Agricultural Assistance Research Articles

AN ANALYSIS OF OVERALL TECHNICAL, PURE AND SCALE EFFICIENCIES OF RICE FARMS IN SATKHIRA DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH: A DATA ENVELOPMENT APPROACH

This study measures efficiency of Aman rice farms and assesses the effect of farm-specific variables on the efficiencies using cross-section data in Bangladesh. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is used to measure the efficiency levels of Aman rice farms in Bangladesh. We used multi-stage sampling technique to collect the data of 455 rice farms using face to face interview method. The results show that the mean overall technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency are 0.75, 0.91, and 0.83, respectively. The beauty of this article is the use of scale efficiency which identifies the three different stages of production. The finding of the scale efficiency shows that about 0.89 percent of the Aman rice farm is operating at economies of scale that is really higher than optimal level. The Tobit regression model is employed in order to assess the cause of inefficiencies of rice farms. The results of Tobit regression implies that agriculture policy variable, farmers having bank account for receiving government agricultural assistance, positively relates to the technical efficiency of Aman rice farms. The policy implication of these findings implies government assistance such as cash incentive, and extension service need to be extended and implemented with proper targeting.

Whether Access to Agricultural AID Improves the Welfare of Farmer Households in Palopo, Indonesia with Budget as a Moderate Variable

Purpose: The agricultural industry significantly contributes to poverty alleviation, particularly in rural regions as opposed to metropolitan ones. Hence, government programs should be able to target the areas afflicted by poverty effectively. Rural regions serve as the hub of commercial operations and play a crucial role in safeguarding and empowering farmers, particularly those who are small-scale. Methodology/approach: This research aims to analyze the access to assistance and agricultural estimates by examining farmers' prescriptions. Data analysis techniques in this study are explanatory, descriptive statistical techniques with quantitative approaches and inferential statistical analysis using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results: The objective is to determine if there is an impact on the growth in farm family welfare in the City of Palopo based on data from 105 farmers. This study utilises a descriptive and explanatory methodology, including quantitative techniques and inferential statistical analysis via Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) utilising Partial Least Squares (PLS). Hypothesis 1: Influence Aid (X) positively and significantly impacts to (Y) Household Welfare is accepted. The outcomes of SEM analysis obtained T statistical = 4.339 > T table = 1.983 and P value = 0.000 < Cut off Value = 0.05. Hypothesis 2: Influence the Aid (X) positively and significantly to (Z) Budget is accepted. The outcomes of the SEM analysis obtained T statistical = 89,957 > T table = 1.983 and P value = 0.000 < Cut off Value = 0.05. Hypothesis 3: Influence the Budget (Z) positively and significantly to (Y) Household Welfare is accepted. The outcomes of SEM analysis obtained T statistical = 2,872 > T table = 1.983 and P value = 0.004 < Cut off Value = 0.05. Hypothesis 4: Influence the Aid (X) positively and significantly to (Y) Household Welfare through Budget (Z) as a moderate variable is accepted. The outcomes of SEM analysis obtained T statistical = 2,830 > T table = 1.983 and P value = 0.005 < Cut off Value = 0.05. Originality/scientific novelty: It was found that the access of farmer group households to agricultural assistance and the sustainable use of budgets and their very effective distribution in general can be said to greatly improve the welfare of farmer group households. This research is topically broader in scope making it very specific based on the scope of sources in Palopo, Indonesia. As far as is known, these results have not been previously reported. Practical value/implications: Management in the distribution of aid and access to agricultural budgets which are very vulnerable to misappropriation by the state apparatus has been identified as not improving the welfare of farmer households. One very effective way is to increase inherent surveillance.

