Gum arabic production and marketing in Senegal: interlocked transactions and supply chain implications

Interlocked relationships are characterised by traders’ supply of inputs and cash to producers on credit, to be reimbursed at sale time based on pre-defined prices which are often lower than the prevailing market price. The study analyses determinants of choice for interlocking in the gum arabic sector in Senegal and the effect of interlocking on gum production and market participation; gum arabic is a natural exudates of Acacia Senegal trees that grow in the semi-arid lands of Africa. Data from 422 gum producers in Northern and Eastern regions of Senegal are used. About 45percent of respondents are involved into interlocking with village shop-owners or mobile traders. Interlocking has a negative effect on prices received by gum collectors. However, in the absence of effective credit markets, interlocking positively influences market participation and production as found through a two-step Heckman selection model by the provision of market assurance and safety for emergencies.interlocking, contracts, semi-arid lands, market participation, gum arabic, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries,

Influence of interlocked transactions on gum arabic production and marketing in Senegal

Interlocked relationships are characterised by traders’ supply of inputs and cash to producers on credit, to be reimbursed at sale time based on a pre-defined price which is often lower than the prevailing market price. The study analyses determinants of choice of interlocking in the gum sector in Senegal and the effect of interlocking on market participation and gum production. Data from 422 gum producers in Northern and Eastern regions of Senegal are used. About 41% of respondents are involved into interlocking with village shop-owners or mobile traders. Interlocking positively influences market participation and production as found through a Heckman selection model.Marketing,

Market participation by smallholder rice farmers in Tanzania: a double hurdle analysis

Smallholder farmers account for over 90 per cent of domestic rice production in Tanzania. Their participation in markets provides opportunities for growth through income and employment. However, their ability to participate is hampered by personal, household and institutional constraints. We adopt the double hurdle model to explore determinants of market participation by rice farmers using data collected from selected rice growing regions in Tanzania. The decision to participate in the market is affected by the cropped area, yield, distance to the market and type of variety grown. Besides these factors, the quantity marketed is affected by the existence of a market within the village. There is need for labour-saving technologies for area expansion and yield improvement

Gum arabic collection in northern Kenya : unexploited resources, underdeveloped markets

Gum arabic is a resin collected from several types of Acacia tree growing most densely in arid and semi-arid lands in East Africa and the Sahel. Kenya is particularly well endowed with gum-yielding trees but exports only small amounts of gum. Methodology: A combination of descriptive livelihood and value chain analysis was used to gain insight into the socio-economic characteristics of collectors and the role of gum arabic in their livelihood. Results: The degree of poverty encountered is considerable with most collectors barely able to maintain a subsistence level. Marketed quantities of gum arabic are low, collection practices are rudimentary, and the market is severely underdeveloped. Conclusion: Thin markets, evidenced by a lack of specialised traders and the infrequency of their visits, removes incentives for increasing the quantity and quality of marketed gum arabic. Only when this situation changes will collectors be motivated to improve their current collecting and marketing practices, for which there is ample scope

Status quo and challenges of rice production in sub-Saharan Africa

Rice production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has increaed ten-fold since 1961, whereas its consumption has exceeded the production and the regional self-sufficiency rate is only 48% in 2020. Increase in rice production has come mainly from increased harvested area. Yield increase has been limited and the current average yield in SSA is around 2 t ha−1. This paper aims to provide the status quo of (i) current rice production and its challenges, (ii) selected achievements in rice agronomy research mainly by the Africa Rice Center and its partners, and (iii) perspectives for future research on rice agronomy in SSA. The major problems confronting rice production include low yield in rainfed environments, accounting for 70% of the total rice harvested area. Rainfed rice yields are strongly affected by climate extremes such as water stresses, soil-related constraints, and sub-optimum natural resource management and crop management practices by smallholder farmers including poor water management, and suboptimal use of fertilizers, herbicides, and machineries. For alleviating these constraints, a wide range of technologies have been developed and introduced over the last three decades. These include water conservation technologies in rainfed and irrigated lowland rice, site-specific nutrient management practices, decision support tools such as crop growth simulation models, and labor-saving technologies. We conclude that further research efforts are needed to develop locally adapted agronomic solutions for sustainable intensification, especially in rainfed rice to enhance the resilience to climate change and increase land and labor productivity and sustainability of rice cultivation in SSA

What are the key factors influencing consumers' preference and willingness to pay for meat products in eastern DRC?

