12 research outputs found
Participation in contract farming and farm performance: Insights from cashew farmers in Ghana
The global demand for cashew nuts continues to increase steadily. However, many
African countries face difficulties in marketing and adding value to the product. Using
recent survey data of 391 cashew farmers in Ghana, this paper contributes to the grow-
ing evidence on the significance of contract farming (CF) in improving the welfare
of rural households in developing countries. Specifically, the paper analyzes the fac-
tors that influence cashew farmersâ decisions to participate in CF, and the impact
of participation on farmersâ performance. We employ a recently developed switch-
ing regression model with endogenous explanatory variables and endogenous switch-
ing to control for selection bias caused by observable and unobservable factors. The
empirical results show that participation in CF significantly increases labor produc-
tivity and price margins, as well as cashew yields, and net revenues. A disaggregated
analysis of the sample into farm size categories reveals that small-sized cashew farms
tend to benefit more through CF, compared to medium- and large-sized farms
Participation in contract farming and farm performance: Insights from cashew farmers in Ghana
Serum of Patients with Psoriasis Modulates the Production of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in Cells of Monocytic Lineage
Sustainable Inclusion of Smallholders in the Emerging High Quality Cassava Flour Value Chains in Africa: Challenges for Agricultural Extension Services
Based on the premise that smallholders often get excluded as markets become more commercial, this paper draws lessons from the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) Project by exploring the main issues and challenges facing extension service partners in five African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi). These lessons include issues around competiveness in the supply of raw material, assisting smallholders to produce value-added products competitively, working with a range of partners at different stages in the value chain to take pilot studies to scale, ensuring and maintaining quality, selecting appropriate technologies for different circumstances, anticipating negative effects of the market environment on smallholders and ensuring that strategies for ensuring benefits for women and other disadvantaged groups are incorporated into extension service operations. It concluded that one strategy does not work in all countries and, while positive government support for cassava development is helpful, the real challenge is in the need to target markets according to realisable capacities of the smallholder actors in the value chain
Sustainable Inclusion of Smallholders in the Emerging High Quality Cassava Flour Value Chains in Africa: Challenges for Agricultural Extension Services
Based on the premise that smallholders often get excluded as markets become more commercial, this paper draws lessons from the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) Project by exploring the main issues and challenges facing extension service partners in five African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi). These lessons include issues around competiveness in the supply of raw material, assisting smallholders to produce value-added products competitively, working with a range of partners at different stages in the value chain to take pilot studies to scale, ensuring and maintaining quality, selecting appropriate technologies for different circumstances, anticipating negative effects of the market environment on smallholders and ensuring that strategies for ensuring benefits for women and other disadvantaged groups are incorporated into extension service operations. It concluded that one strategy does not work in all countries and, while positive government support for cassava development is helpful, the real challenge is in the need to target markets according to realisable capacities of the smallholder actors in the value chain