This study assessed Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Northern Adamawa, Nigeria. The bedrock of the study was the overdependence on oil revenue by the government, making the state government to pay little attention to agricultural entrepreneurships. The inadequate attention given to agricultural entrepreneurship has a negative effect on agro-based industries and this adversely affects economic development. Data were collected from 400 respondents across Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha Local Government Areas using both closed and open-ended questionnaires. The analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Likert scale technique was used as the measurement instrument for the study, while Cronbach alpha test was used to measure the reliability of the instrument, which showed a result of 76.5% reliability. The result of the study shows that agricultural entrepreneurship is at a low ebb due to the fact that most of the citizens of Northern Adamawa are into subsistence agriculture instead of agricultural entrepreneurship. However, a 1% increase in farm level production (FLP) leads to an increase in economic development by 0.645, while a 1% increase in agricultural service provision (ASP) leads to an increase in economic development by 0.643. The findings of the study therefore show that agricultural entrepreneurships, such as farm level production, and agricultural service provision have a positive effect on economic development in Northern Adamawa at 5% level of significance. The study therefore recommends that while encouraging people of Northern Adamawa to engage in Agriculture as a business, for economic development, the government needs to encourage more farmers by the provision of loans, arable lands and subsidized agricultural services, such as transportation, storage facilities and agricultural education. This is to enable the subsistence farmers to partake in commercial agriculture.

In the face of high-frequency drought in the northern parts of Bangladesh, cropping intensification has been an important indicator for the life and livelihoods of its inhabitants. The study assessed cropping intensity and its determinants at the farmers’ level in Bogura district, Bangladesh. Policymakers and agricultural extension service providers should be able to use the study's findings to build an efficient extension strategy for enhanced increase productivity in drought-prone areas. Data were collected between November 2023 to April 2024 from 105 randomly selected farmers of four villages of two adjacent upazilas, namely Kahalu and Bogura sadar of Bogura district under the Barind tract- the hottest and the driest area in the country. This mixed-method study utilized both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including focus groups and a cross-sectional survey. To analyze the data from the household survey, correlation coefficients and descriptive statistical techniques were applied. The results indicated that the respondents had an average harvesting intensity of 277.9%, with values ranging from 200% to 300% Results revealed that the cropping intensity of the respondents ranged from 200% to 300%, with an average of 277.9%. The overwhelming majority (87.6%) of the respondents achieved a cropping intensity ranging from 263% to 300%, while 12.4% were below the range. The results also unearthed the facts that some of the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, like education level (r=0.652), access to media (0.584**), and annual income (0.194*), were significantly associated with the cropping intensity. To this, availability of inputs (0.904**), growing of short duration crops (0.802***), use of agricultural machineries (0.707**) in various farming operations like tilling, lifting of underground water for irrigation, harvesting and post-harvest activities, easy marketing facilities (0.202*) and adequacy of ground water for irrigation (0.198*) were significantly associated. The results suggest that cropping intensity in the drought-prone areas may further be enhanced through intensive use of agricultural machinery in various farming activities with cultivation of shorter duration varieties of Boro rice, T. Aman, mustard, potato and vegetables.

Mobile phone technology awareness and use in developing countries, Uganda inclusive, is growing at a faster rate in many sectors, including Agriculture. Mobile phone usage has enhanced information flow to the rural communities for the advancement of agriculture. A survey was conducted in four banana-growing districts of Uganda, representing the western region (Isingiro and Mitooma Districts) and the central region (Luwero and Mukono Districts), to assess the extent of awareness and use of mobile phone applications by smallholder banana growers. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 144 farmers representing 144 households. Most of the farmers (66.7%) were aware of mobile phone applications used for accessing agricultural information, although the percentage of farmers (25.7%) using mobile phones to access information for banana Xanthomonas disease management was low. Many factors determined mobile phone use, but banana plantation size, education level, and constraints encountered in the use of mobile phones were the most significant. The leading challenges encountered by farmers using mobile phones for accessing agricultural information were identified as a lack of smartphones, limited knowledge and skills, and poor network connection. We recommend the creation of awareness about mobile phone applications and their use in farming communities by both public and private agricultural extension and advisory service providers