Investigating the Ecological Effects of Agricultural Assistance Schemes in California's Central Valley Area

Investigating the Ecological Effects of Agricultural Assistance Schemes in California's Central Valley Area

Innovative Approaches and Value of Live Streaming for Agricultural Assistance—A Case Study of Douyin Platform

Innovative Approaches and Value of Live Streaming for Agricultural Assistance—A Case Study of Douyin Platform

Research on Agricultural Assistance Live Streaming from the Perspective of Interactive Ritual Chain

Research on Agricultural Assistance Live Streaming from the Perspective of Interactive Ritual Chain

The Effect of Organic Amendments and Minerals on Increasing Soil Fertility (A review )

Sustainable agriculture emphasizes the maintenance and improvement of soil, water, and biodiversity reserves. Cover cropping, conservation tillage, and agroforestry are all examples of soil conservation practices that serve to reduce soil erosion, preserve soil fertility, and enhance soil health. Organic additions and minerals can help the soil produce grapes. Organic fertilizers and minerals can boost grape soil productivity. Organic additions improve physical, chemical, and biological soil properties. These chemicals include a lot of natural nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients. Organic additions include compost, manure, and cover crops. Organic grape additions have many benefits. They improve soil structure and porosity, improving root growth and water penetration. Organic additives promote soil fertility through improving water, nutrient, and other element retention. Minerals may improve soil fertility as much as organics. Minerals are essential to plant growth. Minerals include calcium, magnesium, and sulphur. Magnesium creates chlorophyll for photosynthesis, whereas calcium builds strong cells. Proteins and amino acids, necessary to plant growth, require sulphur. Organic additions and minerals boost grape soil fertility. These compounds improve soil structure, nutrient absorption, and root growth, increasing grape yields and vine health. Remember that minerals and organic additions differ. It’s important to use high-quality materials that meet your soil and crop needs because these resources differ in quality and nutrition. Organic additions and minerals boost grape soil fertility. These compounds improve soil structure, nutrient absorption, and root growth, increasing grape yields and vine health. High-quality merchandise and expert agriculture assistance usually provide the best yields.

Effect of market participation on the food and nutrition security status of the rural smallholder farmers: the case of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa

IntroductionHunger and malnutrition remain serious issues in developing countries, particularly in rural regions. Increased market participation of smallholder farmers can result in improved livelihood and nutrition outcomes. However, smallholder farmers encounter several obstacles that hinder their ability to participate in the market. As a result, the objective of this study is to investigate the factors that influence market participation and its impact on household nutrition security.MethodsThe study relied on secondary data gathered from a sample size of 1,520 people. About 389 of smallholder farmers participated in the market.Results and DiscussionThe results from Food Consumption Score (FSC) cut-off points showed that in the overall sample households, 54% were within the acceptable food consumption diets (>35), while 30 and 16% were in the borderline (21.5–35) and poor diets (0–21), respectively. According to the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) findings, 57% of smallholder farmers in the total population sample consumed highly diverse diets (consisting of at least six food groups), while 25 and 18% of smallholder farmers consumed diets with medium dietary diversity (consisting of 4–5 food groups) and low dietary diversity (consisting of at most three food groups), respectively. The results from marginal analysis showed that gender of household head, receiving social grants and higher wealth index had a positive impact on market participation. The results from Poisson endogenous treatment effect model showed that household size, ownership of livestock, social grant, wealth index, access to market information, and involvement in crop production had a positive and statistically significant impact on household nutrition security. On the other hand, agricultural assistance showed a negative and significant impact on household nutrition security.Conclusion and RecommendationsIt can be concluded that an improvement in agricultural assistance can improve the household nutrition security status. The improvement of agricultural assistance is more associated with improvement of extension services, which can lead to more production of diverse crops and more market participation. Health extension workers need to do more nutrition programs and workshops in rural areas. These programs and workshops will be intended on providing nutrition education, which will create awareness to smallholder farmers on diverse and balanced food items they should produce, sell, and consume.

Empowering Farmers, Enriching Lives: The One Stop Solution for Agricultural Assistance

This paper presents the development and evaluation of an Agriculture Farmer App designed to assist farmers in obtaining personalized scheme allotments based on crop type, income, and land area. The app also incorporates Labor availability nearby to cater to the farmers' specific requirements. The research includes a survey-based analysis to gauge the farmers' preferences and needs. Additionally, the paper outlines the architecture for information dissemination and scheme management system.

