Agricultural Production In Rural Areas Research Articles

Economic optimization of fresh logistics pick-up routing problems with time windows based on gray prediction

The rapid development of modern cold chain logistics technology has greatly expanded the sales market of agricultural products in rural areas. However, due to the uncertainty of agricultural product harvesting, relying on the experience values provided by farmers for vehicle scheduling can easily lead to low utilization of vehicle capacity during the pickup process and generate more transportation cost. Therefore, this article adopts a non-linear improved grey prediction method based on data transformation to estimate the pickup demand of fresh agricultural products, and then establishes a mathematical model that considers the fixed vehicle usage cost, the damage cost caused by non-linear fresh fruit and vegetable transportation damage and decay rate, the cooling cost generated by refrigerated transportation, and the time window penalty cost. In order to solve the model, a hybrid simulated annealing algorithm integrating genetic operators was designed to solve this problem. This hybrid algorithm combines local search strategies such as the selection operator without repeated strings and the crossover operator that preserves the best substring to improve the algorithm’s solving performance. Numerical experiments were conducted through a set of benchmark examples, and the results showed that the proposed algorithm can adapt to problem instances of different scales. In 50 customer examples, the difference between the algorithm and the standard value in this paper is 2.30%, which is 7.29% higher than C&S. Finally, the effectiveness of the grey prediction freight path optimization model was verified through a practical case simulation analysis, achieving a logistics cost savings of 9.73%.

Factors Influencing Rural Farmers' Access to Agricultural Extension Services Provided by Private Organizations in Kibondo District, Tanzania

Agricultural extension plays a very important role in improving agricultural productivity in many countries, including Tanzania. Through agricultural extension services, farmers acquire useful information to minimize agricultural production challenges. Though farmers in many countries, including Tanzania, still rely on public extension services, the governments in many countries have started to open doors for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmer-based organizations, and private agribusiness firms to provide services to farmers. Regardless of their existence still access to extension services provided by private organizations has remained a main question. Studies have consistently pointed out that only a few farmers in rural areas get access to extension services provided by private organizations. Low access to extension services by rural farmers has contributed to low agricultural production in rural areas and has remained the main factor for persistent poverty. There are limited studies documenting the factors for low access to agricultural extension services provided by private organizations. This study aimed to determine factors influencing rural farmers’ access to agricultural extension services provided by private organizations in the Kibondo district. The study used a cross-sectional research design and data were collected by interviewing 120 farmers sampled from four villages. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model techniques. The study found that only 18.3% of farmers had access to extension services. Gender, marital status, education level, farmers’ income, and group membership had a positive and statistically significant association with access to extension services. The study concluded that only a small proportion of rural farmers in the study area had access to extension services. It is recommended that the provision of extension services by private organizations should consider the identified factors.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT (CASE OF MANISA METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY)

The responsibilities and services of local governments towards rural areas, brought about by the equalization of the metropolitan contiguous area with the provincial border, have increased and expanded. It is essential to ensure the continuity of the supply of products from the city to the countryside, with the efforts of the municipalities to increase agricultural productivity in rural areas and to ensure the livelihood of local residents living in rural areas. In this context, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality carries out many studies to support the producers in rural neighborhoods and to ensure rural development throughout the province. In this study, the activities of the local government to support the citizens living within the service boundaries and making a living from farming and the benefits to be seen as a result of these activities are evaluated. The study is handled within the framework of the activity reports and strategic plans of the metropolitan municipality.

Rural agroindustry development based on prime commodities in Soppeng regency

Rural agroindustry business is one of the efforts to increase the added value of agricultural products in rural areas. This is supported by the availability of raw materials in the areas. This research aims to determine priority commodities and agroindustrial products for rural agroindustrial scale, and create their development strategies in Soppeng Regency. This study used primary data obtained from observations and interviews with relevant agencies and parties, and secondary data obtained from the literature of relevant sources. The determination of priority commodities and agroindustrial products was analysed using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Research results showed three priority commodities, namely rice (0.358), corn (0.320), Cocoa (0.188). It was identified that priority products for rural agroindustry development were rice flour (0.244), chocolate drink (0.185), and corn chips (0.167). Furthermore, the development of rural agroindustry in Soppeng regency was focused on 3 (three) selected priority products; rice flour, chocolate drinks and corn chips. These efforts were, started with an acceleration of technology transfer, especially post-harvest handling for high quality raw materials, good manufacturing practices and product marketing.