Pesticides play a vital role in ensuring food security and economic growth, but their use can cause harmful effects to human health and the environment. A significant number of the respondents were observed in Abuna Gendeberet, nearly 95.83% of farmers knew the pesticide had a negative effect, and only 4.17% of farmers had poor knowledge of pesticides had a negative impact. Whereas, in Gindeberet, nearly 89.86% of farmers knew pesticides harmed human health and the environment, and only 10.14% of farmers had poor knowledge of pesticides. In both districts, farmers normally got pesticide information from the Agricultural extension service providers, followed by NGOs, Friends, and families. In Abuna Gindeberet, routes of exposure to pesticides or pesticides entering the body were pesticide entry in the eye (41.11%), pesticide ingestion (21%), pesticide inhalation (15.55%), and pesticide in the skin (22.22%). Similarly, in the Gindeberet district, the most commonly used routes of exposure to pesticides or pesticides entering the body were the following: pesticides entering the eye (33.33%), pesticides entering the body through ingestion (22.22%), and pesticides entering the body through inhalation (22.22%).

Beekeeping is environmentally sustainable activity that can be integrated with agricultural practices like crop production, animal husbandry, horticultural crops and conservation of natural resources. It is not a labor-intensive activity and can therefore easily be combined with the other daily activities. In view of the economic situation, it is unlikely that farmers were not set aside land for beekeeping and or bee flora production. In the watershed area, after intervention of the technology, the total economic contribution proportions were, Maize (24.6%), teff (21%), wheat (15.1%), potato (20%) and beekeeping (19.8%) are the major crops grown in the watershed. The survey results also depicted some contributions of beekeeping sector as getting additional income, access to improved nutritional values (honey consumption by the family members which directly resulted in improved feeding habit), improved access livestock development (purchase of oxen and cows), pay loans and save money, purchase of household goods, building of houses in towns and the likes. These all indicate that beekeeping activities are promoting the livelihood of the farmers. Therefore, to enhance the production of beekeeping to alleviate poverty and job creation the government should be promote policies that support self-employment opportunities in off-farm activities such as beekeeping, value chain development, agricultural service provision and agribusiness activities. However, it is estimated that around one million farm households are involved in beekeeping business using the traditional, intermediate and modern hive production practice.

Amid global economic transformation, a persistent productivity gap exists between developed and developing nations in agriculture sector, shaped by technological advancements and shifting resource allocation patterns. Agricultural socialized services (ASS), defined as organized systems providing technical support, mechanization assistance, information services, market linkages, and resource optimization to farmers, have emerged as critical mechanisms for agricultural development. In developing economies, these services catalyze gains in agricultural labor productivity through the integration of advanced technologies and the mechanization of farming practices. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces during 2011 to 2022, this study investigates the relationship between ASS and ALP, focusing on regional heterogeneity, threshold effects, and spatial spillovers. The combination of spatial econometric methods and threshold analysis was selected for its unique capacity to capture both the geographic interdependencies and nonlinear relationships that characterize agricultural development processes. These thresholds at 5.254 and 8.478 represent critical points where the impact of ASS on ALP significantly changes in magnitude, revealing a nonlinear relationship that evolves across different stages of agricultural development. The study highlights notable regional disparities in the impact of ASS. Specifically, ASS is more effective on ALP in eastern, central and key food-producing regions, while its impact is relatively weak in western and non-food-producing regions. Spatial spillover analysis indicates that advancements in ASS create positive externalities, extending beyond their immediate implementation zones and facilitating inter-provincial agricultural cooperation and development. These findings provide crucial guidance for policymakers and agricultural service providers to optimize resource allocation and service delivery strategies. By identifying critical development thresholds and regional variations, this research offers evidence-based support for government officials designing targeted agricultural policies and enterprises developing region-specific service models to foster sustainable agricultural growth across diverse regional landscapes.

