Farming Experience Research Articles

Assessing the economic viability and factors affecting farmer adoption of black soldier fly larvae as broiler feed in Bangladesh: a comparative analysis

Despite its impressive economic growth, Bangladesh faces a persistent malnutrition challenge, costing over US$1 billion annually. The broiler industry plays a vital role in addressing nutritional needs by providing essential protein through meat and eggs. However, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in this sector struggle with high feed prices, impacting their profitability and growth. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional poultry feed, addressing both rising costs and environmental impacts. This study examined different aspects of BSFL, such as broiler feed, and farmers' perceptions of them in some selected areas of the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. A total of 60 respondents from three subdistricts in Sylhet district were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, discriminative power value, binary logistic regression model, and profitability equation. Among the respondents, 70% (42) had a favorable attitude toward BSFL, and 30% (18) had a highly favorable attitude towards BSFL. Among eight socioeconomic attributes examined for the likeliness of adopting BSFL as broiler feed, the respondents' average income (p < 0.01), years of schooling (p < 0.05), and years of broiler farming experience (p < 0.01) were found to be significant. Further, farms using 50% BSFL and 50% traditional feed had a net return of BDT (Bangladeshi Taka) 35,045.67 (USD 419.71), higher than those using traditional feed, which had a net return of BDT 29670.67 (USD 355.38). Further, farms using 50% BSFL and 50% traditional feed had a benefit–cost ratio (BCR) of 1.16, compared to other farms with a BCR of 1.11. The study also found some problems causing slow growth in the adoption rate of BSFL in the study region, such as lack of training programs, extension campaigns, the uncertainty of input supply, and financial assistance. The study suggests making adequate measures to raise awareness about the profitability of BSFL as broiler feed, conducting training at the root level, and making inputs easily available to farmers.

Review of the facilitators and barriers to adoption of biofortified foods and food products.

Biofortification - the process of increasing the concentrations of essential nutrients in staple crops - is a means of addressing the burden of micronutrient deficiencies at a population level via existing food systems, such as smallholder farms. To realise its potential for global impact, we need to understand the factors that are associated with decisions to adopt biofortified crops and food products. We searched the literature to identify adoption determinants, i.e. barriers to (factors negatively associated) or facilitators of (factors positively associated) adoption, of biofortified crops and food products. We found 41 studies reporting facilitator(s) and/or barrier(s) of adoption. We categorised the factors using the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research 2.0, resulting in a set of factors that enable or constrain adoption of biofortified foods across twenty-four constructs and five domains of this meta-theoretical determinant framework from implementation science. Facilitators of orange sweet potato adoption included knowledge about importance, relative advantage, efficient production and management practices; barriers included lacking timely access to quality vines and market remoteness (28 studies total). Facilitators of vitamin A cassava adoption included awareness of its benefits and access to information; barriers included poor road networks and scarcity of improved technology including inadequate processing/storage facilities (8). Facilitators of high-iron bean adoption included farmers' networking and high farming experience; barriers included low knowledge of bean biofortification (8). Barriers to vitamin A maize adoption included low awareness and concerns regarding yield, texture and aflatoxin contamination (1). These barriers and facilitators may be a starting point for researchers to move towards testing implementation strategies and/or for policymakers to consider before planning scale-up and continuous optimisation of ongoing projects promoting adoption of biofortified crops and food products.

FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI IMPLEMENTASI PEMANFAATAN LIMBAH PETERNAKAN SAPI POTONG DI KECAMATAN SUWAWA SELATAN

Cattle farming needs to prioritize sustainable waste management. The productivity of beef cattle farming is not yet fully maximized because it still uses conventional farming practices. The objectives of the study: (1) to identify the characteristics of beef cattle farmers in South Suwawa District and (2) to examine the factors that influence the implementation of farmers in waste utilization. The study used a sample of 60 farmers through accidental sampling. This study used the SPSS 23 Program with multiple regression analysis. The results of the study showed (1) age, education, gender, occupation, and experience of cattle farmers have an impact on the management of waste utilization efforts and (2) the significance test (t-test) and (f-test) showed that the variables representing the knowledge aspect (X1) and attitude aspect (X2) did not have a statistically significant or real effect. Although environmental factors (X3) have the same impact. The importance of farmer behavior in increasing understanding and changing attitudes to minimize environmental pollution and contribute to achieving zero waste goals.