Dietary patterns for consumers among the elite and middle‐income classes in developing countries are shifting rapidly toward the consumption of more animal‐based products. Although this shift presents opportunities, there are significant market failures affecting their preferences and willingness to pay (WTP). This study used a multistage sample survey of 309 consumers from three different communities of Bukavu, Eastern DRC, to examine the effect of socioeconomic/socio‐demographic characteristics and quality attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions and WTP for meat products. The results suggested that about 53% of the respondents were dissatisfied with meat products in the market due to their high price, low quantity, unhealthiness, and harmful effects. Older female respondents living in urban areas were more likely to purchase meat products. Their WTP was significantly determined by attributes such as color, in‐mouth texture, and availability. Nutrition, harmful effects, and availability of meat products are the important factors that influence purchasing decisions among higher income groups. Addressing these market failures could have an impact on the meat market, improving the nutrition of low‐income consumers and ensuring food safety standards in DRC and other developing countries with similar challenges

Stakeholders prioritization of climate information services (CIS) in the rice-based production systems of Mali

This study used a stakeholder prioritization framework to assess and rank locally suitable climate information services (CIS) and implementation suitability with key stakeholders: Center for Mechanized Agriculture, seed companies (Faso Kaba), Green Innovation Centers, National Institute for Rural Economy, NGOs (GIE-GNELENI, JMI), Niger Office, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Women Association and Youth Association. The prioritization was made in two steps for each of the four major rice production systems in Mali (irrigated lowland, rainfed lowland, rainfed upland, and submergence). The first step consisted of the review and evaluation of location-specific CIS based on their contribution to increasing farm productivity, reducing yield loss due to climatic risks, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The second step consisted of the evaluation of the implementation feasibility, gender inclusivity, readiness to scale, cost of implementation, and demand by the market. In all the four production systems, the overall CIS performance score was more determined by the ability of the CIS to increase resilience than to increase productivity, income and to enhance gender inclusivity. In the irrigated lowland, the CIS technologies with a high score include cropping calendar construction, cold occurrence and duration, flooding occurrence and duration, information on dam water level, pest and disease occurrence, and suitable area for rice cultivation. In the rainfed lowland, the CIS technologies with a high score include flooding occurrence and duration, suitable area for rice cultivation, onset and cessation of the rainy season, cropping calendar construction, and pest and disease occurrence. In the rainfed upland, the CIS technologies with a high score include onset and cessation of the rainy season, pest and disease occurrence, seasonal rainfall amount, cropping calendar construction, and drought occurrence and duration. In the submergence system, the CIS technologies with a high score include suitable area for rice cultivation, pest and disease occurrence, flooding occurrence and duration, and cropping calendar construction. The framework used in this study provides a decision support tool for policymaking in adaptation and mitigation activities in the rice-based sector at the local level

Stakeholders prioritization of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the rice-based production systems of Mali

Agriculture, food and nutrition security, and the livelihoods of millions of people are affected by climate change. Given the scarce resources of most of the West African countries, there is a need to prioritize the technologies that need to be taken at scale to mitigate the climate change impacts. This study uses a stakeholders prioritization framework to assess the locally suitable interventions in the diverse rice-based production systems in Mali. The prioritization was made in two steps. First, all interventions were evaluated by stakeholders based on their climate-smart performance indicator (ability to increase farm productivity, income, and resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emission). Second, the interventions were evaluated based on their implementation feasibility (technical feasibility, cost, gender inclusivity, demand by the market, and alignment with the social and cultural context). The technologies’ CSA performance indicator was more determined by their ability to increase farm productivity and income, while their implementation feasibility was more driven by their technical feasibility and cost of implementation. Best bet CSA technologies and practices with high CSA performance indicator and high implementation feasibility score were RiceAdvice, submergence tolerant varieties, integrated rice – vegetable, and mechanical thresher in the irrigated lowland; submergence tolerant varieties, drought-tolerant varieties, RiceAdvice, and ASI thresher in the rainfed lowland; drought-tolerant varieties and RiceAdvice in the rainfed upland, and submergence tolerant varieties and RiceAdvice in the submergence system. This study shows the potential of using a stakeholders prioritization framework to inform investment in climate change adaptation and mitigation at the local level

Limited usage of mechanical equipment in small-scale rice farming: a cause for concern

The role of mechanization in agriculture is well documented in terms of improving productivity of farm labour and land and sustaining income status and welfare of small-scale farmers. In rice production, there is a high cost associated with labour intensive production practices especially in land preparation, weeding and harvesting, the limited adoption of mechanical equipment in these operations remains an issue of concern. The current study investigates the usage of mechanical equipment in a setting where majority of farmers are exposed to technologies but cases of non-usage/adoption are observed. The choice of usage of mechanical equipment is analysed through probit and poisson models. Mechanization generally has a positive effect on production. However, the cost associated with its usage high. The equipment should be made available and affordable to farmers especially because demand for rent is not met. Awareness is essential for adoption and ease of use of mechanization