The Farmer Marketplace Website is an innovative online platform designed to connect farmers with agricultural service providers, suppliers, and buyers. By offering a comprehensive range of tools and resources such as equipment rentals, agrochemical supplies, financial assistance, warehousing, soil testing services, market rates, and weather forecasts, the platform aims to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and improve profitability within the agricultural community. The agricultural sector in Maharashtra is highly dependent on real-time market data and weather conditions. AgroRate aims to bridge this gap by providing a web application that allows farmers and traders to access daily price updates of vegetables and grains from various bazar samitis (agricultural markets) across the state. The system will feature two panels: one for the bazar samiti administrators and another for farmers. This system will empower Maharashtra's agricultural community by increasing market transparency, supporting better decision-making, and improving farm productivity. AgroRate will not only streamline the pricing process but also provide farmers with critical information, boosting both their incomes and resilience against market volatility and weather conditions

The study looked at how poultry producers in Delta North agricultural zone, Nigeria used social media to access agricultural information. 128 respondents were chosen by simple random sampling (poultry farmers). A standardized questionnaire and interview schedule were used to gather data. The information gathered included details about the socioeconomic traits of chicken producers, their usage of social media sites, and the barriers and enablers to their use of these platforms. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the respondents, 39.10% were women while the majority, 60.90%, are men. 43 years old was the average age that was noted approximately 59.17% of those surveyed. Household size, farm size, and monthly income were 7 persons, 2698 birds, and N162,500 respectively. Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube were shown to have significant levels of usage in the survey. Advertising, education, and the exchange of agricultural knowledge were the main drivers behind the use of social media. According to the hypothesis, there exists a significant association (p < 0.01) between the parameters that enable and restrict the use of social media and the usage level of poultry farmers. The main obstacles to social media use that were noted were high costs of data, inadequate power supply, and inadequate service from network providers. It was suggested that development organizations and Delta North agricultural extension service providers use social media to disseminate agricultural information and offer information that poultry farmers would find useful.

ABSTRACT Purpose The dual provision of technical advisory services and functional capacity development (FCD) services is not sufficient to support agricultural innovations, and needs to be enriched with other services. We explore the coexistence of support models implemented by organisations, in particular to what extent technical advisory services and FCD are combined with other innovation support services (ISS). Design/Methodology/Approach Based on a pre-established typology, we conducted 115 semi-structured interviews with agricultural service providers in Madagascar. Qualitative content data analysis was used to characterise the set of ISS they provide. Findings The results show that technical advisory services remain the most common type of ISS offered, while FCD is less common and is always combined with other ISS. We observed three support models implemented by organisations, depending on the type of organisation. Farmers’ organisations, NGOs and R&D projects have progressed the farthest in the transition by diversifying their offer of ISS. Practical implications We provide policy implications for the national Malagasy advisory strategy that will better account for the pluralism of organisations able to provide different kinds of advisory services and ISS. Theoretical implications We identified three different support models used by organisations that reveal their strategy for supporting innovation. Originality/Value We provide new insights into the pluralism of services offered and identify the organisations that have made the transition from providing ‘classic’ advisory services to providing innovation support services.

Declining soil fertility amid the devastating effects of climate change is a threat to the state of food security in developing countries like Kenya. Enhancing production intervention through sustainable farming practices like integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies has been promoted. However, there is a dearth of knowledge revealing the efficacy of such technologies, especially in dry regions of the country. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of integrated soil fertility management technologies on sorghum productivity in the drier parts of Upper Eastern Kenya. Data was collected from 370 sorghum farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages) and Propensity Score Matching (PSM). The initial PSM stage revealed that various socioeconomic and institutional aspects (subsistence farming, access to extension services, perception of innovations, road infrastructure, ISFM awareness and ISFM costs) influence the adoption decision of ISFM. Further, the findings reveal that farmers who adopted ISFM technologies recorded increased sorghum productivity. Hence, the productivity of adopters was better than that of non-adopters. Improving adoption, therefore requires the facilitation of agricultural institutions and service providers who are key in imparting vital knowledge and creating awareness of productive technologies such as ISFM. Similarly, the results have wider policy effects for agriculture, especially in places where ISFM may be very important for long-term food security and agricultural productivity.

