Input Supply Research Articles

Value Chain Analysis of Haricot Bean in East Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The key objectives of the study were identifying haricot bean value chain actors, their functions and relationship among them, examining actor’s performance along the chain and analyzing factors affecting supply to the market and factors affecting market outlet choice in the study area. Both primary and secondary sources were used for data collection. The primary data was collected through interviewing 180 sample household farmers and 40 traders using semi-structured questionnaires. STATA version 15 Software was used for data analyzing. As the descriptive result indicate that, on average farmers allocate 0.72ha of land for haricot bean production, from which 21.72qt/ha of output gained. In the value chain of haricot bean input suppliers, farmers, collectors, traders, transporters and consumers are the major value chain actors who perform various value chain. From the study result, six marketing channels of haricot bean are exhibited in the study areas. Estimates of the multiple linear regression models indicate that the level of haricot bean supplied to the market is determined by educational level of household, haricot bean farming experience, land allocated for haricot bean, market price of haricot bean, TLU, access to credit, and access to market information. Therefore, policy makers should focus more on the abovementioned variables in the future intervention to increase volume of haricot bean supplied to the market. As the multivariate probit model result indicated that the market outlet choice of rural assemblers was positively and significantly influenced by distance to the nearest market center, distance to all weather road, and educational level whereas it’s negatively and significantly influenced by output level where as selling direct to consumers outlet choice was negatively and significantly affected by sex of household, educational level, farm experience of household in haricot bean, and output level. Urban traders/wholesalers market outlet was positively and significantly affected by sex of household, educational level, haricot bean farm experience, access to credit, access to market information, membership of cooperative, and output level whereas it’s negatively influenced by distance to the nearest market center, distance to all weather road and extension service. Based on the findings of this study, some relevant implications can be drawn that can assist to design appropriate intervention mechanisms to improve market outlets choice of haricot bean farmers in the study area.

Firm size and enterprise productivity in Nigeria: Evidence from firm-level data

Anchored on the economies of scale of production theory, this study utilized Nigeria’s firm-level enterprise survey data of the World Bank collected through stratified random sampling of 2 676 firms and face-to-face interviews with the application of the multinomial logit model to examine how enterprise productivity influences the size of firms in Nigeria. It was found that raising enterprise productivity relates to about 0.0009261 insignificant fall in the relative log odds of running micro-sized firms, about 0.010299 significant rise in relative log odds of having medium-sized firms, and about 0.0201428 significant encouragement in relative log odds of running large-sized enterprises/firms when related with small-sized enterprises/firms. It is recommended that governments at all levels (state, federal, and local), should encourage micro-sized firms in a bid to make them increase their productivity level. This encouragement can come in the form of providing increased access to credit, the provision of raw material inputs, and constant electricity supplies. The original contribution of this research work is hinged on its empirical contribution in the study area since there is dearth of literature in the study area as no study has looked at firm size and enterprise productivity in Nigeria using evidence from firm-level data.

Irrigation Water in Northwest Syria: Impact of the Recent Crisis and Drought

This study examines how Northwest Syria’s arable and irrigated areas are changing, with a particular emphasis on processes that have affected cultivation and water availability since 2011. A substantial decline in cultivated areas is revealed by the analysis of 502 samples from various stakeholders, including farmers, well owners, well-digging companies, agricultural pharmacies, and service offices. District-specific variations show a decrease of 15.3% and 8.5% in total cultivated land and irrigated areas, respectively. Particularly in areas known for their summer vegetables and winter crops, such Al-Bab and Jebel Saman, agricultural productivity has drastically decreased since 2011. Today, 67% of irrigation comes from groundwater wells, especially in Jabal Saman and Idleb, whereas Jisr-Ash-Shugur depends on the Orontes River. Due to drought and a lack of regulatory oversight, the number of irrigation wells has risen since 2011, severely reducing water supplies and driving up irrigation prices. High fuel and electricity costs, uncontrolled well drilling, broken machinery, and insufficient irrigation systems are some of the main obstacles. A lot of well owners would rather sell drinking water, which would cut down on irrigated land and crop cultivation. The needs of the stakeholders include subsidies for fuel and electricity, the development of alternative energy, well repairs, improvements to irrigation systems, the provision of agricultural inputs, and better local water management. This study emphasizes the critical need for focused interventions to support agriculture and livelihoods in Northwest Syria and offers significant insights for sustainable water management solutions.

