Agricultural Support Programs Research Articles

Impact Assessment of Government Funding for Subsistence, Smallholder Farmers, Communities, and Households on Food Security: An Advice for Extension Services

This study examined the impact of government funding on food security for subsistence farming, communities, households, and smallholder farmers in Frances Baard Municipality. Food insecurity has been a global phenomenon that has been on the increase since 2015, and it is thought to be a result of growing conflict, pandemic, and climate-related shocks. The analysis methods employed in this study were mainly cluster and discriminant analysis (DA). Simple random sampling techniques were used to select 533 farmers. The cluster analysis results reveal that Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) occupies the highest rank, followed by a Poverty Relief Programme and Land Restitution programme. In contrast, discriminant analysis (DA) results show that an Agricultural Starter Pack Programme is highly likely to increase the impact of food security in households when other interventions are held constant. The study concludes that to improve the food security of the Frances Baard Municipal District, the government should consistently improve the performance of these programmes. To improve the performance of these programmes, it is therefore recommended that the following programmes be resourced: the Agricultural Starter Pack Programme, Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Poverty Relief Programme (PRP), and Food Parcel Scheme (FPS).

The effects of land direct payment program on farm income and production practices

AbstractMany countries of the world have implemented subsidy programs to maintain a minimum amount of farm production especially for rice. Agricultural support programs usually cause significant fiscal burdens on government budgets. These programs can be generally categorized into decoupled and coupled programs, and one longstanding research interest of previous literature is whether these programs are decoupled or coupled with farm production practices. In Taiwan, a unique land direct payment (LDP) program to rice farms was implemented to ease severe financial burden of the price support program with government purchase. In contrast to production control programs imposing quantity restrictions on farm production, this program is voluntary for rice farms, and participants are paid at a fixed rate per hectare of farmland. This paper examines the impacts of this program on farm income and farm production practices in Taiwan. The causal effect of the program is identified based on the exogenous rollout of the policy across multiple times and areas. We construct a dataset linking nationally representative rice farm surveys over several years and administrative records on program recipients to estimate the local average treatment effect of the program. We find that the effect is 4% of farm income. In addition, program participants rely less on price support programs and produce less rice and use less fertilizer, pesticide, and machinery. Although the LDP reduces rice production, we find that it causes overall government spending on the price support and direct payment programs to increase by 8.7% after the LDP.

State support for agriculture in Ukraine in the post-war period

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to assess the level and trends of state support for agriculture in Ukraine, to determine its post-war measures and programmes and to improve the method of allocating funds among state support programmes at the stage of drafting budget declarations and requests by central and regional executive bodies that implement the agricultural policy.
 Methodology / approach. Analysis and synthesis were used to determine the level of state support for agriculture and its impact on its development. Assessment of the effectiveness of financing individual agricultural support programs was made using regulatory, calculation and constructive methods. Mathematical modelling methods were used to optimise the distribution of budget funds in various areas of state support for rural commodity producers aimed at forming fixed capital. Techniques of the abstract and logical toolkit allowed formulating intermediate and final conclusions. 
 Results. The study focuses on the directions of support for the agricultural sector of Ukraine in wartime and in the post-war period. It was established that in order to resume the operation of agricultural enterprises in the liberates territories, which produce grain and cultivate oil crops, about USD 1.370–1.500 of fixed capital are needed for 1 ha of crops and USD 1.340–1.400 of working capital. It was estimated that in 2023 the lack of working capital in Ukraine for the cultivation of grain and oil crops, with the area of their crops being at the level of 2022, will amount to about UAH 41.5 billion. It is established that support programmes for Ukrainian producers of agricultural products should be developed on the basis of the Roadmap for the Recovery in Ukraine in order to achieve the indicators of the Strategy for Ukraine’s Agro-Industrial Complex Development.
 Originality / scientific novelty. The scientific value of the study is in conducting a comparative assessment of the support of agriculture in Ukraine and the EU in 2019–2021, highlighting measures of state support for the agricultural sector of Ukraine in wartime and in the post-war period. The method of allocation of funds among state support programmes at the stage of drafting budget declarations and requests by central and regional executive bodies that implement the agricultural policy has been improved.
 Practical value / implications. The practical value of this study is the fact that it can be used as a source and tool in the development of relevant plans and programs aimed at the development of agriculture in Ukraine.

