Irrigation Facilities Research Articles

Stakeholders’ perceptions and responses to climate change impacts on agricultural sector in mountainous areas of Thua Thien Hue province

This study aims to analyse stakeholder perceptions and responses on climate change (CC) impacts on agricultural sector in the mountainous areas of Thua Thien Hue province. Data was collected by surveying 462 farmers in Nam Dong and A Luoi districts with a structure questionnaire; in-depth interviews of 29 agricultural officials; 12 agricultural input suppliers, and representatives of 18 community organizations. The research results show that stakeholders have very different perceptions regarding the causes, impacts, and responses to CC (P value <.00). Most stakeholders believe that CC has many causes of which deforestation and too much waste were the two main factors. However, more than 45% of farmers believe that CC is due to God. Regarding CC impacts, a large percentage (81.4%) of interviewed farmers were most concerned about drought due to its increased intensity and widespread effects. Meanwhile, agricultural officials were focused on foreseen and shocked extreme events such as landslides and flash floods, which occur only at par-ticular sites along the streams. Agricultural enterprises are often proactive and aware of people’s concerns to provide related services such as resistant seeds, irrigation facilities, and fertilizers. However, very few (8.44%) farm households in the region have access to these services because of limited financial capacity.

Measuring and Mapping Food Security Status of Rajasthan, India: A District-Level Analysis

The present study tries to analyse the status of food security, along with its various components, such as food availability, accessibility, and stability with the help of a multidimensional index across districts of Rajasthan, India based on an indicator approach. The QGIS mapping computer application and quintile method were used to map districts into low, medium, high, and very high categories. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was applied to find out the significant determinants of food security and its respective components. The results confirm that there is a wide range of inequalities in terms of food security and its components of availability, accessibility, and stability across districts. It was found that the Ganganagar district (0.407) was rated the most food-secure district due to relatively higher food stability (0.401) in the Rajasthan state. On the contrary, lower food availability (0.084) and accessibility (0.183) contributed to the lowest food security in the Dungarpur district. Moreover, districts associated with dry regions are highly vulnerable and relatively less food secure compared to districts having surface irrigation facilities. Hence, the study recommends; diversification from farm to non-farm activities; sufficient storage capacity to control price fluctuations throughout the year, formulation and dissemination of climate-resilient technologies; investment in infrastructure, promotion of water management, conservation technologies, regulation and replenishment of groundwater in rural areas for augmenting cropping intensity; district-specific policies to arrest food insecurity; and strengthening the coverage of rural employment programme, i.e. MGNREGA.

Regional Convergence in Agricultural Sector Growth in North-eastern Rajasthan

The present study is an attempt to analyse the district-level disparity in agriculture sector development in north-eastern Rajasthan across 11 districts. To measure the regional disparities and identify the factors underlying the convergence or divergence in agriculture sector development the coefficient of variation (CV) and agriculture development index have been computed. District-wise agricultural development index (ADI) has been constructed for two cross-section years 2005–2006 and 2017–2018, and districts have been classified into three development categories on the basis of values of indices. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been used. To identify the factors and their impact underlying the convergence or divergence in agriculture sector development, the multiple regression technique has been applied. The study finds wide disparities in level of development in agriculture sector across the districts. However, disparities have reduced during the period 2005–2006 to 2017–2018. The study suggests that policymakers should stress on irrigation facilities, farm inputs supply, road connectivity and R&D in agricultural inputs for raising the agriculture sector productivity and income in less-developed districts. Committed and well-planned measures on the part of the policymakers are needed if the development policy is to be made truly inclusive in the state.

An internet of things-based irrigation and tank monitoring system

<span>Agriculture plays a significant role in the development of a nation and provides the main source of food production, income, and employment to nations. It was the most practiced occupation in Nigeria and this formed the backbone of the economy in the early 1960s before the discovery of crude oil, which has led to the derail of sufficient food production, exportation, and the agricultural economy at large. Over time, the dry season has always been challenging with little or no rainfall and there are no irrigation facilities that incorporate different saving practices to adapt to these climate changes on their own. In this paper, a cost-effective internet of things irrigation system that is capable of reducing water wastage, manual labor, monitoring tank water level and that can be controlled remotely is designed. The system integrated Arduino UNO with a soil moisture sensor, HCSR04 ultrasonic sensor, and ESP8266 Wi-Fi module that gives the system capable of being controlled remotely via the internet, thus achieving optimal irrigation using the internet of things (IoT). Some of the challenges facing the existing irrigation system are water wastage, poor performance, and high cost of implementation. The design system helps to control water supply to crops when it is needed, and also monitors soil moisture, temperature, and water tank level. After carrying out the experiments for 15 days, the system saved approximately 49% of the water used in traditional irrigation method. The system is useful in large farming areas to minimize human effort and reduce the cost of hiring personnel.</span>

Adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate risks: Remittances and irrigation investment in the Republic of Moldova

Drought is one of the main limiting factors affecting crop production in many areas in the world. Pressurized irrigation systems enable more efficient use of water compared to surface irrigation systems but are rarely used by small farmers due to higher initial investment and energy costs. The main question investigated in the study is if remittances affect investment in pressurized irrigation (drip or sprinkler irrigation systems). A quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted among 234 small-scale farmers in the Republic of Moldova in 2016. The main result of the binary probit regression model revealed that remittances increased the likelihood of utilization of pressurized irrigation facilities in the study region. This study further contributes to a better understanding of factors that affect farmers’ adoption of pressurized irrigation systems. This knowledge helps policy makers and development organizations shape proper measures to increase the diffusion of this technology and thus the adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate risks. • The use of pressurized irrigation among small farmers is limited in the study area. • High investment and maintenance costs are unaffordable for the majority of farmers. • Remittances facilitate the adoption of pressurized irrigation infrastructure. • Remittances replace a not very well functioning credit market.

Implications of Farmer’s Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in Agricultural Sector of Gujarat: Experience from Farm Level Data

This study examined the farmer’s perception on climate change and adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change in the agricultural sector of Gujarat. It used farm level information of 400 farmers who were purposely selected from 8 districts. Thereupon, linear, non-linear and log-linear production function models were used to examine the impact of climate change, farmer’s adaptation strategies and technological change on agricultural production in Gujarat. The descriptive and empirical results specify that adaptation strategies (i.e., change in showing time of crops, mixed cropping pattern, irrigation facilities, application of green and organic fertilizer, hybrid varieties of seeds, dampening of seed before planting, climate tolerate crops, organic farming and technology) have a positive impact on agricultural production. Thus, farmer’s adaptation strategies are useful to mitigate the negative impact of climate change in the agricultural sector. Maximum temperature and minimum temperature, precipitation and rainfall have a negative impact on agricultural production. However, the impact of these factors seemed positive in the agricultural sector when farmers apply aforementioned adaptation strategies in cultivation. Family size, education level of farmers, annual income of farmers, arable land, irrigated area, cost of technology, appropriate technology and financial support from government have a positive contribution to increase agricultural production in Gujarat.

Modelling of soil moisture change during the operation of the “Frigate” sprinkler

The irrigation process is one of the most important elements of technologies for growing crops on irrigated soils. The tasks of ensuring optimal soil water regime, eliminating gravita-tional water losses outside the zone of active moisture exchange and promoting the fullest use of plants of bioclimatic potential of the region require modeling of soil moisture dynamics in the process of wetting, as well as structures and technologies related to irrigation facilities. Soil moistening in the south of Ukraine is carried out mainly by sprinkling with the use of a Frigate sprinkler, which is largely close to the natural processes of moisture in soil structures, especially with the use of the latest Xi-Wob sprinklers, which provide uniform irrigation and uniform droplet size. The aim of the article is to develop a model of soil moisture change, which will determine the moisture content in both the root and near-surface layers of the soil and prognoses the movement parameters of the "Frigate" sprinkler elements. The designs of sprinklers currently available allow to provide uniform intensity of spraying of drops on all working area of "Frigate" sprinkler, therefore it is possible to choose a separate point for modeling. The data obtained for one point can be extended to the entire work area. The Darcy equation is used to mathematically describe the movement of water in the soil. The finite difference method was used to solve the Darcy equation based on the initial and boundary conditions. Assuming that within each soil element the humidity changes linearly, and replacing the partial derivatives of moisture in depth and time with the analogues, the discretized model of soil moisture dynamics in the final differences was obtained, which allows you to predict moisture at any time due to hydro-soil characteristics in previous time and boundary conditions. Discretization of the Darcy equation made it possible to obtain a model of the dynamics of the humidity of the root layer in the space of states. It turned out to be nonlinear due to the hydrophysical characteristics of the soil and was linearized by transformation into the Taylor series. The developed mathematical model of soil moisture change in the space of states allows to determine the moisture content in both the root and near-surface soil layer depending on its hydrological characteristics, type of cultivated plants, volume of water entering the fields from irrigation systems or in the form of random precipitation used to predict the movement parameters of the "Frigate" sprinkler elements.