South Africa, a rich tapestry of diverse communities, is home to at least nine major ethnic groups (Zulu, Xhosa, Bapedi [North Sotho], Batswana, South Ndebele, Basotho [South Sotho], Venda, Tsonga, and Swati). Each group, deeply rooted in their culture and traditions, consumes a unique array of foods. Often considered indigenous, these foods are sourced from the wild and grown using traditional production techniques. The literature indicates indigenous foods have been a staple in many parts of the country for centuries. Although this study's findings are based on three districts in northern KwaZulu-Natal, similarities have been noted in previous studies conducted within and across regions, particularly in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The research methodology involved using the Chi-square test method, a correlation analysis, and the computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software package Atlas. Ti. These methods were used to determine the existing relationship between extension services and the production of underutilised indigenous food crops (UIFCs). Theoretical findings then corroborated the statistical data. This research's findings imply that while several agricultural extension service providers (AESPs) advise on the production and utilisation of UIFCs, the inverse was true of others. Participants indicated that much of the knowledge passed to them mainly involved exotic vegetables such as Spinacia oleracea and Brassica oleracea and excluded local foods such as Bidens pilosa and Momordica foetida. One of the emerging themes was AESPs' invisibility in communities, which was found to be a contributing factor to non-inclusive food systems. Thus, the study contributes to the knowledge domain by outlining a need for AESPs' visibility in communities and accentuates opportunities that AESPs miss in not participating in building inclusive food systems. The paper concludes by recommending the inclusion of UIFCs in the continued professional development (CPD) of AESPs, wherein the significance of UIFCs would be enshrined.

The production of foodstuffs, the care of animals, agricultural products, and the preservation of natural resources may all be combined with beekeeping, an environmentally friendly activity. It's easy to integrate with other everyday tasks because it isn't a labor-intensive activity. Given the current state of the economy, it is improbable that farmers did not set aside land for the cultivation of bee flora and/or beekeeping. Following technological intervention in the watershed, the main crops planted there were maize (24.6%), teff (21%), wheat (15.1%), potatoes (20%), and beekeeping (19.8%). These contributed significantly to the watershed's overall economic output. The survey results also showed some of the benefits that the beekeeping industry has to offer, including increased income, better access to nutritional values (honey consumption by family members directly leads to improved feeding habits), improved access to livestock development (buying cows and oxen), ability to pay off debt and save money, purchase of household goods, construction of houses in towns, and similar benefits. All of these show that beekeeping is helping farmers support their way of life. Therefore, the government should support policies that encourage self-employment opportunities in off-farm activities like beekeeping, value chain development, agricultural service provision, and agribusiness activities in order to increase beekeeping productivity and reduce poverty and create jobs. However, it is believed that one million farm households utilize traditional, intermediate, and contemporary hive production methods in their beekeeping businesses. In Ethiopia there are two harvesting seasons for beeswax and honey from October to November and from April to June based on the presence of flowering crops and the potential flowering ability of Eucalyptus tree, respectively. A significant amount of honey is sold in Ethiopia to generate revenue in domestic and export markets.

The adoption of organic fertilizers is essential for advancing China’s green agricultural transformation, ensuring food security, and supporting agricultural adaptations. However, several challenges hinder its widespread use in rural areas. This study examines how part-time farming and agricultural service provision influences organic fertilizer use, employing fixed and random effects models on data from 523 households in Shaanxi Province, one of China’s main apple-producing regions. The results reveal: (1) Part-time farming reduces organic fertilizer use by 7.6%, primarily due to labor shortages; (2) Higher non-farm income exacerbates this decline, particularly for Type II part-time farmers; and (3) Mechanized fertilization services help mitigate this reduction. These findings offer valuable policy insights for promoting organic fertilizer adoption in the context of shifting rural labor dynamics and highlight the complex interactions between farming practices and labor migration in the broader trajectory of organic fertilizer use. Moreover, this study highlights the role of organic fertilizer use in enhancing food security while also helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the crop sector in China.