Understanding Land-Use Trade-off Decision Making Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process: Insights from Agricultural Land Managers in Zambia

Understanding factors that influence trade-offs between agricultural expansion and forest conservation is important in managing competing land-use objectives. This paper applies elements of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to distinct farming business ownership models in Zambia to gain insights into factors that agricultural land managers take into account when considering land-use trade-off decisions which involve agricultural expansion into natural habitats. Results showed that the market domain was weighted above other domains, followed by the financial domain. When environmental considerations were pitted against other factors such as markets and finance, agricultural land managers were likely to trade off environmental concerns. Furthermore, availability of input subsidies via the agricultural Food Input Support Programme (FISP) influenced the decision to expand, particularly for the small-scale ownership model. This suggests that agricultural policies and strategies aimed at promoting agricultural productivity may require accompanying measures to safeguard forest ecosystems from agricultural expansion. Key differences in the factors influencing expansion decisions were evident among ownership models suggesting that ownership types do have an impact on factors considered. This highlights the need to advance tailored strategies that address differences in priorities and decision making emanating from variations in farming business ownership models.

Состояние и динамика развития сельского хозяйства в Краснодарском крае

The article analyzes the state and dynamics of development in the modern period of agriculture in the Krasnodar Territory, which occupies a leading position in this industry in the country. The dynamics of the volume of production and the index of agricultural production, the balanced financial result – profit for the agro-industrial complex of the region as a whole are studied. The dynamics and structure of grain exports from the region have been studied. Federal and regional agricultural support programs are considered. In general, according to the results of the analysis, there are good results of the development of agriculture in the Krasnodar Territory in recent years, especially in 2022.

The Impact of Government Agricultural Development Support on Agricultural Income, Production and Food Security of Beneficiary Small-Scale Farmers in South Africa

Enormous Literature indicates that agriculture remains a source of livelihood for about 86% of rural people and generates job opportunities for approximately 1.3 billion small-scale farmers and landless workers. Over the past couple of years, the South African government has been offering varied support to households that are engaged in small-scale farming to improve their livelihoods, income and food security. Although the various rounds of the General Households Survey (GHS) gathered information on the type of agricultural support received by the farmers about their food production, agricultural income and food security status, there is still limited pragmatic evidence on the extent to which programme is yielding the intended results. The main aim of the study was to use GHS data spanning the period 2013 to 2016 to assess how government agricultural development support influences the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in South Africa. Using both descriptive analyses with Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Logistics estimations, the result of the study indicates that the proportion of households who have access to the agricultural development support have decreased marginally by two percent from 16% in 2013 to 14% in 2016. The study also reveals that agriculture development assistance given by the South African government is effective in reducing food insecurity, improving agricultural production and income of the beneficiary small-scale farmers. Following the observed marked gender, racial and geographical differences in households’ access to the agricultural development support, the Ministry of Agriculture and its allied ministries and departments responsible for the implementation of the agricultural development support programmes must streamline policies to account for the lack of support to farmers in general. Addressing such differences is necessary to ensure that the programme achieves its intended overall objectives.

Niğde İlinde Koyun Yetiştiriciliği Faaliyetine Yer Veren İşletmelerin Halk Elinde Hayvan Islahı Projesine Yönelik Görüşleri

