Market Access, Intensification and Productivity of Common Bean in Ethopia: A microeconomic analysis

This work analyses on-farm adjustments in land allocation and intensification in a commercial crop following the increases in market demand in a developing economy. Drawing from the survey conducted among common bean producers in Ethiopia in 2008, a two stage econometric method was used to investigate the contribution of market access and other micro-level factors in facilitating crop intensification and productivity. Ethiopia is the leading commercial producer and exporter of common bean in Africa but also one of the countries in Africa with high levels of soil nutrient depletion. Understanding factors that influence input use and productivity is critical for food security and agricultural sustainability in the country. Based on farm survey data, it was shown that most farmers had expanded their area under common bean but the use of fertilizer and improved varieties was still low. Increase in the intensity of fertilizer and seed use produces an increase in yield and so is market access. Market access has intensification as well as specialization effects on common bean yield. Access to credit, extension and household wealth are other factors that facilitate common bean intensification while risk increasing factors constrain it

FARM LEVEL ADOPTION AND SPATIAL DIFFUSION OF IMPROVED COMMON BEAN VARIETIES IN SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS OF TANZANIA

Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important crop mainly for smallholder farmers in Tanzania, for home consumption and cash income. Its productivity has been low due to a number of factors, including environmental stresses and limited input use. The socio-economic environment calls for development and dissemination of improved bean varieties that are well adapted to multiple constraints, in order to improve and stabilise bean productivity on smallholder farms. The objective of this study was to assess the adoption and spatial distribution of improved common bean varieties in Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The study used a bivariate probit model to account for possible correlation between the disturbances. Results show that the improved varieties have extensively diffused in the study area, with new improved bean varieties replacing old ones. A host of factors at plot level (e.g. perceptions about soil fertility status and plot distance from residence), household level (e.g. agricultural wealth, number of dependents, access to off farm income and years of experience in bean growing), and village level (e.g. distance from the village to main road, agricultural credit), significantly influenced the adoption of the improved varieties. Farmers who adopted new improved varieties attached a higher weight to agronomic attributes. Market attributes partly explained continued cultivating of old improved bean varieties. Results support investment in market hard and soft infrastructure in form of roads, financial services, farmer cooperatives and integration of ICT in seed dissemination.Le haricot commun ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) est une culture tr\ue8s importante pour les petits paysans en Tanzanie, il sert \ue0 la consommation domestique mais aussi g\ue9n\ue8re des revenus. La production du haricot commun est faible en raison d\u2019un certain nombre de facteurs dont les facteurs environnementaux et la faible utilisation d\u2019engrais. L\u2019environnement socio-\ue9conomique appelle au d\ue9veloppement et \ue0 la vulgarisation de vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es adapt\ue9es \ue0 des contraintes multiples, dans le but d\u2019augmenter et de rendre stable sa production chez les petits paysans. L\u2019objectif de la pr\ue9sente \ue9tude est d\u2019\ue9valuer le taux d\u2019adoption, ainsi que la distribution spatiale des vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es du haricot commun dans les terres \ue9merg\ue9es au sud de la Tanzanie. Le mod\ue8le probit bivari\ue9 a \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9 pour tester une probable corr\ue9lation entre les perturbations. Les r\ue9sultats ont montr\ue9 que les vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es ont \ue9t\ue9 largement diffus\ue9es dans la zone d\u2019\ue9tude et que les vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es remplacent progressivement les vari\ue9t\ue9s traditionnelles. Un lot de facteurs: \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle des champs (perceptions sur le niveau de fertilit\ue9 des sols et distance entre champs et r\ue9sidences), \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle des m\ue9nages (pouvoir d\u2019achat, nombre de personnes en charge, l\u2019acc\ue8s aux cr\ue9dits et le niveau d\u2019exp\ue9rience en production du haricot commun), \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle des villages (l\u2019\ue9loignement par rapport \ue0 la route principale, disponibilit\ue9 de cr\ue9dit agricole), influencent de fa\ue7on significative le taux d\u2019adoption des vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es. Les paysans qui adoptent les nouvelles vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es accordent une grande importance aux traits agronomiques. Pour une grande part, la culture continue des anciennes vari\ue9t\ue9s est due aux contraintes du march\ue9. Les r\ue9sultats plaident pour des investissements en termes d\u2019infrastructures routi\ue8re, services financiers, coop\ue9ratives de producteurs et l\u2019int\ue9gration des TIC dans la diss\ue9mination des semences aux fins d\u2019am\ue9liorer la distribution

Participatory Evaluation of Common Bean for Drought and Disease Resilience Traits in Uganda