Impact of Economic Assessment of Crop Production along with Agroforestry Adoption in Bundelkhand Region

Background: Bundelkhand region is far behind in the availability of soil and water both natural resources due to erratic rainfall and hard rock terrains (Tyagi, 1997). Conservation of such type of natural resources for livelihood security with a strong commitment would be the foremost challenge of the 21st century. The home of over 15.62 million humans and 8.36 million livestock, suffers from water scarcity, natural resource degradation, low crop productivity (1-1.5 Mg/ha), low rainwater use efficiency (35-45%), poor soil fertility, frequent droughts, poor irrigation facilities, inadequate vegetation cover and frequent crop failure resulting in scarcity of food, fodder and fuel (Palsaniya et al. 2008). Under such circumstances, the goal of doubling farmer’s income by the year 2022 has been dubbed as impossible and unrealistic by some experts (Gulati and Saini, 2016). Hence, this study was conducted to assess the impact of agroforestry based crop production for provide an economic feasibility as well as perfect diet. Methods: The study was conducted at Garhkundar-Dabar (GKD) watershed located between 78° 52' 39" to 78° 54' 44" E longitude and 25° 26' 23" to 25° 28' 32" N latitude with an altitude varying from 208 to 285 m above mean sea level in Bundelkhand region of central India. The net return was calculated by subtracting the cost of cultivation incurred from sowing to harvesting, for each crop from the gross return and then benefit-cost ratio was estimated by dividing the net returns with cost of cultivation. Result: The study has revealed that after watershed interventions and agroforestry based Crop cultivation, the expenses on irrigation and labour will decrease, crop productivity will improve as well as benefit-cost ratio.

Art and Architecture of Ancient Kashmir During Karkota Dynasty with Special Reference to Lalitaditya Muktapida (724-761 A.D)

The Karkota dynasty of Kashmir was led by Lalitaditya Muktapida, who was its greatest emperor. During his reign, which lasted from 724 until 761 AD, he brought Egypt to the peak of glory. His rule was unquestionably historic in many ways, but his conquests are what history will remember him for the most. The kingdom's golden age began during Lalitaditya's leadership. For him, there was no one religion that he could not accept. At this period, both Buddhism and Brahmanism, the two major religions in India at the time, gained support from this emperor, who built temples for the Buddha and other gods? Several viharas, where learning flourished, were established by the king, who lavishly supported scholars. Foreign scholars and intelligentsia were treated with respect in Kashmir, and several cultural missions from other countries were welcomed. Many public buildings and services were overhauled under his watch. In the event of a natural disaster, farmers were given access to irrigation facilities and relief measures were put in place. As a result of the establishment of charitable institutions, those in need were fed every day. During the reign of Lalitaditya, also known as Samudurgupta of Kashmir, the author of this thesis focuses on art and architecture. During his reign, Kashmir prospered in art, architecture, culture, and learning. Many historians and writers have dubbed him the "Alexander of Kashmiri history" because of his many victories. The study will investigate the old styles of art and architecture from the time of the Karkota Dynasty, which was controlled by Lalitaditya from 724-761. These styles are of considerable significance in the modern era as part of the rich cultural history of the country.

Determinants and Impact of Solar Irrigation Facility (SIF) Adoption: A Case Study in Northern Bangladesh

Insufficient rainfall in the dry season and scarcity of surface water has resulted in firms’ reliance on groundwater for agriculture in the northern part of Bangladesh. Most irrigation systems in the country are diesel or electric, which raises the cost and demand for energy and pollutes the environment. Utilizing the abundant sunshine and disseminating solar-based irrigation systems is expected to be a fittingly rewarding experience for irrigation purposes. Therefore, this study identifies the factors influencing the adoption of solar irrigation facilities (SIFs) and the impacts of their adoption on irrigation cost, return on investment (ROI), and production costs, using survey data collected from 405 rice farmers of Dinajpur district. The study employed three treatment effect estimators, namely inverse probability weighting (IPW), regression adjustment (RA), and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA), to address the potential selection bias issue. The results revealed that farming experience, knowledge, environmental awareness, soil fertility, and irrigation machinery ownership significantly influenced adoption decisions. The treatment effect model result indicated that farmers who adopted this method could minimize irrigation costs by 1.88 to 2.22%, obtain 4.48 to 8.16% higher ROI, and reduce total production cost by 0.06 to 0.98% compared to non-adopters. Our findings suggested that policy interventions targeting scaling up SIFs should consider focusing on government and stakeholders’ greater attention on designing more appropriate schemes through experimentation and multiple iterations.