With this study, for guiding the policies on the protection of native animal genetic resources, the opinions of the sheep breeders about the national sheep and goat breeding program under farmer condition were evaluated within the scope of the purposes and needs of the breeders in Niğde province. The primary data was collected from 108 farms in Nigde Province Center and Bor districts, including 54 farms determined by the stratified sampling method from participated farms in the sheep breeding program and including 54 farms determined by the total population sampling method from not-participated farms in the sheep breeding program. As a result of the study, breeders stated that the main reasons for participating in the project were the ensuring both productivity increase by reducing the number of lamb deaths, and income increase by receiving the support from the project. Breeders stated that the project meets their expectations in a positive way. Approximately two-thirds of the farms not involved in the project were interested in the project, but the farms in this group were not able to participate in the project because they could not meet the project requirements mainly because they made animal production in small family farms by traditional methods. In addition, the study indicated that agricultural support programs to encourage participation in the breeding program were important for breeders. In this context, the support model for reducing costs was selected by breeders as the best criterion in a policy to be implemented for the protection of native animal genetic resources. It is recommended to expand the use of breeding material obtained from the project throughout the country. Besides it is recommended to expand programs in matters related to regular record keeping and animal care, feeding, herd management and health for small family farms.

Зарубіжна практика підвищення доступності продовольчих товарів для різних верств населення в контексті трансформації продовольчих систем в Україні

Goal. To analyze and generalize the foreign practice of increasing the availability of food products for citizens of different categories. To reveal the features of government programs in this area abroad and to form proposals for Ukraine. Methods. The study takes into account the results of their research and the development of well-known agricultural scientists. The study used systematic analysis, synthesis, generalization of information, dialectical scientific knowledge, grouping, and specification. Results. The tools of public policy in some countries of the world, aimed at overcoming the challenges of food availability, are generalized. Within the framework of government measures to increase the availability of food, the leading role is played by social instruments to support effective demand, and increase the physical and economic availability of food products. Government food programs in many countries are integrated or interconnected with government agricultural support programs. The spread of the practice of targeting government programs to increase the availability of food products to maintain the sustainability of small farms has been proven. Methodological aspects of the implementation of government programs of food aid to the population are analyzed. Examples of the organization of the system, forms and methods of supply of food kits, the institutional framework, and content of such targeted support programs are given. Conclusions. In contrast to most countries, Ukraine has poorly developed tools to increase the availability of food for vulnerable populations. Resolving the issue of food availability in Ukraine requires the implementation of a systematic approach through the simultaneous implementation of targeted programs, and local development tools and promoting the formation of direct contracts between consumers and producers of food products.

Situating in Place Indigenous Engagements in Capitalist Market Relations

We use a decolonial approach to political economy and a social conceptualization of space to examine how Indigenous cultural understandings and knowledge mediate market rationalities in context. Indigenous Awajún notions of tajimat pujut (life in abundance) and their horticulturalist practices are embedded in a relational ontology that situates humans as part of the ecosystem in the Peruvian Northwest Amazon. As the Awajún are increasingly incorporated into market economies, these notions and practices interact and, at times, converge with the instrumental rationalities of neoliberalism and notions of sustainability and equity that are embedded in local agricultural support programs. We detail these interactions by drawing on ethnography and secondary sources. In the case of the Awajún, we find that Indigenous rationalities are not entirely subsumed by neoliberalization. To the contrary, Awajún values of tajimat pujut and their relationship with the Amazonian territory mediate, transform, and delimit neoliberal governmentality practices. These discourses and relations coexist in tension with an emerging marketization of the Amazon, and are being reworked through contradictions that shape Indigenous productive decisions and impact the sustainability of the forest. Marketization creates opportunities for the native population to obtain income while promoting capital circulation in neighboring markets and amplifying nascent inequalities. Tajimat pujut resonates with discourses and policies relating to pro-poor sustainable local development, producing an Awajún preference for small crop production and aversion to forest depletion, contrary to mestizo preferences for intense monoculture. In this way, neoliberalization is rendered incomplete even as market relations are increasingly incorporated into Awajún economic practices.