The use of genetic resources to respond to occurring and unpredictable climatic changes is one of the coping mechanisms for small scale farmers in Africa. This paper summarizes findings of a participatory action research (PAR) project evaluating different common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties with nine farmer groups across nine villages in two CCAFS sites of Rakai and Hoima districts in Uganda. Six and fifteen bean varieties including local landraces, farmer variety (commonly grown by farmers), Uganda officially released varieties and new germplasm bearing different characteristics were evaluated with over 300 farmers in replicated trials in the first season of 2012, and two seasons of 2013, respectively. The study provides evidence that breeders and farmers look out for similar traits, with yield being the major driver, and in most cases end up with the same results with a few discrepancies. Some key lessons emerged from the findings. First, making blanket variety and management recommendations to cover large physical areas is erroneous. Site and context specific recommendations, especially in the view of the variability in climatic conditions and soils are probably the best option. Second, the results highlight the need for plasticity in bean varieties (i.e. ability to change structure and function when exposed to changes in the environments hence suitability to a wide range of environments) in addition to having farmer preferred traits. Lastly, the project also highlighted the ability, capacity and willingness of farmers to adopt and adapt new technologies in the face of varying climate scenarios

ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNITY BASED BEAN SEED PRODUCTION AND MARKETING IN THE CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY OF ETHIOPIA

Limited access to seed of improved varieties is an impediment to agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers in the national and international agricultural research systems have been piloting a community based seed multiplication and marketing enterprises (CBSME) model, as an alternative to the formal seed systems, in order to increase availability and accessibility to quality seed of improved common bean ( Phaseolus vulvaris L.) varieties by smallholder farmers. The objective of this study was to assess the profitability of CBSME as an enterprise for seed production and analyse factors that influence farmers\u2019 decisions to participate in it as seed producers or buyers of seed. Gross margins were computed to assess value addition at farm level; while Tobit and multivariate probit models used to respectively, analyse determinants of participation in community based seed multiplication enterprise and its use by producers as a seed source. The community based seed multiplication enterprises were found to be profitable, generating US$792 as gross margins and accessible to farmers for the bean seed, along other seed sources, i.e. formal and informal seed systems. These three seed production and delivery models competed at farm level, but complemented each other in terms of reaching users in different social groups and locations. Community based seed multiplication enterprises as sources of seed were used by farmers located in rural areas and those in farmer organisations/cooperatives. However, seed production through this model is concentrated closer to urban areas, where individual seed producers are easily linked to the formal seed system. This, however, makes the marketing of seed reliant on big buyers for redistribution among remote farming communities.L\u2019acc\ue8s limit\ue9 aux semences de vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es est un obstacle \ue0 la productivit\ue9 agricole en Afrique sub-Saharienne. Les cherheurs dans les systems nationaux de recherches agricoles sont entrain de tester des mod\ue8les d\u2019entreprises communautaires de multiplication et de commercialisation (CBSME); comme une alternative aux syst\ue8mes semenciers formels, dans le but d\u2019accro\ueetre la disponibilit\ue9 et l\u2019accessibilit\ue9 aux semences de qualit\ue9 de l\u2019haricot commun ( Phaseolus vulvaris L.) par les petits producteurs. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer la profitabilit\ue9 de CBSME comme une entreprise de production des semences et d\u2019analyser les facteurs qui influencent les d\ue9cisions des producteurs \ue0 y participer en tant que producteurs et acheteurs de semences. Les marges brutes \ue9taient calcul\ue9es pour \ue9valuer la value ajout\ue9e au niveau de l\u2019exploitation agricole, tandis que les mod\ue8les de Tobit et multivari\ue9 de Probit \ue9taient utilis\ue9s respectivelement, pour analyser les determinants de participation \ue0 l\u2019entreprise de multiplication des semences communautaires et son utilisation par les producteurs comme une source de semences. Les entreprises de multiplication des semences communautaires ont \ue9t\ue9 identifi\ue9es rentables, g\ue9n\ue9rant des marges brutes de 792 US dollars et les semences de l\u2019haricot sont accessibles aux producteurs, compar\ue9es \ue0 d\u2019autres sources de semences, c\u2019est-\ue0-dire les syst\ue8mes semenciers formel et informel. Ces trois mod\ue8les de production et de distribution des semences se rivalisent \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle de l\u2019exploitation agricole, mais se compl\ue8tent en atteignant differents groupes sociaux d\u2019utilisateurs dans de localit\ue9s diff\ue9rentes. Les entreprises de multiplication des semences communautaires comme sources de semences, \ue9taient utilis\ue9es par les producteurs situ\ue9s dans les milieux ruraux et ceux en organisations/coop\ue9ratives paysannes. N\ue9amoins, la production des semences \ue0 travers ce mod\ue8le est plus concentr\ue9e dans les zones urbaines, o\uf9 les producteurs individuels de semences entrent facilement en contact avec le syst\ue8me semencier formel. Ceci, cependant met la commercialisation de la semence en \ue9troit contact avec les grands acheteurs pour la redistribution des semences entre les communaut\ue9s paysannes isol\ue9es