The role of climate change in food security; empirical evidence over Punjab regions, Pakistan

Climate change is bringing drastic changes to the food availability, accessibility, quality, and stability in the world. Pakistan heavily relies on production of wheat for food security. This study investigates the role of climate change on food security over Punjab regions, Pakistan, from 1979-2020. The study utilized the total production of wheat to measure food security. Moreover, the study utilized mean, maximum, minimum temperature, wind speed, and rainfall as a measurement of climate change. This study utilized auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test cointegration approach to test the long-run cointegration, while ARDL model is applied to investigate the short-run relationship among modeled variables. This study adopted Augmented Dicky Fuller (ADF) and Phillips Parron (PP) test to check the stationarity of the data. Moreover, the study ensures reliability and validity of the model by utilizing Breusch-Godfrey serial correlation, Breusch-Pagan-Godfry HSK, and Ramsey RESET test. This study found that wheat cultivated area (0.46*), total irrigated area (2.67***), total un-irrigated area (1.93***), and total area sown ([1.0809**) have a positive and significant long-run impact on food production in all regions of Punjab Pakistan. However, while average, the maximum and minimum temperature is negatively and significantly associated with food production in all regions of Punjab (- 1.07**; - 3.33***; - 1.84**), except northern Punjab, where maximum temperature affects positively food production Punjab. Rainfall negatively and significantly affects food production in northern (- 0.34**) and central and southern (- 0.13***) Punjab. Furthermore, wind speed negatively affects food production in all regions of Punjab (- 0.22**; - 0.21*; - 0.11**), except northern Punjab. This study implies that government should develop policies to increase irrigation facilities and loan facilities to increase the total area sown that will help to increase wheat yield and ensure food security. Moreover, the government should devise policies for large-scale plantations to minimize climate change impacts. The study also suggests new improved varieties of the wheat crop that can survive and flourish in the presence of adverse climatic changes, high temperature, and high wind speed.

Identifying opportunities to close yield gaps in China by use of certificated cultivars to estimate potential productivity

Even though China has increased grain output in the past decade and greatly contributed to reducing global hunger, the country is still confronted with intense food security pressure due to its huge population base and severe loss of farmland. It has become increasingly important to fully exploit yield gaps (the difference between potential and actual yields) of all staple grains and to identify priority areas in order to achieve the UN sustainable development goal of zero hunger by 2030. The objective of this study was to calculate the production and yield gaps for rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn (Zea mays L.) across 31 provinces of mainland China, and then to propose sustainable ways to exploit the production and yield gaps in relation to the availability of natural resources and the ecological conditions of the various regions. The yield potential was estimated by assuming that certificated cultivars were adopted in each agricultural ecological zone (AEZ) and that state-of-the-art technologies and best management practices were used. The results suggested that the gross potential productivity of the three staple grains of mainland China in 2016 was 8.86 × 108 tons, with a production gap of 2.99 × 108 tons. Corn exhibited the greatest yield gap. The highest potential productivity was observed in the Northeast Plain and the Huang-Huai-Hai/North China Plain, accounting for 26.35% and 35.91% of the country’s total potential productivity, respectively. The greatest yield gaps were also found in these two plains. To narrow yield gaps, farmland infrastructure, especially irrigation facilities, should be improved, and field management should be strengthened for the provinces with the greatest gaps. However, in view of natural resource constraints (e.g., water shortages in Northern China), water-saving measures and techniques have been encouraged throughout mainland China and the planting of high water-consuming crops such as rice has been discouraged and should be reduced and replaced by other crops in the North China Plain and Northwest China. Using presently available cultivars and field management technologies, China still has great potential to increase grain production and improve food security by closing exploitable yield gaps through the use of suitable production methods based on existing natural resource capacity and ecological status.