A Policy Evaluation of the Anchor Borrowers Programme and Smallholder Farmers in The Federal Capital Territory, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

The paper has carried out an evaluation of the Anchor Borrowers programme of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari implemented through the Central Bank of Nigeria. this agricultural support programme was established in 2015, an agricultural policy, which is targeted at assisting the small-scale farmers in different forms so as to boost their productivity, income improvement, reduce unemployment and above all achieve food security. The desire of this paper is to attempt an in-depth study as regards the effect of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme on smallholder farmers and food security in Nigeria. This study relied on both primary and secondary data. Questionnaire was used to source the primary data and was administered to respondents in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The theoretical frameworks adopted for this study were modernization theory and Keynesian theory of economic development. It was discovered that the introduction of the anchor borrowers’ programme was with very good intentions by the Federal government of Nigeria (FGN) and as such the necessary tools were put in place for the implementation. The study concludes that Anchor Borrowers’ Initiative has empowered smallholder farmers in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja towards boosting farmers’ productivity and achieving food security even in the face of confrontational challenges. The paper recommended that loans should be directly given to farmers instead of through politicians and farmers should be more sensitized on the scheme in the remote villages so that they could benefit more from this initiative.

Government Agricultural Support Programs and Livelihood of Smallholder Vegetable Farmers in Kampala, District Uganda

This article explores government agricultural support programs and livelihood of smallholder vegetable farmers in Kampala district Uganda. Climate variability is a reality and poses severe effects on societal economy. The agriculture sector in developing countries will be hard hit because it is mostly rain-fed. The poor in such countries will face the brunt of climate variability because they are poor and less able to cope with its effects. Government agricultural programs may help smallholder farmers cope with climate variability and thus protect livelihood. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and complimented by face- to- face interviews. In this paper, multiple linear regression was used to analyze the effect of government agricultural support programs and livelihood of smallholder vegetable farmers. The results showed that out of 201 farmers only 16 (8.0%) received government support and was received in form of subsidized credit, agricultural inputs, agriculture training, extension services and market support. Correlation analysis using Pearson Correlation Coefficient showed a significant positive and weak correlation (r =0.423, p=0.000) between government support programs and livelihood of farmers. Whereas multiple linear regression results revealed that government agricultural support programs (β2= -0.037 and p>0.05) did not have a significant effect on livelihood of smallholder vegetable farmers. Consequently, the paper recommends increasing accessibility and affordability of government programs. Secondly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and NAADS should provide provide agricultural support as a full package to farmers.

Situating in Place Indigenous Engagements in Capitalist Market Relations

We use a decolonial approach to political economy and a social conceptualization of space to examine how Indigenous cultural understandings and knowledge mediate market rationalities in context. Indigenous Awajún notions of tajimat pujut (“life in abundance”) and their horticulturalist practices are embedded in a relational ontology that situates humans as part of the ecosystem in the Peruvian Northwest Amazon. As the Awajún are increasingly incorporated into market economies, these notions and practices interact and, at times, converge with the instrumental rationalities of neoliberalism and notions of sustainability and equity that are embedded in local agricultural support programs. We detail these interactions by drawing on ethnography and secondary sources. In the case of the Awajún, we find that Indigenous rationalities are not entirely subsumed by neoliberalization. To the contrary, Awajún values of tajimat pujut and their relationship with the Amazonian territory mediate, transform, and delimit neoliberal governmentality practices. These discourses and relations coexist in tension with an emerging marketization of the Amazon, and are being reworked through contradictions that shape Indigenous productive decisions and impact the sustainability of the forest. Marketization creates opportunities for the native population to obtain income while promoting capital circulation in neighboring markets and amplifying nascent inequalities. Tajimat pujut resonates with discourses and policies relating to pro-poor sustainable local development, producing an Awajún preference for small crop production and aversion to forest depletion, contrary to mestizo preferences for intense monoculture. In this way, neoliberalization is rendered incomplete even as market relations are increasingly incorporated into Awajún economic practices.

Economic efficiency analysis of small-scale tomato farmers in Greater Letaba Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

This paper analysed the economic efficiency of small-scale tomato farmers in the Greater Letaba municipality of South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Primary data were collected from 68 tomato farmers based on structured questionnaires and using convenience and purposive sampling procedures. The Cobb-Douglas production function was used to analyse the level of economic efficiency. The study utilised the output approach, where the output achieved by the farmers is compared to the maximum output attainable using the given inputs. The empirical results reveal that mean technical, allocative, and economic efficiency levels are at 0.95, 0.41 and 0.39, respectively. The study also found that land (farm size), seedlings, labour, pesticides and water have a positively significant relationship with the production of tomatoes in the study area. Therefore, it is recommended that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development provide farmers with enough extension services by employing more extension personnel. Government programmes such as the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme should be intensified – through the pillar of training and capacity building – to reach the small-scale farmers in the municipality, whereby farmers should be provided with training on the recommended minimum and maximum application of inputs like pesticides, fertilisers, seedlings and water in tomato production.

