Journal of Rural and Community Development最新文献

{"title":"Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions and Responses to Climate Change in Multi-stressor Environments: The Case of Maasai Agro-pastoralists in Kenya’s Rangelands","authors":"Chemuliti Judith, S. Mbogoh, A. Chris, I. Patrick","doi":"10.12691/AJRD-5-4-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/AJRD-5-4-4","url":null,"abstract":"Farmers in Kenya’s rangelands have been responding to simultaneous multiple sources of change in their socioeconomic and environmental conditions for some time. Under such conditions, it is not clear how the increasing effects of climate change are being perceived and reacted to. This paper presents the results of a study that was carried out in the Trans Mara sub-County in the southern rangeland of Kenya to assess the farmers’ perceptions and adaptation to climate change and the constraints that they encountered. An open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from 206 randomly selected farmers in Kilgoris and Lolgorien administrative Divisions of the sub-County. The results showed that the farmers had reasonable perceptions of climate variability and change and had taken steps to adjust their farming activities. These perceptions were based on their observed changes in rainfall pattern and intensity over the last couple of decades. Diversification of farm enterprises, changing of crop varieties, reducing flock sizes and changing of livestock breeds were the most common adaptation strategies. Lack of financial resources, insufficient labor and limited access to information were the major constraints that impeded adaptation. The results suggest that the farmers are able to discern and to some extent disaggregate the climate stimuli from other stressors. However, the adaptation strategies were closely intertwined with other stressors that go beyond the climate dimension.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"164 1","pages":"110-116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77212917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Present Social Awareness and Economic Condition of Nomadic Bede Community at Narayanganj District in Bangladesh","authors":"Raf-Ana-Rabbi Shawon, M. Rabbi","doi":"10.12691/ajrd-5-4-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/ajrd-5-4-3","url":null,"abstract":"The Bedes were the nomadic people lived scattered and travelled throughout Bangladesh via rivers with a cluster form. The study was conducted in Naraynganj district during the time period from January, 2014 to August, 2014. About 650 bede peoples (Male 278, female 370 and hijra 2) data were collected randomly from various places of Narayangan district like langolbond, Mugrapara, Katchpur, Gulakandail, Kanchan with a prescribed preform questionnaire format. With a view to before finalize the study, the most important basic information were observed carefully within the community and various features of their social and economic data were collected. From the study, it was assumed that the Bede community severely deprived from all types of basic needs of living both social and economic. The most significant constraints were poverty, illiteracy, premature marriage and lack of consciousness about family planning. The social acceptance was uncommon due to their living style, very tough traditional and ritual bindings to make relationship with the other out peoples. They mostly lived under the poverty line. They passed their every day with untold sorrow and sufferings. Due to illiteracy, they were not engaged with officials and others sophisticated jobs. They were deviated from the mainstream of the country economics and development. It was a preliminary work. Further studies will necessary for revealed the unseen scenario of their sorrowful life and find out the solution of major constraints. Its high time to uncover the superstitions of their community and strongly recommended to the Government and others NGO’s to introduce one stop service programs for developing the bede community both socially and economically.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"7 1","pages":"106-109"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91013307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable Rural Development and Livelihood Sources of the Rural Households in Mountainous Pakistan","authors":"M. Israr, Asif Yaseen, Shakeel Ahmad","doi":"10.12691/AJRD-5-4-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/AJRD-5-4-2","url":null,"abstract":"Livelihoods of the rural households in the developing regions are still dependent on farm and off-farm economic activities and this approach emerged from a range of efforts to understand that how the people survive in a particular area. Empirical research conducted on this subject give diverse results in this respect. The main purpose of the present study was to analyze the livelihood sources and the level of participation of the rural household in various economic activities and their contribution towards the households’ income in northern parts of Pakistan. Primary data was collected through random sampling methods from 323 household’s head. Findings of the study reveal that the rural people are engaged in multiple economic activities including both farm (crop, livestock, forestry, rent land, agriculture