RISIKO USAHATANI TOMAT (LYCOPERSICUM ESCULENTUMMILL) DI KECAMATAN LEMBAH GUMANTI KABUPATEN SOLOK (Risks of Tomato (Lycopersicum Esculentum) Farming in Lembah Gumanti District Solok Regency)

This study aims to determine analyze the characteristics of tomato farmers, analyze the income of tomato farmers and analyze the risk level of tomato farming in Lembah Gumanti District, Solok Regency. The method used in this study is quantitative descriptive The analysis used is income, variety, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and lower limit. The respondents who were sampled were 40 farmers with a population of 423 farmers and were selected randomly (proportional random sampling). The results showed that the characteristics of tomato farmers have a productive age of 25 to 48 years, a low level of education, farmers who already have long farming experience. The amount of cash costs incurred by farmers is IDR 6,456,733.33 / MT and the calculated costs are IDR. 4,919,309.63/MT with revenue of Rp 23,608,331.25/MT so that cash income is Rp 17,209,386.82/MT and total income is Rp 12,290,077.19/MT. Tomato farming has a production risk level with a KV value of 10.39, price risk with a KV value of 18.56, and income risk with a KV value of 13.36 with a lower income limit of Rp 10,450,763.47 where this figure will indicate the amount of loss that will be experienced by tomato farmer

Socioeconomic Drivers of Food Insecurity Among Rural Households: Evidence from Participating Farmers in the Integrated Rice-Fish System in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Nigeria has been facing a food crisis problem, with most of the poor population having limited access to adequate quantity and quality food. Food security reflects the stability of food supply, availability of, and access to food, and affects the amount of food consumed, which has implications for the population’s health. Thus, this study examined the socio-economic drivers of food security among smallholder rice farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Primary data was collected under the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish (Integrated rice-fish farming system) funded by USAID through a three-stage sampling technique. Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) and the Endogenous Switching Regression model were applied in the data analysis. The mean per capita household food expenditure is N 2,456.42, and the food security line is N 1,026.43. The food security measure shows that 46.67 percent of the households experience the incidence of food insecurity, 24.6 percent point is the food insecurity depth, and 17.2 percent point is the severity of food insecurity. The ESR model shows that the drivers of food security are access to credit, marital status, farming experience, primary occupation, education, and farm size. The study proposed implementing more developmental programmes that focus on poverty alleviation, which should be gender inclusive with an option of credit support to the rice farmers.

Modeling the critical causal factors of postharvest losses in the vegetable supply chain in eThekwini metropolitan municipality: The log-linear regression model

Vegetables, rich in essential bioactive compounds, are crucial for human health and vital to the global food system. However, the supply chain for vegetables is intricate, marked by product seasonality, demand variability, and limited shelf life. These factors contribute to significant losses, with 44 % of global vegetable production wasted at various stages in the food chain. Postharvest losses (PHLs) are a considerable issue, posing risks to food security and economic sustainability. Despite numerous interventions aimed at reducing PHLs, a comprehensive understanding of the primary causes remains insufficient, preventing the implementation of practical solutions. The study investigates the factors causing PHLs in the vegetable supply chain. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from 238 farmers. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and a multi-stratified random sampling method. Descriptive statistics and log-linear regression were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that 56 % of the farmers were women, with an average age of 45 and a household size of five. Most farmers had completed 12 years of education, with 76 % being unemployed and 78 % depending on farming as their primary source of income. The regression analysis showed that age, distance to markets, and lack of transportation were significant factors at the 1 % level. In contrast, education, farming experience, market access, and weather conditions were significant at the 5 % level. The study recommends policies promoting innovative postharvest technologies alongside investment in infrastructure to mitigate these losses.