A cost-benefit analysis of farmer based seed production for common bean in Kenya

Community based informal seed production has recently gained popularity as an alternative to the formal seed sector of disseminating new crop varieties including the common bean. This is because farmer produced seed is readily available and is more affordable by most farmers than certified seed. This study examined the profitability of farmer based common bean seed production in Kenya. The study used data collected from farmers and one seed company participating in seed multiplication. The principal finding was that farmer based common bean seed production was a profitable enterprise and was less sensitive to price fluctuations. Compared to certified common bean seed production, net profit margins were five times higher for certified common bean seed than for farmer based common bean seed production. With the current varieties, profitability depends on access to irrigation and good agronomy.Une production formelle de semences communautaires a r\ue9cemment gagn\ue9 la popularit\ue9 comme une alternative au secteur formel de semence de dissemination de nouvelles vari\ue9t\ue9s des cultures dont le haricot commun. Ceci se justifie par le fait que la semence produite par les fermiers est disponible et est plus abordable par la plupart de fermiers que la semence certifi\ue9e. Cette \ue9tude a examin\ue9 la profitabilit\ue9 de la production de semence par les fermiers au Kenya. Les donn\ue9es utilis\ue9es \ue9taient celles collect\ue9es chez les fermiers et dans une compagnie de multiplication de semence. Le principal r\ue9sultat \ue9tait que la production communautaire de semence de haricot commun \ue9tait une enterprise profitable et \ue9tait moins sensitive aux fluctuations des prix. En comparaison \ue0 la production certifi\ue9e de semence de haricot commun, les profits nets marginaux \ue9taient cinq fois plus \ue9lev\ue9s pour la semence du haricot commun certifi\ue9e que pour la production de m\ueame semence par les fermiers. Avec de vari\ue9t\ue9s actuelles, la profitabilit\ue9 d\ue9pends de l\u2019acc\ue8s \ue0 l\u2019irrigation et une bonne agronomie

What Does Gender Yield Gap Tell Us about Smallholder Farming in Developing Countries?

This study examines the extent of the productivity gap between male and female bean producers, its discriminatory nature and implications for the policymakers in agriculture in Tanzania. Generally, women are distinctively “invisible” in agriculture, due to social norms and even from the national agricultural policy perspective. Their discrimination arises from uncounted and unaccounted for farm work, and their productivity is reduced by triple roles, limited access to education, having triple effects on access to technology, training and land rights. In research, issues of concern to them such as nutritious food crops, varietal selection on important attributes, household food security, convenient home storage and small-scale processing are widely ignored through unfavourable policy design. Given the above discriminatory issues surrounding women in agriculture, they are hypothesised to be less productive and often lag behind male counterparts in crop production. To test the above hypothesis, a three-stage stratified sampling method was used to collect crosssectional data in 2016 across four regions of Tanzania. Then, an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method (at means) was used to apportion the sources of the difference between men and women into explained and unexplained variations. Further improvements through the newly developed Re-Centered Influence Functions (RIFs) remarkably improved outcomes as the differences were analysed through unconditional partial effects on quantiles. Using a counterfactual approach and correcting for selection bias, the model provided consistent estimates for easy comparison of the two groups. Besides this, it emerged that interventions such as providing improved bean seed varieties and training farmers on good agricultural practices reduced the gender yield gap and provided a potential avenue for addressing the discrimination observed in productivity among males and females. Controlling for selection bias also improved the model, but the real discrimination was observed at the 50th percentile, where the majority of the respondents lay within. However, if a female’s age, family size, additional years of schooling and discretion to spend income from beans were taken away, they would be worse off. Our study finds that females comprised 25 percent of the sample, had 6 percent lower productivity, provided 64.70 percent on-farm labour and had 0.32 hectares less land compared to males, ceteris paribus. Access to improved varieties contributed to a 35.4 percent improved productivity compared to growing indigenous/local varieties. The implication is that the gender yield gap can be reduced significantly if efforts are focused on preventing or correcting factors causing discrimination against women

Seed system security assessment : Southern Sudan : November-December 2010

Juba, South Suda