Impact of Land Ownership in Enhancing Agricultural Productivity in Rural Areas of Eastern Cape Province

Land is a principal and calamitous factor in agricultural production and the growth of livelihood prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Land ownership is an indispensable resource for agrarian efficiency in the pastoral regions of South Africa. It leads to sustainable and feasible farming. However, the mainstream rural dwellers struggle to access and obtain land ownership, thus leading to low agricultural productivity. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate the effect of land tenure in enhancing agrarian efficiency in rural areas of Eastern Cape Province. The study used a cross-sectional research approach and a multi-stage sampling procedure. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 250 smallholder farmers. The analysis tools used were descriptive statistics, Logit regression, and Propensity Score Matching. Farmers were landowners, with 70% and 60% having small-sized farms, which they utilise for agricultural production. About 17% of the farmers did not utilise the land they own because of a lack of funds, water availability and farming equipment. The farmers' age, gender, years spent in school, members of farm organisations, access to extension services, household income, and hired permanent labour were socio-economic and institutional factors influencing land ownership. PSM results revealed that fully owned small-sized farms achieved high agricultural production than rented large-sized farms. The study concludes that full land ownership impacts agricultural productivity more than rented land. Hence, productivity is high. Therefore, the study recommends that the South African government and land reform policy must fast-track land redistribution among rural dwellers and farmers to enhance agricultural productivity.

Thermodynamics of integrated energy supply for small-scale production and living condition in rural areas

Combining fresh material drying/cooling and environment regulation of residential buildings, a new integrated energy supply (IES) system based on heat pump is proposed to improve the energy efficiency, comfort of living condition and retention rate of agricultural products in rural areas. To balance supply and demand, the IES system, based on the characteristics of energy utilization in rural areas, is able to operate among four basic modes: Building Heating (BH), Building Cooling (BC), Material Drying (MD), Material Cooling (MC), and two integrated modes: BHMC and BCMD. Under typical working conditions, thermal performances including cooling capacity, heating capacity, compressor input power and coefficient of performance (COP) are compared among different operation modes when refrigerants are R32, R152a, R22 and R1234yf, respectively. It can be found that integrated energy supply system have lower cooling and heating capacity, and higher compressor power, but its COP is also the biggest. Comparison results also show that the time ratio of integrated operation mode (tr) and time ratio of one operation mode (ts) are important factors effecting the entire energy efficiency.

The Rural Development Program as an Instrument to Support the Technological Modernization of Agriculture. Lubuskie Case Study

Abstract The article deals with the issue of supporting the technological modernization of agriculture by investing in infrastructure surrounding the farms with the use of a financial instrument in the form of the Rural Development Program (RDP) based on the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The article describes, among other things, the importance of infrastructure and support for its development in rural areas in the process of functioning and modernization of the agricultural sector. For the purposes of the article, the data obtained from the Department of Rural Development Programs of the Lubuskie Marshal’s Office on expenditure and effects of RDP use in 2007-2020, in infrastructure investments in rural areas of the Lubuskie Voivodeship was analysed. In the article, the authors attempted to present the instrument in the form of the Rural Development Program as a tool for indirect impact on the process of modernization and transformation of agriculture in the Lubuskie Voivodeship, primarily by changing the infrastructural conditions for the functioning and development of agricultural production in rural areas.

Sustainable Agritourism Location Investigation in Vietnam by a Spherical Fuzzy Extension of Integrated Decision-Making Approach

For tourists in the post-COVID era, it is a popular choice to experience nature and idyllic rural life in fields, gardens, and farms instead of crowding into high-level services in modern tourist destinations. This trend has created a focus on sustainable development within tourism. Agritourism is an alternative tourism experience that demonstrates high potential for the tourism industry while positively impacting agricultural production in rural areas. A suitable location selection process is essential to effectively developing agritourism and sustainability. However, the current literature on this issue is still limited. Therefore, this study introduces a combined decision-making model for optimal agritourism destination identification in the context of sustainable development. This research highlights the use of the spherical fuzzy set (SFSs), in which the spherical fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) determines the criteria’s importance in combination with their causal relationship, and the spherical fuzzy Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) finds the alternative destinations’ priority. The model’s efficiency is illustrated through an empirical study of Vietnam and by a sensitivity analysis. The resulting research found that decision-makers should consider the factors of local living conditions (ASC10), and local agriculture products (ASC3) when investigating agritourism locations. Consequently, the optimal destination for sustainable agritourism development was found to be Lam Dong (AD9), which can efficiently promote tourism activities while increasing the value of agriculture in the countryside. These findings can assist decision-makers in selecting tourism sites in other regions and other tourism development projects.