Dynamic Water Microskin Induced by Photothermally Responsive Interpenetrating Hydrogel Networks for High‐Performance Light‐Tracking Water Evaporation

AbstractSolar‐driven interfacial water evaporation is attracting increasing attention as a promising environmentally‐friendly solution to freshwater scarcity. It has been proven that a thin water layer on photothermal materials can prevent solar energy from invalidly heating the excess water to enhance the evaporation rate. However, the current water layers are usually formed on inelastic materials via confined capillarity, which are static and uncontrollable. Herein, we propose a flexible hydrogel‐based photothermal conversion material with thermal responsiveness by facile frontal polymerization, which can generate a unique dynamic water microskin (DWMS) during the solar evaporation process. The copolymerized hydrogel, introduced by the second polymeric poly(vinyl alcohol) network and thermally responsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), exhibits reinforced mechanical strength and photothermally triggers reversible shrinking/swelling cycles that enable a thin water layer (≈32 µm) to balance the feedwater supply and photothermic energy input dynamically. As a result, a stable superior vaporization rate of 8.7 kg m−2 h−1 is achieved based on a cylindrical hydrogel with 6 cm height under 1 sun. Moreover, the simultaneous responsive bending allows efficient omnidirectional solar evaporation by light‐tracking to ensure maximum perpendicular solar absorption, which provides an alternative strategy for durable high‐efficiency solar evaporators for effective thermal management and solar utilization.

Pearl millet for good health and nutrition – An overview

Abstract Previously food was taken to satiate hunger and survival, but now it is for better health and wellbeing. It is imperative to take a healthy diet that includes energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, and all essential vitamins and nutrients in optimum proportions. Millets have been acknowledged as climate-resilient crops and smart foods. Pearl millet is a C 4 plant grown mostly under scarce input and water supply conditions. Owing to high photosynthetic efficiency, it produces more dry matter and gives better economic returns even under adverse agro-climatic conditions. Globally, pearl millet is grown on 31.0 million ha, mainly in Africa and Asia and is a staple food for 90 million poor people. Among food crops (cereals and pulses), pearl millet is the cheapest energy source (361 kcal/100g), minerals, namely, phosphorus (296–360 mg/100g), iron (8–11 mg/100g), zinc (3.1–6.6 mg/100g), calcium (40–42 mg/100 g), magnesium (97–137 mg/100g) and vitamins, namely, vitamin A, E, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin K and niacin, etc. Besides, it also has significant amount of fiber, protein, antioxidants like phenolic acids, flavonoids and low fats. Because of its rich nutritional composition, Government of India has designated it as nutri-cereals (Gazette of India, No. 133 dated 13th April, 2018) for production, consumption and trade. Besides rich nutritional value, pearl millet improves our immunity through enormous health benefits like reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. It improves the digestibility and bioavailability of food nutrients by reducing anti-nutrients. Being non-acid forming, it is also helpful in gastrointestinal problems and is non-glutinous beneficial for people suffering from celiac diseases. With these properties, it is regarded as a significant grain worldwide, yet it is least exploited. However, because of numerous potential health benefits and contributions to national food security, millet grains are now getting the growing attention of food nutritionists, scientists, technologists and industrialists.

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.

Quasi Z source direct matrix converter based K- to three-phase wind energy conversion system using maximum constant boost current control modulation technique

The conversion system for wind energy has no restriction on the number of output phases. K numbers of output phases can be converted into standard grid-connected three-phase supply using a quasi-Z source direct matrix converter (QZSDMC). The obtained input supply may be five phases from the wind energy conversion system with continuously variable frequency as well as variable terminal voltages. Using the proposed QZSDMC converter with maximum constant boost current control modulation technique constant three-phase voltages as well as frequency can be maintained at the grid side. Additionally, the energy conversion system has high output voltage gain. The proposed converter as well as the modulation technique produces the maximum voltage transfer ratio of 1.05. The output voltage gain reached nearly 1.99 compared with the traditional power converters. The voltage THD and current THD are maintained within the acceptable limit of 5.3 and 3.6 respectively. The power factor have been maintained nearly unity throughout the all mode of operations. To stabilize the grid frequencies and grid voltages additional control blocks are used. This research article presents simulation results for the proposed QZSDMC converter with a maximum constant boost current control modulation technique. Also, the proposed scheme has been validated with suitable experimental results.

