DETERMINANTS OF MARKET VALUE FOR FRESH YAM (DIOSCOREA SPECIES) TUBERS IN TWO CONSUMPTION CENTERS IN TOGO

This study examined the dynamics of fresh yam tuber prices and applied a hedonic pricing model to estimate the market values of tuber characteristics in two consumption centers in Togo. Real prices were modeled as a function of variables measuring yam species, physicalattributes of tuber, origin of production, market location, and time of the year as well as damage from pests, diseases, and handling. Estimations were based on a sample of 9958 tubers described, calibrated, and priced at six markets between August 2001 and July 2002.Results show that real prices of yam were erratic. Dioscorea rotundata (white yam) prices exhibited a steady decline from August to September which corresponds to its milking time, a slight increase in weeks preceding Christmas, an apparent stability from late Decemberthrough January in Lomé (March in Sokodé), and a steady increase from February in Lomé (March in Sokodé) into late July. Dioscorea alata (water yam) tubers appeared on the markets in December and their prices remained more or less stable throughout January,declined to their lowest level in February, and increased steadily thereafter. Results also suggest the existence of price premium to producers and retailers for growing /selling early maturing D. rodundata compared to late maturing varieties. In contrast, D. alata varieties were substantially discounted on the markets. Characteristics of tuber size, tuber shape,yellowish flesh color, and few supply sources had statistically significant and positive market values. Among symptoms of damage caused by diseases, pests, and handling, only rotting and mealybugs inflicted a discount on tuber value in Lomé and Sokodé respectively.Time factors were the most important variables affecting real prices. The period from April to July when time premiums are highest represents a market window for yam commercialization. Results can be used by yam producers in making appropriate decisions regarding cultivar selection, time of planting, harvesting, and marketing in order to increase farm incomes effectivel

Characterization Of Farm Management Practices And Improved Crop Varieties In Northern Nigeria: Application Of “Transect Walks” Method

The need to increase yields and farm income, stimulate agricultural growth, alleviate poverty and promote food security in rural communities necessitated the introduction of improved farm management practices and crops varieties in northern Nigeria. Like every well-intended innovation, the benefits of the improved systems could only be realized if farmers adopted and practiced them. This paper assesses the use status of the improved cropping patterns and farm management systems in the drier savanna area of northern Nigeria. It used data collected through line intersects sampling survey, an aspect of transect-walks methodology, involving farm fields in ten communities in the area. The results revealed that 82.6% of the surveyed fields were arable non-fadama fields as against 6.8% fallow and 4.7% settlement fields. Less than one percent of surveyed fields were arable fadama and community reserved fields while 1.7% was woodland. The modern farm management practices introduced into the area have not been fully adopted by farmers. “Gicci”, a traditional cropping pattern, was very common having been observed in 38.7% of the 1001 farm fields surveyed. Sole cropping (30.9%) and relay (14.9%) were second and third commonly practiced farm management practices. Of improved crops\' varieties, maize was the most widely adopted, appearing in 11.9% of the fields as first crop, and in 26.1% as the first four crops. Improved cowpea and soybean varieties were observed as the first four crops in 8.5% and 4.5% of the surveyed fields respectively. In general, the study found that the proportion of the communities that devoted up to 50% of the observed maize fields to the improved maize was 30% while the proportion that devoted up to 50% to improved cowpea and soybean was only 20%.The study identified the need for intensified extension services, training and enlightenment programmes as ways for promoting the use of improved farming technologies to realize their full benefits. Keywords: line transects, farm management practices, improved varieties, gicci, drier savanna, NigeriaGlobal Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 4 (1) 2008: pp. 20-3

Fertiliser use and definition of farmer domains for impact-oriented research in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria

One of the options to alleviate soil fertility constraints for sustainable agriculture in the savannas of West Africa is to develop soil nutrient management technologies from an adequate supply and feasible share of organic and mineral inputs. This paper makes a diagnosis of farm-level use of organic and inorganic inputs, as a basis for the development of technologies. The results from the diagnosis are then used to develop a framework for characterizing farmers for impact-oriented research on soil nutrient management systems. The survey was carried out with 200 farmers carefully selected in two villages in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. The results showed that more than 90% of farmers in both villages used chemical fertilizers. This is contrary to a general belief that they are not widely applied to food crops by smallholders in African agriculture. However, up to 81% of the fields received less than half of the recommended 120 kgN/ha because of high costs due, probably to removal of subsidies and inefficient marketing systems. Organic inputs such as animal manure were applied in very small quantities (about 8% of the requirements). However there is evidence of integrated use of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure on some (24%) of the fields. The problem to be addressed is that of the production (and efficient utilisation) of organic inputs in the northern Guinea savanna. Nitrogen deficiency is the most limiting soil nutrient in the cereal-dominated systems of study area. On this basis, farmers were classified into two a-priori groups using a threshold of 30 kgN/ ha, and multiple quantitative variables were fitted in a discriminant analysis to validate the typology. Results indicated that more than 75% of farmers were well classified into two groups that had the characteristics of the a-priori groups. Two others were atypical and included the remaining 25% of farmers. Thus, there are a total of four groups of farmers referred to as farmer domains in this paper. The two domains with 75% of well-classified individuals are suitable for the selection of farmers with whom to conduct applied research or for development activities because they represent the general patterns in the supply and use of soil nutrients in the study area. Although basic research can be done in the four domains, the two atypical groups are most suited for process-level studies to improve the understanding of factors that make the systems either more efficient or less efficient than the two other farmer domains. In either case, representative farmers were easily identified by their highest probability of belonging to a specific domain from the model results. Multivariate models constitute a good framework to make a typology of, and to select farmers for, participatory research and extrapolation of results in the northern Guinea savanna.status: publishe