Analyzing the Driving Mechanism of Rural Transition from the Perspective of Rural–Urban Continuum: A Case Study of Suzhou, China

Rural transition has become a core topic in the study of the urban–rural relationship in China. Analyzing the transition process and sorting out the key driving factors in different periods is essential for providing critical references for the urban–rural integration and rural revitalization policy. This paper takes Suzhou, a rapidly urbanizing prefecture-level city that has experienced three obvious stages of rural transition since China’s reform and opening-up, as the case area to explore the driving mechanism from the perspective of rural–urban continuum. We first construct the index system for measuring rural transition from two dimensions of rurality and urbanity. Then, we identify the core influencing factors of different phases from 1990 to 2015, employing spatial regression models and then extract the main driving mechanism. The results revealed the following key findings. (1) Rural transition in Suzhou has both proximity effects and structural effects; the development patterns of rural areas are becoming more heterogeneous. (2) From the rurality dimension, the regression coefficient of index representing grain production changes from positive to negative during the research periods, reflecting the “non-grain” trend of agricultural production in rural areas. (3) From the urbanity dimension, the regression coefficient of index promoting by foreign direct investment increases from 0.372 in 1990 to 0.829 in 2015, indicating that the external driving force of rural transition has become stronger. (4) In 2015, the regression coefficient of index representing tertiary industry reaches 0.468, meaning the modern service industry has played an increasingly important role in rural development. Our study provides valuable insights into the dynamic change of driving mechanism of rural transition at the town level, argues that the general trend of viewing transition process as rurality weakens and urbanity enhances could be replaced by multifunctional pathways. This study supplements existing research to understand new phenomena during the transition process, the latter offer implications for policy-making, such as grain security, spatial spillovers, and rural tourism.

Dynamic Conservation in Risk Society: A Case Study of COVID-19 Pandemic Risk in Kashan Qanat Irrigated Agriculture.

In the present age, the world agricultural heritage can inspire agroecology and sustainable agriculture. But various risks have threatened, eroded and forgotten this heritage, so dynamic conservation of this heritage is essential. In this study, “Qanat Irrigated Agricultural Heritage Systems, Kashan, Iran” which has been registered worldwide in the face of corona pandemic risks has been selected as a case study. In this qualitative research, in addition to field observations and documentary studies, 25 in-depth interviews and 39 semi-structured interviews with experts and key informants was done and grounded theory and content analysis have been used. In the process of interviews and analyzes based on “risk society theory”, risks and wicked problems and related solutions have been identified and finally based on cultural theory, “clumsy solution space” has been summarized and presented for dynamic conservation. Based on the findings of this study, paying attention to a kind of reward for ecosystem services, developing online sales of agricultural products in rural areas of Kashan and also creating twinning with similar areas can help solve wicked problems. Also, paying more attention to the regulations for the protection of qanats, as well as the laws for home business insurance, can strengthen sustainable development in this rural area. Due to the wide range of different dimensions of agricultural heritage, it is suggested that in future research, clumsy solution spaces for each of these dimensions be created and developed separately.

Role and value of small forms of farming in the agricultural production of the Republic of Tatarstan

Providing the country’s population with high-quality food while ensuring effective agricultural production in rural areas should become one of the priority tasks of the state. Besides, creating conditions for the development of small forms of economic activity in cooperation with large commodity producers, thereby achieving the development sustainability of rural areas, providing additional jobs, through stimulating the development of small agricultural businesses, is an urgent task of modern times. The paper is devoted to the study of the role and value of small farming in rural areas on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan. The results of the impact of state support programs on their number and further development are shown. The emphasis is put on the need to expand this assistance in other areas. The volumes of agricultural production in peasant farms are shown. Priority areas to increase crop production were identified, and recommendations to ensure sustainable income growth of small farms were given. The practical relevance of research results includes the possibility of their use to design programs for the development of regional food markets thus achieving high targets.

"Comparative analysis of the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 between Romania and Poland "

The National Rural Development Programme (NRDP) is a programme of the European Union and the Romanian Government to provide free funds for the economic and social development of rural Romania. The purpose of this study is to highlight the situation of Romania compared to Poland, both Member States of the European Union, in terms of financial allocation of the national rural development program in the period 2014-2020. To achieve this goal, the financial statements on the allocation of NRDP for both states were analyzed, including the number of applications submitted and payments completed for the main sub-measures financed by NRDP. The NRDP has a strong impact on agricultural production in rural areas and, therefore, in addition to financing the development and modernisation of agricultural production and rural infrastructure, the European Fund has contributed to improving the quality of life of rural populations by creating new jobs. For measure 4.1, Poland implemented projects worth €2.23 billion, or 52.6% of the total allocation for the measure, and Romania implemented projects worth €0.677 billion, or 42.3% of the total allocation. In terms of the number of farms in 2016, Romania registered 3.4 million farms and a workforce of 6 million employees on farms, double the number of Poland (1.4 million farms and 3 million employees on farms).

