmland, and 86.5 ha extensively managed farmland (EMF). Levels of nitrogen flow from these farmlands to the studied villages were 0.9, 2.9, 9.6, 15.2, and 94.2 Mg, while the flows to these farmlands were 14.6, 6.3, 13.7, 17.5, and 26.3 Mg, respectively. Upon calculation of nitrogen balance −8 kg ha−1 year−1 was estimated in EMF, but there was a positive balance in other types of farmland, which ranged from 4 to 262 kg ha−1 year−1, indicating inefficient use of nitrogen in the study area for crop production. The results indicated that nutrient flow in the study site was unequally distributed and nitrogen was not recycled. Therefore, efforts should be made to establish efficient utilization of available nutrients by reducing the loss from livestock feed and human consumption. At the same time, more research is needed to improve the management of EM

A probit Analysis of Determinants of Adoption of Improved Sorghum Technologies Among Farmers in Tanzania

The adoption of improved sorghum technologies by smallholder farmers is still low in Tanzania. Many farmers fail to acquire quality inputs due to different underlying reasons. This article analyzes factors underlining the adoption of improved technologies among sorghum farmers in Tanzania and evaluates profitability of grain production. A total of 212 individual farmers were interviewed through structured questionnaires from nine districts. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, probit regression model and gross margin analysis. Results show that 39.2%, 26.5%, 16.9%, 8.4% and 7.2% of sorghum farmers adopted seeds of improved varieties, insecticides, inorganic fertilizers, threshing machine and optimum seed rate, respectively. Probit estimates indicated that age, sex, number of years in school, group membership, farm size, availability of free seeds, seed accessibility, grain market accessibility and grain market price were the significant factors influencing adoption of these technologies. Adopters obtained higher profitability (822,288 Tshs/ha) than non-adopters (374,363 Tshs/ha) of improved varieties. Further policy actions are needed to improve determinants of adoption, breeding technologies and accessibility of agricultural inputs to ensure benefits to farmers and the sorghum sub-sector

Delineating investment opportunities for stakeholders in sorghum seed systems: a logit model perspective

Background: Seed systems are considered as a vehicle through which the sustainable agricultural intensification can be achieved. However, most sub-Saharan African countries have been ineffective to provide sufficient incentives for stakeholders to consistently invest in the seed systems specifically for crops like sorghum. This study was therefore conducted to uncover investment opportunities for stakeholders in the sorghum seed systems to attain an impactoriented seed production and delivery systems. Results: The study applied descriptive statistics, Logit regression model, and Gross margin to analyze possible areas for investments. Descriptive statistics analyzed the percentage of farmers using sorghum improved varieties and sources used to obtained improved variety seeds. Logit regression model was applied to analyze factors correlating with planting of improved seeds. Gross margin was applied to show profitability of growing improved sorghum seeds and grain. Findings revealed that 39.2% of the sampled farmers were growing improved sorghum variety seeds. Farmers obtained improved variety seeds from both informal (57.8%) and formal (42.2%) sources. Logit estimates indicate that variety preference, unavailability of seeds, resistance to diseases, and drought had significant correlation with planting of improved variety seeds. Seed companies and quality declared seed (QDS) producers earned high margin of 53,08,900 Tanzanian Shillings per hectare (TZS/ha, 1 USD = 2315 TZS during the period of data collection) and 33,94,709 TZS/ha, respectively. Farmers using improved variety seed earned higher margin (8,19,805 TZS/ha) than farmers who did not use improved variety seeds (3,17,373 TZS/ha) Conclusions: The identified investment opportunities were increasing number of farmers using improved variety seeds that would drive increased production, distribution, and marketing of quality seed. The large number of farmers still sourcing seed from the informal channel provides avenue to reach out to these farmers through demand creation and wide variety popularization meeting farmer preferences. The huge margin seed producers make provides good incentive to drive private seed companies and individual seed entrepreneurs to make sustainable business out of sorghum seed. The policy implications for reviving sorghum production and productivity are further discussed

Germplasm Enhancement for Increasing Groundnut Productivity and Production in West and Central Africa

West ond Central Afnca (WCA) account for almosl 70% of groundnut production in Africa playing an important role to farmers' livelihood and signfically contributes to the export sector of the countries in the region.However, the productivity in the region is limited due to many factors includmg biotic and abiotic constraints..

Germplasm Enhancement for Increasing Groundnut Productivity and Production in West and Central Africa

West ond Central Afnca (WCA) account for almosl 70% of groundnut production in Africa playing an important role to farmers' livelihood and signfically contributes to the export sector of the countries in the region.However, the productivity in the region is limited due to many factors includmg biotic and abiotic constraints..

Cowpea as a key factor for a new approach to integrated crop–livestock systems research in the dry savannas of West Africa

Agriculture in the dry savannas is intensifying in response to increasing populations of humans and livestock. As a result, increased productivity demands are placed upon integrated crop–livestock systems and more emphasis is on the roles of legumes such as cowpea. Cowpea has the potential to function as a key integrating factor in intensifying systems through supplying protein in the human diet, and fodder for livestock, and bringing nitrogen into the farming system through nitrogen fi xation. This paper describes the development and evaluation of integrated “best-bet” options which maximize the benefi ts of cowpea and addresses aspects of improved crop varieties, crop and livestock management, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility. The approach used includes a multicenter, multidisciplinary approach to working with farmers which combines complementary strengths of previous component research involving crops and livestock by key international and national research institutions in the region