Determinants of crop insurance participation of farming households in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam in climate change context

Abstract Agricultural insurance has been implemented in many countries around the world to reduce risks for farming households. In Vietnam, agriculture is the most important industry but is heavily affected by natural disasters and climate change. This study aimed at assessing farmers’ awareness of climate change and analyzing factors affecting agricultural insurance participation of farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The research applied utility theory to build empirical model. We collected primary data from a survey of 400 farming households in Tra Vinh province. Households were selected stratifiedly in 4 coastal districts and then drawn randomly from household lists of communes. The research results showed that the majority of people were aware of climate change trends locally and its impacts on agricultural production. Logit regression model indicated that there were 8 main factors affecting household’s participation in crop insurance including age, gender, farming experience, education level, access to insurance information, civic organization membership, fund borrowing and household size, of which access to insurance information had strongest impact. The study proposed some specific management implications including (i) raising farmer awareness about agricultural insurance through official information channels such as television, radio, as well as informal information through social networks; (ii) strengthen the role of local civic organizations, especially extension services in disseminating information and supporting insurance purchasing activities for farmer households and; (iii) support farmers in part with insurance fees or allow access to small credit from State programs to enhance the participation of agricultural insurance.

Determinants of the factors affecting the governance structure choice of the pineapple value chain: A case study on market-based agroforestry in Bangladesh

This study examines the governance structures selected by pineapple farmers in the agroforestry system of Bangladesh and the determinants that impact their choices for these structures. To evaluate the factors influencing farmers' decisions to participate in spot markets, bilateral agreements, or association transactions, the study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative approaches, including surveys of 200 farmers, 15 focus group discussions (FGDs), and 2 key informant interviews (KIIs). In order to choose individual participants, the study employed a stratified random sampling technique. Utilising a multivariate probit (MVP) model, the study reveals crucial factors like age, education, farming experience, farm size, market certainty, weather influence, market connection, and pre-delivery conditions. Analysis indicates that spot market is the most favored governance structure (GS) among the three options in the agroforestry system, followed by bilateral transactions and association agreements. Evidence suggests that younger and less educated farmers tend to favor associations, whereas more experienced farmers tend to favor bilateral partnerships. Farms of bigger size typically refrain from joining groups, and unfavorable weather circumstances decrease the probability of engaging in spot markets. The study also demonstrates that robust market links exert an impact on the selection of governance frameworks. Considering the results, the study suggests enhancing training programs to facilitate farmers' understanding and involvement in associations, motivating farmer associations to appeal to larger farms and small farmers, and enhancing market information systems to establish robust market connections.

Economic study of Binadhan-22 production in some selected areas of Bangladesh

This study was conducted in four districts of Bangladesh, namely Mymensingh, Bogura, Naogaon and Rangpur to estimate the profitability and factors affecting gross return of the variety. This study was based on primary data which were collected from 200 Binadhan-22 growing farmers. In the sampled areas data were collected through pre-designed interview schedule from January-February, 2023. Tabular, descriptive statistics and Cobb-Douglas production function model were used to fulfill the objectives. It was found that Binadhan-22 production is profitable. The average net return per hectare was Tk. 28876. The net return was highest in Rangpur (Tk. 32480/ha) followed by Naogaon (Tk. 28554/ha), Mymensingh (Tk. 27331/ha) and Bogura (Tk. 27139/ha), respectively. Benefit cost ratio was estimated at 1.39 and 2.04 on full cost and variable cost basis. Cobb-Douglas production function was chosen to determine the factor affecting gross return of Binadhan-22 production. All of the factors namely, human labour cost, power tiller cost, seed cost, fertilizer cost, irrigation cost, insecticides cost were statistically significant and positive. The regression coefficients for farming experience and agricultural training under all areas had negative but significant relationship at 5% and 10% level, respectively. The regression coefficient of age was positive and significant at 10% level. Under all areas, the regression coefficients of education and farm size were positive but not significant. Farmers faced some constraints in cultivating of the variety. The first ranked constraint was lack of availability of seeds (93%). Other constraints were lack of training (61%), lack of capital (38%) and lack of technical know-how (16%). In addition to helping farmers use a better combination of inputs that will create higher productivity and return, effective extension services may also assist farmers in cultivating rice in a way that will contribute to food security and self-sufficiency. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Agric, 38(1): 81-91, 2024

