Pengaruh Kesuburan Tanah terhadap Penyakit Blendok pada Pertanaman Jambu Mete

Soil fertility can pressure rate attack of gummosis disease on cashew nut plantation in Muna Regency South-East Sulawesi. Blendok disease or gummosis have disseminated on some cashew plantation in Muna Regency, South-East Sulawesi. There was a correlation between soil fertilities and disease spreading. This assessment was intended to know the level attack and damage which were resulted from disease of gummosis at cashew crop. The assessment was conducted at Fongkaniwa Village of Muna Regency South-East of Sulawesi in 2004, using the rural cashew nut plantation in 30 ha area. The assessment area was divided into three blocks, i.e. high, moderate, and low level of soil fertility. Result of study indicated that attack intensity of gummosis disease on cashew nut are 19.49 %, 30.43 %, and 50.03 % on each levels of soil fertility, while Rate of Attack by the score value of 0.16, 1.14, and 1.77. Result of study indicated that improvement of soil fertility of cashew plantation are very important to pressure of attack and damage of gummosis disease. Penyakit blendok atau gummosis telah menyebar di beberapa pertanaman mete di Kabupaten Muna, Sulawesi Tenggara. Meluasnya serangan penyakit diduga berkaitan dengan tingkat kesuburan lahan. Pengkajian ini dimaksudkan untuk mengetahui tingkat serangan dan kerusakan yang diakibatkan oleh penyakit blendok pada tanaman jambu mete. Kajian dilaksanakan di Desa Fongkaniwa Kabupaten Muna Sulawesi Tenggara tahun 2004 pada pertanaman jambu mete rakyat seluas 30 ha. Areal pengkajian dibagi menjadi tiga kelompok berdasarkan tingkat kesuburan tanahnya yaitu kesuburan tinggi, sedang, dan rendah. Pengamatan penyakit blendok dilakukan dengan mencatat jumlah pohon menunjukkan gejala penyakit, yaitu keluarnya getah kental berwarna coklat pada pohon dan cabang. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa populasi terserang penyakit blendok masing-masing 19,49 % pada lahan kesuburan tinggi, 30,43 % pada lahan kesuburan sedang, dan 50,03 % pada kesuburan rendah. Tingkat Serangan masing-masing tergolong sedang pada kesuburan lahan rendah dan ringan pada lahan subur yaitu dengan nilai skor masing masing 0,16; 1,14; dan 1,77 pada setiap tingkat kesuburan tanah. Hasil pengkajian menunjukkan bahwa peningkatan kesuburan tanah pada pertanaman jambu mete sangat penting untuk menekan tingkat serangan dan kerusakan penyakit blendok

Gender implications of agricultural commercialisation: the case of sugarcane production in Kilombero District, Tanzania

Since the global food crisis of 2008 the Tanzanian government, amongst other African governments, has made food security through increases in agricultural productivity a policy priority. The emphasis in Tanzania is on commercialisation, with a particular focus on large-scale rice and sugarcane production. Gender equity within African agricultural production is a critical issue; yet limited empirical research exists on the gender implications of agricultural commercialisation now taking place in the region. This paper presents findings from fieldwork conducted in Kilombero District of Tanzania in 2013 and 2014. The research takes the country’s largest sugar producer – Kilombero Sugar Company Ltd – as its focus and analyses the socio-economic implications of the commercialisation of sugarcane production from a gender perspective. The findings demonstrate the significance of gender relations in the development of commercial agricultural business models, local socio-economic development and land titling measures. They also illustrate the pressures and benefits for relationships and resource-sharing within households in the transition from food crops to sugarcane production

Smallholder Views on Chinese Agricultural Investments in Mozambique and Tanzania in the Context of VGGTs