The study sought to assess effect of stakeholders’ management on programme performance. The unit of analysis was the crop intensification programme in Ngoma district, Rwanda from 2018 to 2023. The study guided by Stakeholder theory, Goal setting theory and Theory of Change. The study adopted a descriptive survey and correlational research design. The population size was 2123 comprising of smallholder farmers (688), farmers in cooperatives (850), agro-dealers (450), agricultural extension service providers (120), agronomists (14) and Director of Agriculture and Natural Resource in Ngoma district (1). The total sample size was 336 respondents. The sampling procedure was purposive and stratified random sampling. A five-point Likert type scale questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. The statistical analysis used for quantitative data were frequencies, percentages, arithmetic means and standard deviations, while the statistical tools employed for inferential statistics were Pearson’s Correlation, ANOVA, coefficients test and Multiple Linear Repression. Fisher (F) and P-values were used to test the null hypotheses. The study findings revealed the R value of 0.846 indicating a strong positive relationship between the predictors and the outcome variables, and the R Square value of 0.768 indicates that approximately 76.8% of the variability in the outcome variable can be explained by the predictors in the model. The coefficients of the predictors indicate their individual effects on the CIP performance. Specifically, stakeholders’ identification (β1=0.716, p=0.002), stakeholders’ negotiation (β2= 0.539, p= 0.011), stakeholders’ participation (β3= 0.627, p= 0.006) and stakeholders’ M&E (β4= 0.685, p= 0.014). This indicates that all the coefficients of the predictors are statistically significant, as indicated by their associated Sig. values below 0.05. In short, the four null hypotheses were tested and rejected to accept the alternative hypotheses. The study concluded that all the independent (predictors) variables of the model specification had the greatest effect on the CIP performance in Ngoma district, Rwanda. The study recommends in the form of policy-making and practices that stakeholders’ negotiation and stakeholders’ M&E should be outlined in a pure and concise blueprint to promote stakeholders’ inclusivity in all stages of CIP activities that aims at ensuring food security countrywide and food supply globally.

Notwithstanding the important role that agricultural services play in cocoa production, not much is known about the drivers of adoption intensity as well as the synergies between these services. This study seeks to fill this void by investigating the drivers of cocoa farmers access to essential agricultural services (ASs) in Sefwi Wiawso municipal of Ghana using cross-sectional data collected from 253 farmers. Multivariate probit (MVP) analysis was used to estimate the determinants of farmers’ access to these services, while generalized Poisson regression model was used to assess the degree of access. The research found that synergies exist between the ASs. Furthermore, factors such as years of education, household size, farm size, involvement in off-farm work, and revenue from cocoa cultivation drive access to ASs. The degree of access is influenced by sex, years of education, farm size, revenue from cocoa production, and the value of farm assets. Also, farmland ownership influenced both access and the degree of access. The study recommends enhancing collaboration between public and private agricultural service providers to improve access to ASs to boost cocoa production in Ghana. Other policy measures include incentivizing extension agents to reach more farmers and encouraging farmers to join farmer groups since these groups are important linkages between farmers and extension agents and researchers.

The paper described the climate-resilient technologies and practices as well as the benefits associated with the adoption of such technologies and practices. The paper explored the role of extension services on how farmers’ resilience can be strengthened to ensure food security in the changing climate in Nigeria. The paper also identified the approaches/strategies to extension services in strengthening the resilience capacity of farmers to climate change. Then, the implications for extension services for strengthening farmers’ resilience to climate change were drawn and presented herein. The paper concluded that, there is a need for agricultural extension service providers to extend their mandates and broaden their scope by connecting and working with multiple actors and groups within and beyond the agriculture sector for collective action in strengthening climate change resilience in the agriculture sector.