Determinan Keputusan Petani Mengelola Usahatani Padi Di Lahan Suboptimal

The conversion of paddy fields seriously impacts rice availability for national food reserves, so the government is implementing a sub-optimal land extension program. Indonesia has suboptimal land that has the potential to become a national rice barn if appropriately managed. The types of suboptimal land most widely used in rice cultivation are lowland and tidal swamps, where the community can work. This research analyzes the determinants of rice farmers' decisions in managing suboptimal land. This research was conducted in West Tanjung Jabung Regency, Jambi Province, with a sample of 90 rice farmers. Data were analyzed using the multinomial logistic regression method. The determining factors are seen from the demographic and economic aspects. The research results show that factors that significantly influence farmers' decisions to choose tidal land from the demographic aspect are age and farming experience; from the economic element are the number of family dependents, land ownership status, and non-farming income. The significant determining factors in farmers' decisions to manage lowland swamp land from the demographic aspect are age and farming experience, and from the economic element are the number of family dependents and non-farming income. From the research, recommendations that can maximize the use of suboptimal land are increasing promotion and education to the community about rice cultivation on suboptimal land, providing easy access for farmers to rent land, and it is hoped that farmers will continue to have non-farming income to balance household needs and procurement of capital and farming input.

Analisis Faktor-Faktor Yang Memengaruhi Keputusan Pembelian Pupuk Anorganik (Kasus : Desa Srimulyo Dan Sukodono, Kecamatan Dampit)

Inorganic fertilizers are currently still widely used and are the main choice for farmers because they can increase crop productivity. Companies need to pay attention to consumer orientation, which is related to how to find the target market, needs and convince consumers to make a purchase. This study aims to analyze the influence of brand image, price, review, ecology, and credibility on the decision to purchase inorganic fertilizers by coffee farmers. The locations taken are Srimulyo and Sukodono villages, Dampit District, considering that the village is the largest coffee-producing village in Malang. Purposive sampling was used for sampling as many as 35 coffee farmers with the provision of using and purchasing inorganic fertilizers. The data used in the study is primary data collected through surveys with observations, interviews, questionnaires and documentation. The research uses SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) data analysis with the PLS (Partial Least Square) approach, and conducts data analysis with the help of SmartPLS 4.0 software. The results of the analysis of respondent characteristics showed that most coffee farmers were dominated by men and the level of education of farmers varied from elementary to bachelor's degree. Most of the respondents' farming experience was from 1 to 50 years with a maximum land area of 2 ha. Testing the inner model obtained a determination coefficient (R-Square) of 60.1% brand image, price, reviews, ecology, and credibility were able to explain the influence on the decision to purchase inorganic fertilizers by farmers. The results of bootstrapping data showed that brand image and ecological had a significant negative effect and reviews had a significant positive effect on the decision to purchase inorganic fertilizers. Factors that do not affect the decision to buy inorganic fertilizers are price and credibility

Determinan Yang Memengaruhi Pemilihan Saluran Pemasaran Kopi Robusta Di Kabupaten Malang