Factors accelerating agricultural innovation and sustainability: The case of paddy farmers.

The primary purpose of this study is to reveal the factors accelerating both the innovativeness and sustainability levels of paddy farmers. The data used in the study were obtained from the questionnaires conducted with 70 paddy farmers in the Bafra district of Samsun province, Turkey, determined by a simple random sampling method. Paddy farmers were divided into three groups as low, medium, and high innovativeness groups with hierarchical cluster analysis. An ANOVA was used to compare the socioeconomic and farming characteristics of the paddy farmers, and accelerated failure time models were used to analyze the factors affecting the innovativeness and sustainability variables. The research results indicated that the number of years of formal education, the agricultural experience, the amount of labor per unit area, the animal assets, the share of agricultural income in the total income, the number of memberships to farmer organizations, paddy production area, sustainable agriculture area, and cooperation scores differed from the innovativeness groups. The farmers' collaboration in agricultural activities increased the likelihood that they are an innovator. The results concluded that the number of years of formal education, global good agriculture practice, agricultural experience, household size, animal assets, and women's employment influenced both the innovativeness and sustainability variables. Encouraging the participation of women in agricultural production in rural areas, including sustainability-related issues in addition to technical issues in farmer training programs, and ensuring the participation of women in such training are issues that should be considered in future.Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:824-835. © 2021 SETAC.

Small Scale Irrigation Farming Adoption as a Climate-Smart Agriculture Practice and Its Impact on Household Income in Ethiopia. A Review Paper

Small-scale irrigated farming has been offered as a climate-smart agriculture technology to boost production and diversify livelihood scenarios as an option to mitigate climate change and variability. Small-scale irrigation as a climate-smart agriculture strategy is one of the most important adaptation options for increasing agricultural production in rural areas, stabilizing agricultural production and productivity, and mitigating the negative effects of variable or insufficient rainfall. The reviewed literature showed that the adoption of small-scale irrigation farming as a climate-smart agriculture practice has a significant positive influence on farming income. Small-scale irrigation practice increases the adaptive capacity of households by enhancing farm income. Small-scale irrigation users are better off in crop production that enhances household income and enables buffer against climate variability compared with non-users. Small-scale irrigation is an important strategy in reducing risks associated with both rainfall variability production of different crops twice or three times within a year and increasing income of rural farm-households. Farmers' age, distance to market, and formal employment all negatively influence small-scale irrigation adoption. Off-farm employment, irrigation equipment, access to reliable water supplies, and awareness of water conservation practices all positively promote Small-scale irrigation adoption. As a result, governments and other key stakeholders should consider strengthening small-scale irrigated farming in rural families as climate smart agriculture. Keywords: CSA, Small-scale irrigation adoption, household income, livelihood. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-17-02 Publication date: September 30 th 2021

تاثیر خشکسالی اقلیمی دودهه (1390-1370) برناپایداری توسعه در دهستان هشیوارشهرستان داراب

تاثیر خشکسالی اقلیمی دودهه (1390-1370) برناپایداری توسعه در دهستان هشیوارشهرستان داراب

Territorial resources and local development: search for local territorial identity (case analysis of Žagarė cherry)

The fate of local communities and rural areas in Europe depended on the transformations of political regimes, people’s ability to develop agricultural resources and economic influence on the development of markets for manufactured goods and agricultural products in rural areas. Lithuania, like many other countries, has undergone profound transformations. The country’s rural areas reflect how local communities adapted themselves to the necessary changes. At the heart of these changes lies the Žagarė cherry which used to be a fruit of luxury in the 18th century Russian Empire; whereas during the Soviet era it became a supplement to the villagers and town-dwellers diet. Our main aim is to understand how nowadays the Žagarė cherry is a symbolic terroir product of a local community which seeks to reshape a local development strategy based on the recaptured past. The Žagarė cherry both rooted in its natural soil and crossed by the history of the district between Joniškis and Žagarė, in its history has known a real reformulation of its territorial inscription. Thanks to local community investment in local development projects, the cherry has become the object of an identity shaped by the cherry festival, a widely recognized cultural and heritage event. The Žagarė cherry has become a territorial resource activated by the local community thanks to a metamorphosis of the resource in a local context.