The interplay of geopolitics and agricultural commodity prices

AbstractThis article uses the time‐varying parameter vector autoregressive model to assess the impact of geopolitical risk and shocks on agricultural commodity markets, accounting for demand—exports; supply—input prices; inventory; speculation; and economic fluctuations. The results show that geopolitical risks significantly impact corn and soybean futures prices and market behaviors with context‐specific implications in the short to medium term. In addition, heightened geopolitical risk during the Russia–Ukraine war increased oil prices and indirectly elevated agricultural commodity prices. These insights are crucial for agricultural risk management, informing federal policies and forecasting future price trends in an increasingly uncertain global market environment.

Economic Feasibility of Ratoon Pigeon Pea under Different Levels of Irrigation, Fertilizers and Mulching

Background: Ratooning in pigeon pea is one of the unexplored options for increasing the production and income through more number of crops per year under adequate supply of inputs. Dearth of knowledge on the ratooning, its yield and economics in pigeon pea on which the current study aimed at providing the basic idea of its suitability for cultivation. Methods: The field experiment investigated during October 2020- February 2021 at University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru. The experiment was conducted with 2 levels of irrigation, 3 levels of fertigation and 2 levels of mulching under split-split plot design. Result: The experimentation of ratoon pigeon pea with varied levels of inputs revealed that ratooning was found to be an economically feasible option with higher returns and lower cost of cultivation. The study comprehensively covers and states the adaptability of the practice in terms of yield and economics.

Analysis of wheat traits that determine female farmers’ preferences for wheat varieties: Gender insight from southern tigray, ethiopia

BackgroundWheat productivity has been constrained by changing agroecological and socio-economic conditions, coupled with a lower uptake of new farm technologies. Gender difference is one major social category that needs systematic estimation to distinguish the adoption of technology and the preference between male and female farmers. Hence, this study analyzes wheat traits that determine female farmers’ preferences for wheat varieties in southern Tigray, Ethiopia.MethodsThe primary data was collected by using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews from 169 female farmers who were selected by using a two-stage sampling procedure. This study used descriptive statistics and a multinomial logit model to estimate the wheat traits that determine the wheat variety preference of female farmers.ResultThe result obtained from descriptive statistics shows the existence of heterogeneity in trait preference of female farmers among bread wheat, durum wheat, and local wheat variety types. The result indicates that risk-averting traits were the most frequently selected traits for both wheat types. Furthermore, the result of multinomial logit model indicates that wheat variety traits such as yield difference, marketability, resistance to drought, and resistance to frost and disease significantly influenced female farmers’ choice of wheat variety to grow.ConclusionThis study aims to fill the current knowledge gaps and tackle the significant issues faced by wheat-growing female farmers by examining the wheat traits that influence the wheat variety choice of these farmers. The finding scrutinized that even though the female farmers’ choices of wheat variety traits were heterogeneous, the majority of their decisions on the choice of wheat variety were primarily guided by risk-averting and yield traits. This evidence provides significant insight for developing gender-sensitive variety traits in crop breeding programs. Moreover, the findings significantly help policymakers, input suppliers, breeding programs, and extension workers to become more gender-responsive, to increase the productivity of wheat-growing female farmers.

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.

Evaluation of Scuffing Load Capacity of Helical Gear Based on the Tribo‐Dynamic Model

ABSTRACTThe scuffing load capacity of gear is closely related to the meshing temperature rise of tooth surface. The key to predict the temperature rise is to establish an accurate meshing temperature rise model. In the paper, a tribo‐dynamic model of helical gear is established through coupling of tooth surface lubrication parameters, and the influence of temperature rise on ambient temperature during meshing process is considered. Then, the effects of oil supply temperature, input speed and torque on tooth surface temperature rise, film thickness, friction excitation and gear dynamic characteristics are discussed. The results show that the temperature rise of the gear is higher during the engaging‐in and engaging‐out regions. Meanwhile, there is local high temperature at the end of the contact line due to the end effect. The vibration of gear along the off‐line‐of‐action direction is mainly determined by friction excitation. With the increase of oil supply temperature, input speed and torque, the risk of scuffing failure increases and the influence of oil supply temperature and input load is more significant. The conclusions of this paper may provide some valuable suggestions for the anti‐gluing failure design of gear in engineering.