The demand for coffee in Malang Regency by determining the quantity of commodities is very dependent on the marketing subsystem. Robusta coffee marketing channels in Malang Regency include marketing institutions, namely small traders, sub-district collectors and large traders. Coffee marketing is dominated by small traders. This research aims to analyze the determinants that influence the choice of marketing channels for Robusta coffee in Malang Regency. The location of this research was carried out in two villages, namely Srimulyo Village and Sukodono Village, Kec. Dampit, Kab. Poor. The respondents in this research were Robusta coffee farmers in two villages in a total of 60 respondents. Marketing agency respondents were then determined using snowball sampling techniques. Snowball sampling method by collecting data based on information from previous respondents based on existing marketing patterns in Malang Regency. This research uses multinomial logit analysis by determining efficient marketing channels as a reference variable. Based on the results of marketing channel analysis, it was found that there are 5 marketing channel patterns. Marketing channel 1 consists of 27 farmers and the largest channel choice is 45%, while the results of the marketing efficiency analysis show that channel 5, namely direct farmers to wholesalers, is the most efficient. Marketing channel 5 consists of 11 farmers with a percentage of 18.3%. The results of the research show that 3 variables influence the choice of marketing channels, namely production volume, farming experience, and education level. Suggestions from research for extension workers and local governments need to assist farmers regarding financing and coffee market information so that marketing channel choices are more varied.

Unraveling the Dynamics of Rice Yield in the Zio River Valley, Togo: A thorough analysis of influencing factors

Despite Togo's rice production potential, local production only meets 32% of demand, mainly due to relatively low agricultural productivity. With the aim of improving this situation, this study was undertaken to analyze the factors influencing rice production in the Zio River Valley, which is one of Togo's largest rice-growing areas. Data collected from 413 farmers in the region were analyzed using the Cobb-Douglas production function, incorporating variables such as income, farm size, chemical fertilizer use, organic fertilizer use, pesticide use, group membership, experience, education level, gender, access to credit, access to agricultural advice, age, continuous access to water and marital status. The results indicate that only certain factors, such as farm size, income, amount of chemical fertilizer, use of organic fertilizer and experience, have a significant positive impact on paddy rice production, furthermore the No-formal education farmers show a decrease in production. This study will guide decision-makers and farmers in adopting more effective farming practices to significantly improve rice production in Togo. Emphasis should be placed on aspects such as farm size, income, fertilizer use and experience to boost rice productivity.

Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices in the Case of Ilu Aba Bora Zone, South West Ethiopia

To overcome the challenges of climate change, this study was intended to identify factors that affect the farmers’ adoption of CSA in the Ilu Aba Bora Zone of Southwest Ethiopia across varying agro-ecological zones. A mixed research design was used for this study. During this study, representative districts (Bure, Hurumu, and Nono Sale) were selected purposely based on their differences in agro-ecology, while rural kebeles and respondents were selected randomly from the districts to minimize the biases of the data. Data collection tools employed were a questionnaire, KKI, FGD, and field observations. A binomial logistic regression model was used to identify the interaction of response and explanatory variables and to draw a conclusion. The findings of this study revealed the majority (63.1%) of farmers did not have an understanding of the meaning, function, and goals of CSA practices. Existing CSA options in the study area were conservation agriculture, crop diversification, agro-forestry, early warning system, livelihood diversification, and improved livestock feed, which were practiced at different levels and by a few households. In particular, the early warning system and improved livestock feed were the least implemented CSA options, whereas livelihood diversification, conservation agriculture, and agro-forestry were the highly adopted practices in the area. Independent variables including on-farm income, farming experience, weather information, agro-ecology, farm land size, age, extension service, marital status, and off-farm income were the factors significantly affecting the adoption of CSA practices in the study area. Experts, governments, and nongovernmental organizations should improve farmers’ awareness of the benefits of CSA practices in ensuring food security, climate mitigation and adaptation through training and capacity building. The result of this study will show the direction for farmers, policy makers, planners, and other stakeholders to set up a solution in order to promote CSA practices and technologies based on agro-ecology.