Based on a case study in each country, this study documents the views of Mozambican and Tanzanian smallholders regarding Chinese agricultural investments and the extent to which investors abide by their legitimate land tenure rights as defined by the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Forests and Fisheries in the Context of National Food Security (VGGTs). The VGGTs offer guidelines to government on how to protect the land tenure of rural communities when land is being acquired for large-scale land investments. The study also assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smallholders. Due to COVID-19, instead of fieldwork, we conducted telephone interviews with 20 smallholders in Mozambique and 35 in Tanzania. The Mozambican case showed that even when land set aside for investors was not in dispute, smallholders still had unmet expectations, especially regarding investors’ corporate social responsibility activities. In the Tanzanian case, even though the land leased by the Chinese investor had been designated as general land, it had laid fallow for a long period, and smallholders had moved back onto the land, only to be displaced in 2017. Although smallholders’ views on the investment were mixed, the case underscored the need for government to assess current land use before allocating it to investors—regardless of how the land is classified and especially in areas where land shortages are creating conflict. The cases show that even if communities are consulted about proposed land investments, guidelines need to include clauses that allow for ongoing communications between investors, communities and government officials such that if communities are unsatisfied with the results of the investment, renegotiation is possible. Further, in the event of crises, such as COVID-19, investors should partner with communities and government to limit the extent of harm in communities as a result of the crisis

The biofuels boom and bust in Africa: a timely lesson for the New Alliance initiative

Policies promoting biofuels development through financial incentives in Europe and in the United States of America are major drivers of the ‘land rush’ in many African countries. Yet, we know that most of the first projects have not achieved their intended objectives on the ground. Amidst these controversial and failed investments, which continue to hold large tracts of land in Africa, the G8 initiative called the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is trying to attract substantial new private investment in agriculture in ten African countries. The New Alliance focuses on public-private investments, with host governments offering large tracts of land to investors. These land-based investments follow similar patterns to unrealised ambitions of biofuels investments. Given the evidence of negative impacts of biofuels investments on rural communities’ access to and control of land, water and forests, the New Alliance implementing partners need to consider lessons from the biofuels rush, and take different pathways to avoid such impacts

An Assessment of the Challenges Faced by the Retirees in Accessing Formal Security Benefit in Tanzania: The Case of PSPF in Hanang’ District

This study assessed challenges faced by retirees in accessing formal security benefits in Tanzania: It was conducted in Hanang’ District. More specifically, the study examined procedures used in processing Pension Benefits in PSPF and challenges faced by retirees when accessing pension benefits from social security funds. It further, assessed the impact of challenges of the social security fund to the retirees and other stakeholders. This is the case study design which used mixed method, namely, the qualitative and quantitative researches. Interview, questionnaires, non-participant observation and documentary review were employed as the instruments for the data gathering. The findings revealed there are procedures that have to be followed. Before retirement one gives notification to employer six months before receiving retirement benefits. As regard, retirement benefits, a lump sum is given once after retirement and second part of the pension is that which the employees are receiving after every month. The findings also revealed most of the complaints were the inadequacy of benefits, delays in payments, lack of update information about the schemes and the amount o f individual contributions made, estimated benefits statements and incomplete contribution records.Furthermore, findings disclosed that for instance many teachers’ retirees are virtually forced to live very precarious lives and they cannot meet their basic needs due to the delays in pensions and falling in household incomes. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Social Security Fund should regulate the relationship between the contributions made by the members to PSPF before retirement to be proportional to the benefit they receive after retirement. The Social Security Fund should revisit the amount of pension it pays to its retirees specially those who stopped working before 2006

Integrating gender into Kenya’s evolving seed policies and regulations for roots and tubers

In many developing countries where farmers grow vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs), they are often unable to increase on-farm productivity partly due to limited access to quality seeds. Yet, seed policy and legal frameworks for VPCs in many countries show a limited consideration of the specific characteristics of the seed systems for root, tuber and banana crops. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding of how the implementation of current seed policy frameworks affect participation by men and women as either seed producers or seed users. This paper examines the Kenyan seed policy processes and discusses the gender-sensitivity of how seed policy decisions are made in order to understand how these can be made gender sensitive. It unpacks the context in which seed policies are implemented; how the content of seed policies can differently affect men and women farmers’ participation in seed production and access to seed; and provides recommendations on how seed policy can be made more inclusive. In many developing countries where farmers grow vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs), they are often unable to increase on-farm productivity partly due to limited access to quality seeds. Yet, seed policy and legal frameworks for VPCs in many countries show a limited consideration of the specific characteristics of the seed systems for root, tuber and banana crops. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding of how the implementation of current seed policy frameworks affect participation by men and women as either seed producers or seed users. This paper examines the Kenyan seed policy processes and discusses the gender-sensitivity of how seed policy decisions are made in order to understand how these can be made gender sensitive. It unpacks the context in which seed policies are implemented; how the content of seed policies can differently affect men and women farmers’ participation in seed production and access to seed; and provides recommendations on how seed policy can be made more inclusive