Agritourism is growing worldwide as farmers and ranchers seek alternative sources of revenue, and consumer demand for agricultural experiences is on the rise. Understanding this sector is important for policymakers, researchers, agricultural service providers, and others seeking to support farm viability and rural entrepreneurship. However, in the U.S., this support is hampered by the lack of a clear definition and consistent, comprehensive means for measuring the agritourism sector. The best available data for the U.S. are from the quinquennial U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS)’s Census of Agriculture. However, the two questions used by the Census of Agriculture that relate to agritourism are worded in ways that limit a comprehensive understanding of the size and scope of the sector. To illustrate the limitations, we highlight cases from two U.S. states (Texas and Vermont), where different forms of agritourism are present. One such form, hunting, is included in the USDA’s economic assessments of agritourism; another, pick-your-own berries, is not. Along with tastings and purchases of locally grown products, this falls in the category of direct sales. The discrep­ancy can result in misrepresentation and misinter­pretation of the data in analyses and subsequent publications with distorted policy recommenda­tions related to agritourism. We discuss these cases alongside recommendations on how to more accurately measure, and support, agritourism development in the U.S.

ABSTRACT Despite existence of multiple agricultural advisory service providers, there is limited evidence on their contribution to farmers’ productivity. This study applied the multinomial endogenous switching regression model to analyze incremental effects of multiple advisory service providers on the partial and total factor productivities of 665 farmers in Tanzania. The study contributes to the literature by using number of service providers rather than binary or frequency measures of extension access. Results showed that farmers working with two service providers had higher improvement in the productivity of maize as well as all crops grown than those using one, three or four service providers. We recommend targeting of agricultural advisory services to meet specific needs of different crops grown by farmers in various localities, enhanced coordination and monitoring of service providers to enhance the relevance, quality and timeliness of the services provided by different actors so as to improve farm productivity levels.

The research aimed to determine the problems facing agricultural extension service providers to face the effects of climate change, the research community included all workers in the provision of agricultural extension service in the province of Baghdad and distributed to the Department of Agriculture of Baghdad Karkh and agricultural divisions affiliated to it and the Department of Agricultural Extension and Training in the province of Baghdad, the number of (110) individuals. All members of the community were taken as a sample for research due to their small number. To achieve the objectives of the research, a questionnaire was prepared to collect data from the respondents, consisting of (28) items distributed in three areas (problems concerned to farmers, problems concerned to agricultural extension service providers themselves, problems concerned to coordination and government support). The results of the research showed that there are several problems that hinder the workflow of service providers' agricultural extension services in providing their extension services to farmers in the field of facing the effects of climate changes in varying degrees, as the problem of the lack of specialists in agricultural extension in the field of climate changes came in the first place in terms of importance, which got a weighted mean of (3.68) degrees and a weight percentile of (92%), While the problem of extension service providers not having the skills and knowledge in determining the best agricultural practices to face climate change came in the last place in terms of importance, which got a weighted mean of (3.13) degrees with a weight percentile of (78.25%). The researcher recommended the necessity of adopting the research findings regarding the problems faced by agricultural counseling service providers and working on resolving them through the development of a training and educational plan to enhance their skills and capacities in dealing with agricultural challenges associated with climate change. Additionally, it emphasized the importance of governments and financial institutions providing financial and moral support to enhance their ability to deliver effective agricultural counseling services and assist them in tackling the challenges and problems they encounter.

The 2024 Nebraska Custom Rates Report, which offers insights for agricultural producers and service providers, is now available through Nebraska Extension and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability. The report, published at cap.unl.edu/customrates, compiles survey data from 159 respondents, providing current market rates for 138 different custom operations and services across Nebraska. This comprehensive resource serves as an essential guide for those offering and seeking custom agricultural services. While the report offers a detailed overview of market trends, custom service providers are encouraged to consider their own operational costs when determining their rates. Agricultural custom rate charges can vary across the state. Therefore, the Nebraska Custom Rates Report provides rate details from survey responses grouped by Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Districts. Several factors contribute to rate differences reported by survey participants, including field and job sizes, soil conditions and the number of responses for the various operations. Some operators may charge lower than market rate prices to neighbors or relatives. Rates can change from year to year due to expense differences and local market forces. Determining appropriate charges for custom machine hire and agricultural services includes consideration of various elements such as current market rates reported in the custom rates survey report, market demand in the area for specific types of custom work, and availability of services.