Early detection of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) in oranges using different aspects of remote sensing applications

Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) is regarded as an important pest of orange (Citrus). Early detection of pest infestations enables theoptimal application of preventative and control measures. This study was carried out under laboratory conditions, in order to predict and monitor orange pest infestations. Consequently, the scope was to find a remote sensing application that can help in the prediction of Mediterranean Fruit Fly infestation in oranges with the least loss in production. Spectroscopic and thermal imaging techniques were investigated, as effective tools in determination of pest infestation and damage in orange fruits. According to the findings, the optimum spectral zones that can be used to discriminate and differentiate between healthy (non-infected) orange fruit and infected ones were red and near infrared bands. Six vegetation indices were calculated to analyze the Field Spectral measurements. By calculating the NPCI (Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll Index), it was found that NPCI values for infected orange fruits were higher in comparison to healthy ones. Thermal imaging showed that the infected orange fruit temperatures were on average 0.8 °C higher than that of healthy fruits. As the maximum temperature differential (MTD) between healthy and infected fruits were 23.7–24.5 °C, respectively. These spectral reflectance curves were useful for researchers working on Site-specific crop management, as they can use remote sensing to detect individual fruit infections. Also, this technique should be used as a powerful and non-destructive method for assistance in agriculture.

The determinants of crop productivity and its effect on food and nutrition security in rural communities of South Africa.

High crop productivity has the potential to improve the food and nutrition security status of not only smallholder farmers but also households in general. However, smallholder farmers operate in a dynamic environment whereby their crop production is affected by various factors that hinder it from lessening food insecurity and malnutrition in rural areas. The study investigated the determinants of crop productivity and its effect on household food and nutrition security status in South Africa. This study employed a quantitative research method. A total of 1520 households were selected using the multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. Out of the total sample size of 1520, 386 were crop producers, 176 producers were from Mpumalanga province, and 210 producers were from the Limpopo province. Most of the smallholder farmers do not have access to the irrigation system, mechanization, and agricultural inputs. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale showed that most smallholder farmers were food insecure, with 78% of the farmers in each province found to be food insecure. The results from Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) showed that in the overall sampled population, 50% of smallholder farmers had highly diverse diets. Only 50% of the smallholder farmers had high dietary diversity in each province. Irrigation systems and involvement in crop production had a positive influence on the crop productivity of smallholder farmers. The results from the Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) model showed that ownership of livestock, harvest, and disability in the family negatively impacted smallholder farmers' food security status while household size had a positive effect on the food security of smallholder farmers. The results also showed that social grants, agricultural assistance, and harvest had a negative impact on the nutrition status of smallholder farmers. While household size had a positive impact on the nutrition status of smallholder farmers. Factors such as irrigation systems and involvement in crop production influenced crop productivity. Household size influenced the nutritional status of smallholder farmers while harvest size affected the food security status. There is a need to encourage more households to get involved in farming. Government and nongovernmental organizations need to support smallholder farmers with agricultural productive resources like irrigation systems to improve their crop productivity.

Regional Government Strategies in Developing the Regional Development Budget in Overcoming Poverty at Rokan Hulu Regency

This research is related to the Statistics of Riau Province, which noted that the poverty rate has increased from year to year in Rokan Hulu Regency. Poverty that afflicts 74.73 thousand people in Rokan Hulu is the responsibility of the state, including the regional government. The purpose of this study was to determine the strategy of regional government in preparing the Regional Government Budget in Rokan Hulu Regency in completing the mission. This type of research is a qualitative research with an empirical juridical approach. The data used is primary data in the form of interviews with informants and secondary data obtained from literature review in the form of legislation and related documents. It was found that the regional government strategy in preparing the Regional Government Budget to complete the mission in Rokan Hulu Regency was to include special programs for the poor. It takes the form of agricultural assistance, agriculture, plantations and so on. The problem is that some of these aids are not well targeted and there is weak supervision from the regional government. Therefore, it can be said that the regional government of Rokan Hulu has developed a strategy to complete the mission, but in its implementation there are no drawbacks, namely inappropriate assistance and the weakness of local government supervision.