Determinants of Sorghum Farmers' Decisions to Adopt New Superior Varieties: Evidence from Lamongan Regency

Sorghum as an alternative commodity to substitute rice and other cereal crops, showing to its high adaptability to arid environments and limited rainfall. However, sorghum production has witnessed a decline, leading to a reduction in sorghum supply, thus impacting the provision of food and raw materials for industries. This research aims to ascertain farmers' decisions in selecting new superior varieties (NSV) and whether the utilization of NSV enhances farmers' productivity and income. The study was conducted in Patihan Village, Lamongan Regency, with a sample size of 55 sorghum farmers. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the factors influencing farmers in adopting new superior sorghum varieties. The findings indicate that factors influencing farmers in utilizing NSV include education, land size, farming experience, participation in farmer groups, and harvest orientation. Although the utilization of NSV does not increase sorghum farmers' productivity, the income of sorghum farmers adopting NSV has increased.

FARO-44 RICE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OF FADAMA III ADDITIONAL FINANCE II BENEFICIARIES IN TARABA STATE,

The study analysed the faro-44 rice production efficiency of fadama III additional finance II beneficiaries in Taraba State, Nigeria. A Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 250 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that The result of maximum likelihood estimates of the stochastic frontier production Function of dry season faro-44 rice farmers reveal that farm size (P&lt;0.01), fertilizer (P&lt;0.05), quantity of seed (kg) (P&lt;0.01), herbicide (liter) (P&lt;0.05), were positive and significant increasing output of the farmers. Similarly, the age (P&lt;0.01) level of education (P&lt;0.01), farming experience (P&lt;0.05) and household size (P&lt;0.05 were the socio-economic characteristics influencing the increase in technical efficiency of the farmers. Furthermore, the technical efficiency of the farmers is glaringly below 1, an indication that the farmers are operating below their production efficiency frontier. A reasonable proportion (41.20%) of the respondents were within 0.60-0.69 technical efficiency index range with highest value of 0.91 for the most efficient farmers and minimum of 0.50 for the least efficient or worst farmer. Consequently, farmers obtained mean technical efficiency of 0.76 which will improve their technical efficiency by 24%. The result further revealed that, the farmers attained an estimated mean allocative efficiency of 0.88. It was concluded that most of the farmers were unable to obtain technical efficiency level above 76% and farmers were 88% allocative efficient. The study recommended that farmers level of technical efficiency can be increased by 27% by building farmers’ capacity through training, workshops and seminars on postharvest loss management, processing techniques, farm record keeping in order to avoid wastages and sustain efficiency.

FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF IMPROVED TOMATO SEED VARIETIES AMONG SMALL-SCALE TOMATO FARMERS IN SOUTH WEST ZONE OF NIGERIA

The study examines factors influencing adoption of improve tomato varieties among small-scale farmers in Southwest Nigeria. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, probit regression, and Likert scales. The findings revealed that 41.4% of the farmers were in their productive years with an average age of 45 years, predominantly male (70.0%), married (81.9%), with small households averaging five members. However, 87.5% had formal education and average of eight years of tomato farming experience. The farmers cultivate an average of 0.63 hectares, indicating small-scale operations. Furthermore, 85.6% of the farmers were not part of cooperatives. The result also shows that 80.0% and 65.0% of the farmers lack access to credit and extension services in the study area. Logic regression model reveal 68.39% probability of adoption of improve tomato seed varieties among farmers. Key factors significantly influencing adoption include age, gender, farming experience, education, access to extension services, market distance, input supply, and specific training. Major challenges include high input cost (73.8%), pests and diseases (55.6%), lack of credit (61.9%), marketing issues (28.8%) and unfavorable weather (18.1%). Therefore, recommendations from the study include strengthening extension services, raising awareness of cooperative membership benefits, and addressing farmers' priorities and needs.