Women’s coping and adaptation strategies to climate change: a case of the Dodoma Region

ABSTRACT Climate change is escalating in intensity, frequency, and complexity. Its related threats have profound implications for humanity, particularly women. Measures to cope with and adapt to it have been researched in general and does not focus on the role of women in the specific community, who bear the brunt of the strife associated with climate change. It is from this view that this research assesses the effects of women’s coping and adaptation mechanisms to climate change. Data were collected through household surveys, key informant interviews, observation, and documentary reviews. The collected data were descriptively analysed with the aid of SPSS version 20 and Microsoft Excel. Results indicate that communities understood climate change in terms of variability in rainfall patterns and amounts, water availability, increased incidences of drought, and decreased agricultural yields. Such events reduced agricultural productivit and led to the reoccurrence of food insecurity. Women grew drought-tolerant and early-maturing crop varieties, walking long distances to fetch water, crushing pebbles, and engaging in small vending businesses, which had some effects, including falling into family conflicts, diseases, and food insecurity. The study suggested that there is a need for upscaling awareness and capacity building on good agricultural practices, the provision of loans to small vending businesses, and the provision of inputs that assist women to cope with climatic changes smoothly.

Peer-to-peer leadership of physical activity in the New Zealand school-based setting: an exploration of student leader perspectives

ABSTRACT This study explored the perceptions of peer leaders participating in a peer-led physical activity (PA) initiative where student leaders conduct fitness classes for their peers. Thirty-eight participants aged 9–13 from four New Zealand elementary and middle schools were surveyed using an online questionnaire gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. Student leaders viewed the experience positively, despite the physical challenges involved, and many reported increased fitness or PA levels. Provision of regular school practice time, teacher input, and resources from the outside provider were key. The task of leading their peers placed the leaders in a supportive yet anxiety-provoking environment, which presented valuable opportunities to teach them resilience-building skills. To fully leverage the programme’s potential impact, connections to a range of curriculum learning objectives could offer more meaningful learning experiences, including resilience building, generating understanding of the benefits of PA, and developing the skills involved in group work and leadership.

Policies enhancing agricultural value chains in developing countries: An Evidence Gap Map

Strengthening agricultural value chains (AVCs) and ensuring continuous supply of food is of upmost importance especially for developing countries where food security and malnutrition remain vital threats. However, effective and efficient coordination of AVCs in developing countries continues to remain an issue due to capacity constraints and inefficiencies of interventions. An Evidence Gap Map (EGM) is used to systematically retrieve, organize, and map existing knowledge on AVCs and identify gaps in the literature that will suggest future areas for effective policy interventions. The marginal increase in knowledge of a project focusing on an area of a knowledge gap may be larger than that of a project which focuses on an area with many studies. A total of 4745 studies were retrieved from a systematic search, however only 165 studies meeting inclusion criteria are included in EGM. Most policy interventions address inputs supply stage of value chains with specific focus on subsidies and agricultural loans. Governance and issues related to gender, poverty and social groups are underexplored. Most frequently mentioned outcomes subcategories were yield, agricultural profits, family income, and technology adoption. Outcomes related to risk management and product movement in time and space had the smallest frequency of occurrence. As noted, underexplored areas provide opportunities for future research.

Empirical Analysis of Paddy Value Chains in Nepal: Evidence from Logistic Regression Modeling

Background: In the South Asian region, rice is one of the most significant staple food crops. The value chain provides a lot of support for a seamless operation from growth to reaching clients' hands. It not only aids farmers, but it also creates opportunities at every stage. As a result, the goal of this research is to determine the value chain analysis of paddy products in Nepal. Objective: The objectives of the study were to analyse value chain analysis of paddy product, and to identify the constraints and opportunities of rice value chain in Parsa, Siraha and Saptari districts of Nepal. Method: The thesis followed the design of explanatory research and collected data using structured questionnaires. Binary logistic Model was used for inferential analysis. Siraha, Saptari and Birgunj (Parsa) districts are chosen purposely. 260 respondents were conveniently sampled from farmers and traders. Result: The study shows the cooperatives play role in accessing credit, accessing inputs, and training with the help of government and non-government organization. The study tells us the fact that paddy value chain functions in a traditional way, there is no innovative way of integrating the chain actors. The cooperatives are involved in both input supply and credit service. Ages, off-farm income, access to information, access to input are the factors that add value in paddy value chain. Conclusion: This research is based on value chain analysis of paddy product in Parsa, Siraha and Saptari districts. Generally, the price of rice/paddy goes down in the post-harvest period due to heavy arrivals in the market and later shoots up, which results in unstable price. Providing better access to credit to farmers to reduce dependence on money lenders can solve the existing problem. Paper Types: Research Paper Keywords: Value Chain Analysis, Framers, Traders, Value addition, Logistic Model, Kobo toolbox. JEL Classification: N55, C8, Q18, Q24, Q25

INVESTIGATING THE KEY LIMITATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS INFLUENCING THE COMPETITIVE SUCCESS OF SOUTH AFRICA’S ORANGER EXPORTERS.