Incorporating Field Experience into International Agricultural Development Programs

Some graduate education programs support experiential learning but do not require practical experiences for students specializing in international agriculture development. We examined U.S. land grant university graduate international agricultural education program descriptions for experiential learning requirements and found them lacking. The literature surrounding volunteerism is reviewed and examples are described. International volunteerism can fill the experience gap for future international agricultural development professionals studying at U.S. land grant institutions. Graduate students can acquire practical field experiences through short- or long-term volunteer assignments, such as those in the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer program for international agriculture development. Graduate students build their capacities by providing technical and agricultural assistance in Farmer-to-Farmer assignments, whereas host country participants enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities to expand and increase agricultural sector productivity. Short-term international volunteer assignments help graduate students gain practical experience, improve interpersonal skills, and enhance cultural competencies. Host communities and volunteers alike benefit by engaging in intercultural exchanges that promote increased understanding of differing societies worldwide.

Investigation on the Current Situation of Mobile Short Video Empowering "Rural Revitalization"

Rural revitalization must be achieved for national rejuvenation. At present, most of the research literature focuses on rural revitalization strategies, "three rural" work, industrial prosperity, and urban and rural development. The author found that with the rapid development of the Internet economy, the Internet has provided another revitalization path for rural revitalization. However, the Internet is a double-edged sword for rural revitalization. After literature research and field surveys, the author found that the organic integration of the new model of "short video" digital agricultural assistance with modern rural areas requires strengthening digital infrastructure and revitalizing rural areas. Multi-channels such as cultural space, improving media literacy, and cultivating the main body of rural revitalization stimulate the internal driving force of rural revitalization.

Strengthening the role of corporate social responsibility in the dimensions of sustainable village economic development

Implementing green growth and digitalization programs as sustainable village economic development dimensions encounter challenges related to human resources, institutional design, and trade-offs between economic growth, environmental sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. This study aims to analyze the role of the green economy and digitalization for sustainable village economic development with corporate social responsibility as a moderating variable. This research is quantitative descriptive research conducted in the province of Bali. Research data using primary sources were collected using a questionnaire with a Likert scale. Respondents in this study were the community and village officials who carried out activities using technical assistance in government activities and agriculture and plantations. The research sample amounted to 98 people using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The research results explain the importance of maintaining sustainable economic growth in the agricultural and plantation sectors in the Province of Bali with good cropping patterns. Green growth and digitalization significantly impact sustainable growth in the economic and financial sectors. Corporate social responsibility can moderate the influence of green growth and digitalization on sustainable village economic development. A green economy ensures that villages can realize economic growth that can reduce poverty and ensure social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and resource efficiency. The digital village program will increase the knowledge and competence of rural communities to use technology in developing their businesses, welfare, and local rural business capabilities. Mainly to improve production, marketing, reputation, and finances to compete with regional and national businesspeople.

Evaluating a global soil moisture dataset from a multitask model (GSM3 v1.0) with potential applications for crop threats

Abstract. Climate change threatens our ability to grow food for an ever-increasing population. There is a need for high-quality soil moisture predictions in under-monitored regions like Africa. However, it is unclear if soil moisture processes are globally similar enough to allow our models trained on available in situ data to maintain accuracy in unmonitored regions. We present a multitask long short-term memory (LSTM) model that learns simultaneously from global satellite-based data and in situ soil moisture data. This model is evaluated in both random spatial holdout mode and continental holdout mode (trained on some continents, tested on a different one). The model compared favorably to current land surface models, satellite products, and a candidate machine learning model, reaching a global median correlation of 0.792 for the random spatial holdout test. It behaved surprisingly well in Africa and Australia, showing high correlation even when we excluded their sites from the training set, but it performed relatively poorly in Alaska where rapid changes are occurring. In all but one continent (Asia), the multitask model in the worst-case scenario test performed better than the soil moisture active passive (SMAP) 9 km product. Factorial analysis has shown that the LSTM model's accuracy varies with terrain aspect, resulting in lower performance for dry and south-facing slopes or wet and north-facing slopes. This knowledge helps us apply the model while understanding its limitations. This model is being integrated into an operational agricultural assistance application which currently provides information to 13 million African farmers.