DIGITAL MARKETING IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

The urgency of this research is focused on Mina Padi Integrated Agriculture education in order to increase rice production and freshwater fish production by Cibahayu Village farmers as well as digital marketing training in the creative economy of making fish-based culinary that has high economic value, as well as digital-based marketing education so as to increase economic opportunities from these marketing strategies. Through this research activity, it is hoped that digital literacy related to production marketing can be a provision in utilizing existing economic opportunities. The purpose of this research activity is to provide experience and knowledge for farmers to be able to carry out the mina padi system, besides that the community is able to apply the creative economy by making fish-based culinary, and understand the digital-based production marketing process.

FACTORS INFLUENCING UTILIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES TRANSFER AMONG PARTICIPANTS OF ADOPTED VILLAGE EXTENSION PROJECT IN KADUNA AND NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

The study assessed the factors influencing utilization of agricultural technologies transfer among participants of Adopted Village Extension Project (AVEP) in Kaduna and Niger State, Nigeria. A Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 246 participants of AVEP for the study comprising of 131 and 115 participants from Kaduna and Niger States, respectively. Primary data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire complemented with an interview schedule. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Technology Adoption Index (TAI) and Tobit regression analysis. The results reveal that the mean age of the participants in Kaduna and Niger States were 38 and 31 years, with a mean household size of 7 and 5 people, and mean farming experience of 14 and 10 years, respectively. The various agricultural technologies transferred to participants in Kaduna State among crop production were storage techniques (83.5%), improved seeds (80.0%) and weed management techniques (78.3%) ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, while participants in Niger State indicated improved seed (90.1%), weed management techniques (83.2%) and planting techniques (78.6%) ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. More so, among the livestock production technologies transferred to participants in Kaduna State were improved animal breeds (8706%), hybrid broilers (80.0%) and improved feed formulation (80.0%) ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively, while participants in Niger State indicated improved animal breeds (92.4%), hybrid broilers (82.4%) and hybrid layers (74.1%) ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Respondents’ age (-2.05; p&lt;0.05), education (1.76; p&lt;0.10), awareness of technology (2.16; p&lt;0.05), compatibility (4.35; p&lt;0.01), relative advantage (1.98; p&lt;0.10) and cost (-3.22; p&lt;0.01) influences participants’ utilization of agricultural technologies transferred through AVEP in Kaduna State, while age (-2.41; p&lt;0.05), education (2.02; p&lt;0.05), farm size (2.54; P&lt;0.01), awareness of technology (2.09; p&lt;0.05), compatibility (3.12; p&lt;0.01), relative advantage (1.74; p&lt;0.10) and cost (-2.97; p&lt;0.01) influences participants’ utilization of agricultural technologies transferred through AVEP in Niger State. The study concluded that socio-economic and institutional factors highlighted above significantly influences utilization of agricultural technologies by the respondents in the study area. It was therefore recommended that, for efficient transfer of agricultural technologies, there is need for increased sensitization by the research institutes on relative advantages of technologies adoption and utilization for greater output and income.

Awareness and adoption of climate-resilient practices by smallholder farmers in central and upper Eastern Kenya

Climate change and soil fertility decline are major hurdles to agricultural ecosystems. Despite the importance of climate-resilient practices (CRPs) in enhancing food security, poverty alleviation and nutritional security, awareness and adoption remain low in most developing countries, including Kenya. We assessed the determinants of simultaneous awareness and adoption of CRPs and their intensity in Central Highlands of Kenya. The CRPs considered in this study were inorganic fertilizer and manure integration, manure, mulching, crop residues, cover crop, crop rotation and intercrop. The study used a cross-sectional survey design and collected data from 400 smallholders in Central Highlands of Kenya. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate probit and Poisson regression. Our findings showed that awareness and adoption of specific CRPs and their intensity were determined by occupation, age, farming experience, household size, soil fertility management, climate change adaptation, agricultural training, and geographical location. Smallholders’ agricultural training was an important determinant of awareness, adoption level, and intensity. Our findings underscored the need for agricultural policymakers and extension systems to design farmer-driven training programs for enhanced awareness and adoption of CRPs.