Upgrading Opportunities and Challenges for Small Coffee Producers in Sidama Region of Ethiopia

This study attempted to examine upgrading opportunities and challenges for small coffee producers. The study followed a mixed-method approach, which combined qualitative and quantitative analysis. The study involved a survey of 214 coffee producers, in-depth interviews with several actors and stakeholders, and focus group discussions with two farmer groups. The study identified a growing demand for organic/specialty coffee, availability of farmer groups, promising rules and regulations as some of the opportunities for small coffee producers to diversify upgrading options. However, lack of investment capital, lower levels of farmers’ educational background, lack of continuous training, poor infrastructure and irrigation facilities, the high cost of machinery and processing materials, lack of technical knowledge to produce input and adopt new technologies were the major constraints for upgrading. The majority of producers have participated in product and process upgrading. A limited number of coffee growers have engaged in functional and channel upgrading. Vertical and horizontal coordination can play an important role in upgrading the chain to help farmers compete in wider markets. Therefore, a policy aimed to accelerate the coffee sector in the area could be successful if the opportunities and constraints are taken into consideration through horizontal and vertical coordination of actors.

Assessment of Water Cycle in Agricultural Watershed Based on Canal Network Modeling

Recently, various factors such as climate change, watershed environment change, and, socio-economic change, have been shown to have a major impact on the hydrological water cycle and on available water resources in agricultural watersheds. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the water cycle elements of watersheds accurately and to quantify them objectively. Agricultural watersheds can be divided into the basin, irrigation facilities such as reservoir and pumping stations, irrigation areas, and water cycle elements such as rainfall and evapotranspiration water supply and demand. A systematic management system of agricultural water cycle should be established through element analysis, module development, and modeling techniques for comprehensive interpretation of agricultural watersheds. This study involved the monitoring and modeling of inlet, outlet, and reservoir to analyze and quantify water cycle elements in the Madun reservoir (located in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do) and Heungeop reservoir (located in Wonju, Gangwon-do). The watershed runoff, water supply and drainage of irrigation canal, and return flow were estimated using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) based on analysis of canal networks and hydraulic calculations. These results can be utilized to ensure stable supply of agricultural water resources and to inform water management policies.

Exploring the Drivers of Vulnerability Among Disadvantaged Internal Migrants in Riverbank Erosion Prone Areas in North-West Bangladesh

Bangladesh frequently suffers from acute riverbank erosions and, as a result, every year a large number of people internally migrate to new places mainly in search of livelihoods. While very few studies focus on the multifaceted nature of vulnerability experienced from riverbank erosions, the present study examines to what extent different drivers of vulnerability affect socio-economically disadvantaged internal migrants living in riverbank erosion-prone areas in Bangladesh. Empirical evidence from two north-western riverbank erosion-prone districts in Bangladesh demonstrates that the disadvantaged internal migrants and their household members were exposed to a range of vulnerabilities connected to economic, institutional, infrastructural, environmental, and social drivers. It is contended that evidently there are different types of vulnerability some of which are perceived to be more severe than others in the study areas. This study, therefore, suggests extending some specific support programmes including income generation schemes, access to institutional credit for the landless, improved inexpensive means of transportation, and improved communication. This article also proposes improving rural infrastructure including irrigation facilities, inexpensive transportation means for agricultural inputs or other farming materials, reasonable prices for daily necessities, and improved health care benefits.

Determinants of Livelihood Diversification: A Case Study of Tribal Households in Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh

Livelihood is a multifarious concept referring to what people do to manage revenue for living with the assets at their disposal and what they achieve by doing it in a particular context. In the past decades, livelihood diversification has received much attention from researchers and policy makers with high hopes that promoting it can offer a pathway for poverty reduction and economic growth. Therefore, an attempt has been made in this paper to identify the determinants of livelihood diversification of the tribal people using primary data collected based on multistage random sampling from 120 households of Kinnaur, one of the remote districts of Himachal Pradesh. The Simpson livelihood diversification index was found higher for salaried group as well as Agriculture+ Services group. Out of the 9 determinants of diversification of livelihoods identified, level of education, access to irrigation, membership and training have positive and significant effect on livelihood diversification activities. However, land-man ratio has negative and significant correlation with livelihood diversification sources. Therefore, the findings of this study implies that development policies in the region should consider education, skill generation, membership of formal organization and better irrigation facilities as the key areas for the better development and diversification of tribal households.