Experiences of Female-headed Households in the ADRA Cash Transfer Programme in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe

The social, economic, and political crises in Zimbabwe have resulted in extreme poverty and the female-headed families are no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated poverty and food insecurity in rural households. This sudden shock was not anticipated, and many governments failed to sustain livelihoods for smallholder farmers who relied solely on farming activities and selling of farm produce. The state has failed to fulfil its basic mandate of social service provision to the most vulnerable sections of society. Consequently, the Basic Agricultural Assistance programme was introduced as a microeconomic stability tool to buffer income risks faced by the poor. The article aimed to discuss the experiences of female-headed households in the Adventist Development and Relief Agency cash transfer Programme in Nganunu Village in Zvishavane. A phenomenological research approach through an exploratory qualitative research design was used to get in-depth insights on the experiences of female-headed households. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Content thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Findings indicated that despite health, political and economic crises, the implementation of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency cash transfer was a success in bridging the gap left by the collapse of the social welfare system. The cash transfer programme empowered female-headed households to access agricultural inputs timeously. Female-headed households were capacitated to make decisions and improve food security in and to initiate social cohesion with other beneficiaries. The study recommended inter-sectoral collaborations between state and non-state actors for more effective programmes that cushion female-headed households from poverty.

The Effect of Using Digital Marketing Platforms, Optimizing Potential Assets on the Inclusive and Sustainable Economy Improvement

This study aims to analyze the role of the green economy and digitalization for sustainable rural economic development. This research is quantitative descriptive research. The research was conducted in Manistutu Village, Jembrana Regency, Bali Province. Research data using primary sources were collected using a questionnaire with a Likert scale. Respondents in this study were the community and village officials who carried out activities using technical assistance in government activities, tourism, agriculture, and plantations. The research sample amounted to 70 people using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results of the research were conducted to explain the importance of maintaining sustainable economic growth in the tourism, agriculture, and plantation sectors in the Jembrana Regency by using technology. Digital marketing platforms and optimizing the potential of village assets have a significant influence on growth in the inclusive and sustainable economic and financial sectors.

The continued effects of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of vegetable farmers in India.

India experienced a rapid rise in COVID-19 infections from March 2021. States imposed varying levels of lockdowns and curfews to curb the spread of the disease. These restrictions severely affected the functioning of food systems. The objective of this study was to analyze how COVID-19 continues to affect agricultural production, food security and household diets of vegetable farmers. A phone-based survey was conducted with 595 vegetable farmers in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Odisha, 60% of whom had been interviewed a year earlier. Overall, 60% of farmers experienced decreased vegetable production; over 80% reported a reduction in consumption of at least one food group; and 45% reported some level of food insecurity between May 2020 and May 2021. Farmers who reported decreased staples production, difficulty accessing seeds/seedlings, or reduced their household spending were more likely to report decreased vegetable production. Vegetable consumption was positively associated with receipt of COVID-19 relief benefits, borrowing money, or having home gardens. Farmers who received public agricultural assistance, or had reduced expenses, were more likely to have lower vegetable consumption. Greater severity of food insecurity was associated with farmers belonging to underprivileged social groups, non-Hindus, or those who experienced decrease in livestock production, weather related disruptions or received COVID-19 assistance. This is one of few studies that have conducted a longitudinal assessment of the impacts across multiple waves of COVID-19. COVID-19 is seen to be one among several shocks experienced by farm households, and exacerbated existing issues within agriculture and food security. There is a need for public policy support to strengthen both production and consumption of vegetables.

The impact of platform economy on agricultural assistance

The impact of platform economy on agricultural assistance

Local Partisan Biases in Allocations of Foreign Aid: A Study of Agricultural Assistance in India

In principle, aid from donor organizations to developing countries should be based on need and the likelihood of positive impact, but political biases may intrude into decisions about aid allocations. This article elaborates a theory about why a particular form of bias, one based on partisan affiliations, can affect where aid goes and whether the goals of aid are met. Party networks can facilitate coordination of decisions and leverage bureaucratic capacity, but they can also ensure that resources, such as aid, stay in the control of copartisans to boost reelection goals. The empirical analysis evaluates whether partisan bias is evident in the locations and impact of World Bank agricultural aid to India. The authors analyze georeferenced data on aid projects, election results, and cropland coverage at the levels of state parliamentary electoral constituencies and administrative districts from 1995 to 2008. They find that alignment between local legislators and the political parties that govern state and national governments is associated with a greater number of new aid projects and with anomalous changes in cropland coverage. The evidence is consistent with arguments that partisan bias works primarily through patronage to achieve strategic party goals.