Farm-level use of soil amendments and definition of typologies: implications for the design of balanced nutrient management systems in the derived savanna of the republic of benin

The use of chemical fertilizers by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is usually estimated to be low and organic inputs have been advocated as an alternative technology for the alleviation of soil fertility constraints. However, no quantitative data are yet available to substantiate these assumptions in the derived savanna (DS) of West Africa.A farm survey was carried out with 232 farmers carefully selected in three villages located in the ecoregional benchmark area of the DS in the Republic of Benin. The main objective was to determine the current availability and use of organic and inorganic inputs by farmers as a perequisite for the design of balanced nutrient management systems. A secondary objective was to propose a typology of farmerthat could participate in the development of balanced nutrients technologies. About 60% of the farmers investigated still practiced fallow but differences existed between villages. The average length of fallow was only 1 year for leguminous crops, 4 years for leguminous trees, and 9 years for fallow with palm trees. On average, 46% of allthe farmers used inorganic fertilizers but this varied between 3% and 98% of farmers in the three survey villages. The quantities applied were limited; on average, the application of inorganic N amounted to 24 kg N ha-1 only. About 41% of farmers were found to apply less than 30 kg N ha-1, 16% between 30 and 60 kg N ha-1, 43% appliedmore than 60 kg N ha-1. The rates varied with the planted crop. For the commonly used, one third urea was combined to two thirds NPK. Then, for this combination of chemical fertilizer, 180 kg ha-1 were applied to cotton, 107 kg ha-1 to tomatoes, and only 76 kg ha-1 to maize, the main food crop of the study area. The use of organic inputs was still at a very early stage. About 9% of farmers apply only organic inputs to the fields while 18% combine them with inorganic fertilizer. Only 4.4% of the fields received organic fertilizer applications. Information on the quantity of organic inputs was not collected. However, most of the crop residues are either burnt (33% of respondents for maize) or thrown away (17% for maize). The use of chemical fertilizers (and organic inputs) was remedy nitrogen deficiency that is considered the most limiting soil nutrient in the maize-based systems of the DS. On the basis of thelimited quantity of N applied to the crops, farmers were classified into two a-priorigroups using a threshold of 30 kg N ha-1, and multiple quantitative variables were fitted in a discriminant analysis to validate the typology. About 82% of farmers were well classified into two groups that had the characteristics of the a-priori groups. There were two other groups (18%) that were atypical. The two groups with 82% of well-classified individuals were suitable for the selection of farmers to conduct applied research or for the development of activities because they represent the general pattern in the supply and use of soil nutrients in the study area. Althoughbasic research can be done with the four farmer groups, the two atypical groups were most suited for process-level studies to improve the understanding of factors that lead to improvements in the efficiency of a cropping system

A Two-stage Empirical Analysis of Market Participation in Yam-growing Areas of West Africa

The transition from semi-subsistence to commercialized agriculture has been subject of global debates in Africa for more than a half century. This is the reminiscence of the necessity to formulate policies and programs to increase the yields and stimulate the investments in agriculture. Participation in agricultural markets could be a viable channel to transform subsistence agriculture thereby lifting millions of poor farmers out of hunger and poverty traps. Unfortunately, most of the potential beneficiaries are hindered by several factors in their quest to participate in yam market. This study investigated the underpinning drivers of market participation among small-scale farmers in the yam belt of West Africa. Using a multistage random sample of 1,400 households form Nigeria and Ghana, the study tested the hypothesis that factors affecting the farmers' decision to participate are not necessarily the same as those affecting the level of participation. Non-price constraints played a significant role in decision-making concerning market participation. Creation of an enabling environment and strengthening the social institutions should be considered in order to generate adequate marketable surplus to make market participation possible and valuable. Policies that reduce transaction costs and encourage farmers to commercialise their production could be alternatives to price-based policies. Moreover, improving the productivity of farmers will not only increase the likelihood of market participation but also the volumes offered for sale

A Microeconometric Analysis of Household Consumption Expenditure Determinants in Yam-growing Areas of Nigeria and Ghana

This paper provides an analysis of microeconomic factors that explain household consumption expenditure in rural areas using cross-sectional data obtained from 1,400 randomly selected yam-producing households of Nigeria and Ghana. The correlates of consumption expenditure were examined using two techniques: ordinary least squares (OLS) and a quantile regression (QR) approach for a more comprehensive picture at different points of the distribution. Determinants of consumption expenditure are markedly different between the regressions and across the conditional quantiles of the expenditure in both countries. Results further indicate that age, education, and household size were important in explaining consumption expenditure using OLS. However, via conditional QR, the following additional factors became evident: membership of formal and informal institutions, main occupation, family structure, and farm size. Only education was consistently significant in both regressions and across the conditional quantiles, suggesting that responses to investments in education lead to increase in expenditure that will stimulate other sectors of the economy