Resource use Efficiency of Agricultural Farms in Mid Hills of Indian North-Western Himalayas

North-west Himalayas of India has been facing the problems of food and feed shortages and nutritional scarcity during winter months, so watershed has been considered to be an effective approach to raise agricultural productivity, conserve natural resources and reduce poverty particularly in rainfed regions. HP Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project - an integrated multi-sectoral watershed development project has been operative in Mid Hills of Himachal Pradesh in 10 districts of the state since October 2005. This study has been carried out in order to determine resource utilization on beneficiary farms and to analyse the problems faced by beneficiaries. The project has helped the beneficiaries for sustainable utilization of land and labour through different land development programmes, workshops, trainings and exposure visits. Demand for labour required for irrigation increased due to increase in irrigation facility through construction of village ponds, makowal structures, masonry dams, water harvesting structures and earthen run off dams on 16.66, 10.00, 6.67, 25.00 and 2.78 percent of the total number of beneficiaries. Inputs such as seed, plant protection and irrigation man-days underutilised, so recommendations from the study have been made to increase their respective marginal value productivities. In spite, of above benefits of the project, the beneficiaries have encountered some major problems viz. stray/wild animal menace (72.38 %), lack of technical knowledge of input use (63.27 %) and ineffectiveness of working of gram panchayats (60.56 %) which in case solved may lead to enhancement of efficiency levels of different resources.

Assessment of women farmers’ credit needs in imbulpe ds division in Sri Lanka

The study was conducted to identify the role of women farmers’ credit needs, using Imbulpe (Divisional Secretariat) DS Division in Sri Lanka. As the sample size of study 238 women farmers were selected from seven selected (Grama Niladhari) GN divisions of the study area. This study was conducted to identify the areas and level of credit needed by women farmers. And also, the agricultural credit sources of was identified. Women farmers were selected by using the simple random sampling method. Questionnaire Survey was used as the data collection method from March to July 2019. Descriptive statistics was used for the data analyzing process and the result showed that, 59.7 % of the women farmers were observed within the middle ages (40-59 years), most of them were married, and 4-5 members within their family. 64.3 % of women farmers were studied up to secondary level education. Majority of the women farmers were noted that they need credit facilities for the application of agrochemicals and fertilizers. In Addition to that, utilization of modern farming technologies, transportation & marketing of agricultural products and purchasing improved seeds & livestock related credit neediness most important for them. And also, they were showed a less interest regarding the credit neediness for pre-planting activities, irrigation facilities and harvesting activities. Most of the respondents were indicated high level of credit neediness for the application of agrochemicals and fertilizers and utilization of modern farming technologies while moderate and low level of agricultural credit neediness regarding the pre-planting activities, irrigation facilities and harvesting activities within the study area. Majority of the respondents were showed savings from the previous agricultural earnings and other family member or fellow women as their major credit sources of agricultural activities. Private money lenders act as the least important credit source for agricultural activities in the study area. JEL CODE: Q1, Q12

Determinants of Participation in India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Three Southern States

This paper examines socioeconomic, demographic, and geographical factors determining individuals’ participation in India’s biggest flagship social security program, that is, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), across three southern states. Logistic regression estimates suggest that MGNREGS has benefited the marginalized rural households belonging to the most backward castes. The adverse effects of climate and the ongoing Covid pandemic would have been more critical without the existence of MGNREGS. We recommend wide-scale implementation of the MGNREGS, particularly for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, and those living in an uncertain climate with less access to land and irrigational facilities.

Pre- and Post-Harvest Practices and Varietal Preferences of Tomato in Ghana

Tailored interventions in the tomato sector require current information on production and marketing systems along with the constraints faced by the stakeholders. We conducted this study to understand the current production practices, stakeholders’ varietal preferences, tomato market trends, and challenges along the crop’s value chains. A multistage sampling method coupled with a random walk was used to identify survey locations and identify 180 respondents across seven regions in Ghana. The study showed that tomato was predominantly produced by male (81%) and literate farmers (84%). Tomato farmers were smallholder farmers generally cultivating less than five acres. Tomato was mainly cultivated under rainfed conditions. Farmers used both bought seeds and their own saved seeds for production. Farmers in Bono, Greater Accra, and the Upper East region largely cultivated improved tomato varieties, while farmers in the Bono East region cultivated local varieties. Across the regions, being a male and having access to irrigation facilities increased the probability of using improved varieties by 19% and 51%, respectively. The most important farmer and market preference criteria included high yield, medium to large fruit size and rounded fruit shape, red color, time to maturity and disease resistance. The major production challenges of tomato production included diseases, pests, and poor access to water for irrigation. The average yield of tomato varied from 6902.26 kg/ha in the Bono Region to 16,213.98 kg/ha in Bono East. Tomato was exclusively produced for fresh market. The major marketing challenges were low producer prices, low demand for produce, and competition from other farmers. This study provides key information to improve tomato value chains and guide the introduction or breeding of improved tomato varieties.