Analysis of Risk Coping Strategies Among Catfish Farmers in Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Nigeria

The aim of this study was to analyse the risk coping strategies among catfish farmers in Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained from 100 catfish farmers with the aid of a pre-tested questionnaire and focus group discussion using multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and multivariate probit regression model were employed for data analysis. Results revealed that majority (68.1%) of the respondent were male with a mean age of 41 years and a mean stock size of 1130. The major sources of risks in the study area were fluctuation in price (89.4%), cost and quality of feed (79.8%), high cost of labour (76.6%), quality of fingerling (75.6%), bird invasion (75.6%) among others. Reduced volume of stock (87.2%), treated pond before stocking (77.7%), purchased good feed quality (74.5%), and used personal savings (72.3%) were the major coping strategies adopted by the farmers in the study area. The estimate of the multivariate probit regression model revealed that sex, age, education, household size, catfish experience, start-up capital, farming status, membership of cooperative association and access to loan were the factors determining the adoption of risk coping strategies in the study area. Therefore, government, both at the federal and state level should intensify efforts at implementing the various agricultural support programs such as anchor borrowers, poverty alleviation fund and other subsidy programs that can help the farmers expand their capital base and better cope with risk in the study area.

Do agricultural support and cash transfer programmes improve nutritional status?

AbstractAgricultural support and cash transfer programmes are both used to improve nutrition outcomes in developing countries. Our review of both programmes based on a literature search of over 22 000 articles in 8 databases has four key findings. First, these programmes often increase total food consumption, but half of agricultural programmes do not measure changes in total food consumption; (2) over 20% of cash transfer programmes fail to improve the quantity of food consumed, though (3) both programme types improved the quality of food consumption. Finally, (4) both programme types show weak evidence of improvements in micronutrients and anthropometric outcomes.

River Basin Management Planning in the Republic of Ireland: Past, Present and the Future

The River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) is an essential component of the European Union Water Framework Directive that details an integrated approach required to protect, improve and sustainably manage water resources. RBMP were intended to be produced for the periods 2009–2015, 2016–2021 and 2022–2027. However, after two years of delays in the development processes, the Republic of Ireland produced its first RBMP in 2010. The second RBMP cycle was also implemented in 2018 and is expected to run until the end of 2021 to give way to the third RBMP, whose consultation processes have been ongoing since December 2019. This paper contributes to the forthcoming RBMP by assessing stakeholders’ perspectives on the second RBMP through a desk-based review and by conducting interviews with nine institutions (14 interviewees). The qualitatively analysed interviews reveal a broad spectrum of actors associated with water management and governance in the Republic of Ireland through a three-tier governance structure that has been delivered (with amendment) through the first two RBMPs. Organisations such as the An Fóram Uisce|The Water Forum, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Local Authority Waters, and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme have responsibilities designated in the RBMPs to deliver improved water quality, integrated catchment management, community engagement and awareness-raising. Trust has also been building up among these organisations and other agencies in the water sector. Despite these responsibilities and progress made, the interviews identified communication lapses, ineffective collaboration and coordination among stakeholders and late implementation to be hampering the successful delivery of the second RBMP, in addition to significant pressures acting on water bodies from agricultural activities and urban wastewater treatment. Towards the third RBMP, the paper concludes that optimised water sector finance, enhanced and well-resourced communications, and improved stakeholder collaboration are needed to foster effective and efficient water services delivery and quality. More so, given the cross-cutting impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on water resources and the interconnected relations among the goals, the paper further recommends the integration of the SDGs in the various plans of actions and a co-benefits approach to derive the triple benefits from biodiversity, climate change initiatives and water quality measures.

