Livestock health and disease economics: a scoping review of selected literature.

Animal diseases in production and subsistence environments have the potential to negatively affect consumers, producers, and economies as a whole. A growing global demand for animal sourced food requires safe and efficient production systems. Understanding the burden of animal disease and the distribution of burden throughout a value chain informs policy that promotes safe consumption and efficient markets, as well as providing more effective pathways for investment. This paper surveys existing knowledge on the burden of animal disease across economic categories of production, prevention and treatment, animal welfare, and trade and regulation. Our scoping review covers 192 papers across peer-reviewed journals and reports published by organizations. We find there exists a gap in knowledge in evaluating what the global burdens of animal diseases are and how these burdens are distributed in value chains. We also point to a need for creating an analytical framework based on established methods that guides future evaluation of animal disease burden, which will provide improved access to information on animal health impacts

Comprehending Smallholder Maize Enterprises Profitability with the Current Maize Marketing System in Zimbabwe: A Case of Mazowe District

Maize enterprise profitability is essential for sustainable maize production in smallholder farming. In Zimbabwe a lot of factors including several policy measures implemented in the past are believed to be influencing current maize profitability trends. Literature to confirm some of the crucial factors is limited especially in the smallholder farming sector. In this study we analyze profitability of smallholder maize farmers in Mazowe District of Zimbabwe. We estimate maize enterprise profitability using gross margin analysis, factors driving profitability using linear regression analysis and the influence of tobacco farming adoption on maize enterprise profitability using propensity score matching. We relied on both primary and secondary data from the study area. Results did not show robust outcomes on maize enterprises profitability. Maize profitability was found to be influenced positively by age of household head and selling produce to private buyers and negatively by fertilizer, chemical, and transport costs. Tobacco farming adoption was found to have a positive influence on maize profitability. Based on the results the study recommends the government through its various programs targeting agricultural development and food security to focus on smallholder maize production and marketing with the aim of improving its profitability

Comprehending Smallholder Maize Enterprises Profitability with the Current Maize Marketing System in Zimbabwe: A Case of Mazowe District

Maize enterprise profitability is essential for sustainable maize production in smallholder farming. In Zimbabwe a lot of factors including several policy measures implemented in the past are believed to be influencing current maize profitability trends. Literature to confirm some of the crucial factors is limited especially in the smallholder farming sector. In this study we analyze profitability of smallholder maize farmers in Mazowe District of Zimbabwe. We estimate maize enterprise profitability using gross margin analysis, factors driving profitability using linear regression analysis and the influence of tobacco farming adoption on maize enterprise profitability using propensity score matching. We relied on both primary and secondary data from the study area. Results did not show robust outcomes on maize enterprises profitability. Maize profitability was found to be influenced positively by age of household head and selling produce to private buyers and negatively by fertilizer, chemical, and transport costs. Tobacco farming adoption was found to have a positive influence on maize profitability. Based on the results the study recommends the government through its various programs targeting agricultural development and food security to focus on smallholder maize production and marketing with the aim of improving its profitability