wages, hiring out farm machinery, fodder and sale of fruits and vegetables) and off-farm (small-scale businesses, services, foreign and domestic remittances, and off farm wages) for their survival. The lion share of contribution towards household’s income from farm livelihood sources was the income from crops and livestock. In non-farm economic activities public/private sector employment was the major source of non-farm source of livelihood for the rural households in the research area. The average annual income per household from crops was Rs. 65,340, followed by income from forests and livestock respectively. On average, households were earning Rs. 4,33,390 per annum from these sources. The study concludes that the farm sources of income contribute more to the livelihood of the rural people than the non-farm sources of income and hence having play crucial role in the reduction of poverty. The study recommends preservation and a sustainable use of the farm resources so that to overcome the problems faced by the future generation and the creation of more nonfarm activities for sustainable livelihood.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"31 1","pages":"97-105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80346347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Participation in Vegetables’ Contract Farming on Household’s Income in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia","authors":"Gemechu Mulatu Kerorsa, J. Haji, B. Legesse, M. Ketema","doi":"10.12691/ajrd-5-4-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/ajrd-5-4-1","url":null,"abstract":"This study analyzed the impact of vegetables’ contract farming on the household’s income using data collected from 423 smallholder vegetable farmers from four districts of the East Shewa zone, central rift valley of Ethiopia. The study combines both quantitative and qualitative data obtained from desk review, an in-depth household interview, and focus group discussions. The propensity score-matching technique was employed for data analysis due to lack of baseline data and non-randomness of participation in contract farming. First, a probit regression model was used to estimate the propensity for matching participants and non-participants. Then, their incomes were compared. Results show that contract farming has a significant positive effect on the incomes of participating households. Given the vegetable production opportunities available in the study area, it is important to address the challenges of vegetable producers to benefit from contract farming and increase their incomes.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"37 1","pages":"90-96"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87313202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Influence of Exchange Rate Changes on Agricultural Prices: The Case of Cocoa and Maize in Ghana (1966-2008)","authors":"Adu-Gyamfi Poku","doi":"10.12691/AJRD-5-3-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/AJRD-5-3-4","url":null,"abstract":"Exchange rates are a key determinant of the domestic prices for agricultural goods and therefore affect the quantity of these goods produced for domestic consumption and export. Accordingly, in competitive domestic markets with complete market integration with foreign markets, exchange rate changes are fully reflected in the domestic currency prices of traded goods. However, agricultural policy instruments such as intervention mechanisms tend to insulate domestic markets and impede exchange rate transmission. The study examines the influence of nominal exchange rate changes in Ghana on the annual domestic producer prices of cocoa, a traditional export crop, and maize, a non-traditional export crop from 1966 to 2008. Nominal exchange rate changes in Ghana were found to reflect the gradual shift from a fixed to a flexible exchange rate regime since independence. Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag model, it was discovered that exchange rate transmission was extremely low for both crops. Therefore, it did not have a statistically significant effect on domestic producer prices of cocoa and maize in Ghana. Whiles market intervention was found to be the cause of this phenomenon in the case of cocoa, the very nature of maize as a non-traditional export with low export supply accounted for the lack of exchange rate transmission in the maize sub-sector. Consistently, world price transmission to domestic producer prices of both crops was also not statistically significant.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"67 1","pages":"81-89"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91394683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of household food security in a rangeland area of Uganda","authors":"Mbolanyi Betty, Egeru Anthony, Mfitumukiza David","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.262839","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.262839","url":null,"abstract":"Pastoralists and agro-pastoralists operating in the rangelands of Uganda remain food insecure. This study determined the status of household food security in Nakaseke district, Uganda. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in February 2016 among 180 randomly selected households. Two measures of food security; a Self-Reported Food Security Status Index (RFSI) and a multi-dimensional index generated through the Principal Component Analysis (PCAI) were used. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions were performed to identify important determinants. Results showed that 46.8% of the households were food insecure. The perceived peak period for food shortage was between July and August. Most households (95.1%) met their food needs through off-farm sources. Age of household head, educational level of household head, off-farm/ non-farm income, cross-breeding and livestock ownership positively influenced household food security (p≤0.05). The sex of household head, household size (AE) and absence of credit negatively influenced household food security (p≤0.05). It is proposed that a suit of actions including income diversification through participation in offfarm activities, increasing access to education, encouraging crop-livestock integration and improving livestock productivity be used to improve household food security in this rangeland area of Uganda.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"18 1","pages":"213-223"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87690062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping spatial variability of hydric soil properties to delineate Khalong-la-lithunya wetlands","authors":"Gerard Rasekoele Motlalepula, Mapeshoane Botle, Masopha Makoae, Khoeli Makhala, T. Nkheloane, M. Molefe, Motsoane Thabo, Mots’ets’e Motseko","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.262852","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.262852","url":null,"abstract":"Spatial variability in wetland soils provide insight into underlying ecosystem processes and may itself give an indication of wetland condition. The study was conducted to characterise and delineate soil variability of wetlands of Khalong-la-Lithunya from hydric soil properties. Sampling was carried on three sub catchments within Khalong-la-Lithunya catchment. In each sub catchment soil samples were dug at 100m interval along three transects that were 200m apart. Detailed soil profile description of 36 pits was done following USDA-NRCS (2010) manual. Soil samples were collected to the depth of 90 cm at 15 cm interval and analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC), Base Cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+) and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), available Phosphorus (Av-P), available Nitrogen (Av-N), Soil pH, percentage sand, clay and silt. Mean soil properties were 3.5 mg/kg Av-p, 3.0 mg/kg Av-N, 28.3 % SOC, 5.1 pH, Bulk density 0.7 g/cm3 and the texture is sandy. The means base cations were 2.8, 1.8, 7.9 and 2.3 cmol/ kg for Na, K, Ca and Mg, respectively and CEC 82.5 cmol/kg. Av-P was the most variable property with CV ranging from 115 and 162 % in different soil depths while pH was the least variable with CV ranging from 6 and 12 %. The Nugget/Sill ratios were less than 56 %, indicating random heterogeneity. The semivariograms indicated moderate spatial dependence (25 < DSD ≤ 75%) for soil properties including SOC, Av-P, Av-N, pH and sand. Most properties indicate moderate spatial dependence and hence easily managed. Chemical properties were more variable than physical properties.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"1 1","pages":"293-301"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88748683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Access to and use of video-mediated agricultural information: lessons from the case of Sasakawa global 2000 rice videos in Uganda","authors":"G. Karubanga, P. Kibwika, H. Sseguya, F. Okry","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.262837","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.262837","url":null,"abstract":"Video can be effectively used to provide information to small scale farmers. However, its effectiveness to enhance access to and use of information depends on certain organizational, social, economic and technical factors. This cross-sectional study assessed these organizational, social, economic and technical factors that affect access to and use of agricultural information from the perspective of video participants, using Sasakawa Global 2000 as a case. The study involved conducting six focus group discussions (FGDs) with 48 purposively selected video participants while 100 video participants were selected by census from the registers of the association for individual interviews. Geographical Positioning System (GPS) mapping was used to establish the video catchment areas. While content analysis was applied for qualitative data, quantitative data were analysed using SPSS 18.0 version. ArcGIS version 10.1 software was used to generate the maps. Findings indicate that majority (98%) of the farmers interviewed regarded farming as their major economic activity. Majority of the video participants (94%) approved the use of video for enhancing access by farmers to useful agricultural information. However, our findings revealed that more men (71%) attended the video shows than their female counterparts (29%), because they were favoured by the timing of the video shows which are often screened late at night. About 53% of the video participants travelled 1.5km to attend the video shows with distant video participants (3%) traveling about 7km. The video participants initially got to know