Rural Road Infrastructural Challenges: An Impediment to Agricultural Development in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria

Accessibility to the rural area by road is a key factor in achieving Sustainable Development Goals in pursuance of optimal survival these areas. Various rural development policies instituted in Nigeria to alleviate the condition of rural dwellers and to sustain agricultural development, yet the smooth accessibility desires of several rural areas impaired by poor rural road infrastructure. The resultant effect of this is low agricultural productivity in rural areas and food insecurity. Rural communities in developing countries are mostly disconnected from the major roads and public transport services that should provide them access to the economic and social opportunities in cities. To this end, the research examined how road infrastructural challenges have impeded the development of agriculture in Idanre Local Government Council Areas, Ondo State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was purposively and randomly administered to collect data from a total of 200 farmers across 20 villages in the study area. Analysis of data for the information retrieved from the respondents were carried out with aid of descriptive statistics while stepwise regression examination was done to test the hypothesis. Findings revealed a high cost of transportation and irregular transport services as a result of the poor state of the roads in the study area have hindered effective agricultural development. Results also indicated that motorcycles were the dominant means of transportation in the LGA. This among others resulted in an increasing rate of post-harvest loss because of the restrictive capacity of motorcycle and high cost of transportation. The study recommended the construction and rehabilitation of dilapidated roads infrastructure to enhance agricultural development in the study area.

IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITY DIRECTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRO-INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS IN THE NORTHERN REGION

The arcile descuites the features of the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Komi Republic, including based on the SWOT analysis of its agro-food sector. The study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of integration in the conditions of the Northern region, identifies opportunities and threats, formed the principles for the formation and functioning of a product cluster. The algorithm determining the priority directions of development of clusters in the Northern region, allows to deepen the system displays the development of agricultural production in rural areas and includes the following areas: analysis of the status and dynamics of development of agricultural production in the region; the allocation of typological groups; assessment of the influence of the main values of the factors on agricultural production; analysis of the development of processing industries; matrix analysis definition of priority directions of development of the cluster; the formation of potential product clusters.

A Review of Agricultural Technology Transfer in Africa: Lessons from Japan and China Case Projects in Tanzania and Kenya

Agricultural technology transfer plays a chief role in transforming agricultural productivity in rural areas especially in the current setting where food demand surpasses the production capacity. Technology transfer facilitates the movement of soft and hard skills essential for improving farm production. Yet, the technical cooperation projects in Africa have been suffering from effectiveness and sustainability challenges while lacking responsiveness to local demand. This study applies a system dynamic method and a literature review to bring lessons from Japan and China’s experiences in agricultural technology transfer projects to Africa. Three cases in agricultural technical cooperation projects are presented: China—(Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center (ATDC) in Tanzania), Japan—(Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment Project (SHEP), and Rice Industry Development Support (RIDS) in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively). Japanese and Chinese agricultural technology has the potential to improve productivity and the livelihood of rural households. Nevertheless, strong linkages, commitment, and participation of all stakeholders in the design and implementation of agricultural technology transfer projects play an important role in enhancing project sustainability in the recipient countries. Further studies are recommended such as, to explain the agricultural technology transfer mechanism that fits well to equip beneficiary autonomy in terms of knowledge and capacity of production in the recipient country. The local governments need to set policy environments and institutional frameworks that encourage and support the agricultural technology transfer to benefit the rural farmers.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for the Land Evaluation of Potential Agricultural Land Use Types in a Hilly Area of Central Vietnam

Land evaluation is a process that is aimed at the sustainable development of agricultural production in rural areas, especially in developing countries. Therefore, land evaluation involves many aspects of natural conditions, economic, and social issues. This research was conducted in a hilly region of Central Vietnam to assess the land suitability of potential agricultural land use types that are based on scientific and local knowledge. In the frame of this research, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA); Analytical Hierarchy Analysis (AHP); Geographic Information System (GIS); and, scoring based scientific literature and local knowledge were applied for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for land use evaluation. The results of the PRA survey reveal that five plants offer great agricultural potential in the research area, namely rice, cassava, acacia, banana, and rubber. The land suitability of each plant type varies, depending on physical conditions as well as economic and social aspects. Acacia and cassava represent the most suitable plant types in the research area. Recommendations regarding agricultural land use planning in the A Luoi district are brought forward based on the land evaluation results. The combination of scientific and local knowledge in land assessment based on GIS technology, AHP, and PRA methods is a promising approach for land evaluation.