Spatial Targeting of Agricultural Support Measures: Indicator-Based Assessment of Coverages and Leakages

Agricultural support programs distribute payments to farms based on a diverse set of policy objectives. Adequate targeting of this support to priority areas is key to efficient and effective policy. We evaluated the targeting strategy of a national-level program in Mexico that distributed support based on seven criteria that prioritized poor smallholder farming communities at high risk of cropland failure. We used a series of logistic models to assess the coverage and leakage rates of the program’s targeting strategy and found rates of about 80 and 20 percent, respectively. We also found significant differences between the targeting priorities specified in program rules and the observed distribution of support measures. In general, the program favored arid and semi-arid regions at high risk of soil erosion but neglected smallholder farms in high-poverty regions with elevated rates of cropland failure. Our findings highlight the continued lack of financial support for smallholder agriculture in Mexico, despite program rules and priority statements that stress the vulnerability of this sector. This study also illustrates the important role of spatial targeting in better aligning agricultural support payments with stated policy priorities. This alignment is often overlooked in ex-post assessment, but it is critical for improving targeting precision, equity, and overall policy effectiveness.

Do Farm Subsidies Improve Labour Efficiency in Farms in EU Countries?

Purpose: Agricultural support programmes most commonly aim at attaining higher production of raw food materials or supporting processes resulting in agricultural yield. One of the most important challenges is to increase labour productivity, thanks to which working in the agricultural sector may be attractive in comparison with working in the non-agricultural sector. In literature, in the scope of agricultural economy, there is a lack of consistent results concerning the relation between the level of subsidies for operational activity and labour productivity in agriculture. The question arises whether or not subsidies for agriculture help achieve the intended results in the form of an increase in labour productivity. This reasoning gave rise to this study, which aimed at indicating the directions and strength of association between subsidies for operational activity on farms expressed per one employed and the attained labour productivity. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was carried out for EU countries divided into quartile groups defined according to labour productivity. Data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network for the period 2013-2018 were applied, and for analysis the panel regression method (with random effects) was used. Findings: It was found that together with an increase in labour productivity, the direction and the strength of impact of direct subsidies also altered. On farms of countries with a lower labour productivity, no significant relation was found. However, for the quantile groups Q2 and Q3, an increase in the level of labour productivity resulted in a positive, yet decreasing impact of subsidies. On farms of countries with the lowest labour productivity, a negative impact of subsidies was observed. Practical Implications: The conducted analysis gives reason to state that farms that have attained a high level of development, subsidies do not lead to a further growth of productivity, but only support the maintenance of the same level of farm income. Originality/value: The assessment of whether and under what conditions the subsidies bring the intended effects allows for a change in the directions of support in order to obtain better effects from spending public funds. The research was conducted for a long period of time for a group of all EU countries.

Comprehensive agricultural support programme as the prime mover of agricultural development agenda in South Africa

The agricultural support initiatives in South Africa are numerous and are aimed at reducing poverty. One of these progressive support initiatives for agricultural development in South Africa is the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP). The paper examined the various levels of investments in CASP, evaluated the prospects and challenges, and bench marked the national and provincial investment and implications for extension in South Africa. For the purpose of this study, qualitative methods involving the review of government commissioned reports, working papers, key debates on CASP, online sources, books, peer reviewed journals, etc. were used. The study found that prioritisation of resource allocation is essential in supporting long-term government investments for CASP. The gap in knowledge and information regarding the nature and status of CASP in agricultural development cannot be overemphasised. Reflecting on the findings, a coordinated policy environment to allow the support and participation of the private business investors to fill the investment gap in agriculture is recommended. Furthermore, investing in the prime movers of agriculture: agricultural research and development, human capital development, biophysical capital formation, and improved institutions remains distinctive.

Assessment of the nature and various assistance rendered to farmers by agricultural transformation agenda support programme Phase-1 in Sokoto state, Nigeria

Assessment of the nature and various assistance rendered to farmers by agricultural transformation agenda support programme Phase-1 in Sokoto state, Nigeria