The objective of identifying constraining factors is to reveal that the key obstacles affecting the competitiveness of South Africa's domestic orange industry include issues such as the "quality of unskilled labor," "trust in the honesty of politicians," "electricity suppliers," "health," "South Africa’s land reform policy," "South Africa’s BEE policy," and "crime." Additionally, challenges related to the lack of quality infrastructure, bilateral agreements with trading countries, and poor performance of ports relative to their global counterparts have been identified. The constraining factors were ranked, with the top issues aligning closely with the industry's current challenges. In contrast, enhancing factors play a crucial role in boosting industry competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. The key elements contributing positively include the availability of unskilled labor, local input suppliers, scientific research institutions, technological quality, the cost of unskilled labor, soil conditions, and the sustainability of local input suppliers. Attention to maintaining and improving these factors is crucial for the sustained competitiveness of the South African orange sector.

Application of Econometrics in Agricultural Production

This Special Issue on “Applications of Econometrics in Agricultural Production” has aimed to rebuild and extend the approach to agricultural production analysis by including econometric methods for (a) developing a new paradigm for agricultural production analysis that acknowledges and models the relevance of the combined economic and agronomic aspects of the production processes; (b) defining output and input demand and supply in agricultural production from a technical perspective, with the use of production function/or production frontier models; and (c) understanding agricultural market exchange and market distortions and failures from a quantitative perspective [...]

Second Bread: Potato Cultivation and Food Security in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan experienced a remarkable boom in potato production over the past thirty years, driven almost entirely by small farms. Today, potatoes are at once the backbone of national food security, a central source of income for many Kyrgyz households, and a non-trivial source of export earnings. This paper documents the central characteristics of the Kyrgyz potato economy and explains the conditions of its emergence and resilience. We show that Kyrgyzstan’s potato economy is driven by three main features: land reforms that dispersed ownership of land early in the post-Soviet transition, dense social networks that connect producers to input suppliers and markets, and a match between the potato and the country’s mountainous terrain and continental climate. Together, these features have given rise to a food security model that leverages the potato’s well-known nutritional qualities, its cultural status as a food staple across the region, and Kyrgyzstan’s geography and climate. We term this the Kyrgyz Potato Model (KPM). Unlike critics that stress the inefficiencies of Kyrgyz potato production, we highlight the model’s strengths: it is extremely effective in feeding citizens, generates much-needed household incomes, and has been remarkably resilient in the face of recent global economic crises.

Full-Fat Soybean Meals as an Alternative Poultry Feed Ingredient-Feed Processing Methods and Utilization-Review and Perspective.

On a global scale, the poultry industry expands its wings in terms of meat and egg production to the masses. However, this industry itself requires a sustainable and permanent supply of different inputs, one of which is poultry feed and nutrition. Soybean is a versatile protein that is offered to poultry in different inclusion rates in commercial diets after being processed using various thermal and mechanical processing methods. Conventional commercial soybean meal is usually prepared by the extraction of oil from whole soybeans using solvents, producing a meal that has approximately 1% crude fat. Without oil extraction, full-fat soybean (FFSBM) is produced, and it is an excellent source of dietary energy and protein for poultry with a nutritional profile of 38-40% protein and 18-20% crude fat, on average. FFSBM has less crude protein (CP) than solvent-extracted soybean meal (SE SBM) but higher metabolizable energy due to higher fat content. Alternatively, extruded expeller processing produces defatted soybean meal containing approximately 6-7% crude fat. Studies have demonstrated that FFSBM can be used in poultry diets to improve poultry nutrition, performance, and quality of the poultry meat and eggs produced. This review aims to evaluate the nutrition and use of meals prepared from conventional and high-oleic soybeans using various feed processing methods.