about the video shows through their group leaders while others got to know about them by surprise. Use of more technical language in the video and the costs involved in implementing the acquired information respectively limited comprehension of the messages and utilization of the learnt knowledge. Overall, if the timing, location and awareness creation about video events are not addressed, it means that largely men and nearby farmers will continue to attend and benefit from the video shows. Also, if the issue of technical language is not addressed, use of the learnt knowledge is likely to continue being problematic. Thus, the modalities suggested by the farmers with particular efforts on documenting local farmers in their local languages, intensifying awareness creation through local channels, adjusting the timing of video shows and operating them on a rotational basis are vital if video is to enhance access and use of information by farmers.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"70 1","pages":"183-197"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77738473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Serological survey of Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti in cattle and goats from smallholder farms in Angónia, Tete Province, Mozambique","authors":"Atanasio Nhacumbe Alsacia, Cavele Alfeu, Cristina Cala Aida, Soares Uzêda Rosângela, Paraná Souza Bárbara, F. Luis, R. Müller, Ângela Maria, Antônio Carlos, M. Nelson","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.262853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.262853","url":null,"abstract":"Rearing cattle and goats is an important economic activity for smallholder farmers in Mozambique where animals are raised in traditional production systems in communal pastures. Despite its importance, there is little information on their health conditions, particularly the occurrence of infections by parasites that can cause economic losses, especially Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti. A serological study to estimate the prevalence of Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti was undertaken in Angonia district of Central Western Mozambique between April and May 2010. Animals were randomly selected at acaricide dip tanks upon the consent of the owners, and all the selected animals were regarded as one flock in each locality. A serological survey for these protozoa was undertaken using the Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test. A prevalence of anti-N. caninum IgG was estimated in 297 cattle serum samples and 8.4% were positive at the dilution of 1:200 to 1:800, while in goats from the 132 samples 3.8% were positive at 1:50 and 1:100 dilutions. Ninety four cattle samples were examined and 39.4% were positive for anti-B. besnoiti antibodies, which represents a high prevalence. This is the first evidence of seroprevalence of N. caninum in cattle and goats, and of B. besnoiti in cattle in Angonia, Mozambique.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"13 1","pages":"303-311"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89868090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Farmer knowledge, perceptions and management of maize lethal necrosis disease in selected agro-ecological zones of Uganda","authors":"Barnabus Mudde, Florence Olubayo M'mogi, D. Miano, G. Asea, D. Kilalo, J. Adriko, A. Kiggundu","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.262842","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.262842","url":null,"abstract":"A new disease on the African continent called maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) that has been reported to cause up to 100% losses in neighbouring Kenya, has since spread to Uganda. Production of maize in Uganda is now under threat from this devastating virus disease. Understanding farmers’ knowledge, perceptions and management practices is a prerequisite to establishing an effective disease nmanagement approach to halt its spread in Uganda. A survey of 396 farmers from 14 major maize growing districts in five agro-ecological zones of Uganda was conducted in 2015 aimed at assessing farmers’ current knowledge of maize lethal necrosis disease and practices for its management. Most farmers (58.1%) had not heard or observed MLN in their fields. The study reveals that 56.6% of the farmers interviewed first experienced MLN in the year 2014. There was uncertainty of the cause of MLN symptoms among 56.6% of the farmers. Most farmers observed MLN symptoms at one month after planting. Only 21.7% correctly identified MLN symptoms observed. The main MLN symptom observed by most farmers (60.6%) was chlorotic mottle on leaves. Up to 55.3% of farmers attempted to control MLN with the majority (77.4%) managing it through uprooting and burning the diseased plants, which they indicated was effective in managing MLN. These results suggest that MLN control could be achieved by enhancing farmers’ knowledge and considering successful farmer MLN management practices when developing and promoting management practices for this disease.","PeriodicalId":45379,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural and Community Development","volume":"72 1","pages":"247-261"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89362477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}