Majority Of Farmers Research Articles

Farmers’ perception and economic impact assessment of agromet advisory services in rainfed regions of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

All India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology (AICRPAM) of ICAR has started the micro-level Agromet Advisory Service (AAS) through its 25 cooperative centers across the country. Microlevel advisory based on weather forecast is the newer dimension of the AAS in the country. Studies on economic impact of these micro-level advisories are uncommon. Therefore, the present study was conducted using the field survey to assess the farmer’s perception and economic impact of micro-level AAS in Vijayapura and Anantapur centers on pilot basis. Two groups i.e. AAS and non-AAS farmers, consisting of 40 farmers in each group were selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. The probit regression model was employed to assess the factors influencing willingness to pay (WTP) for AAS. Majority of farmers (65%) rated micro-level AAS as ‘very good’ on scale of ‘very poor’ to ‘very good’. Majority of non-AAS farmers were aware about micro-level AAS but lagged in adopting the service. It needs further detailed investigation of underlying causes of not adopting the service. Farming experience, education, land holding size and income were found to be most important factors influencing the farmer’s willingness for pay-based services. Results of economic impact revealed that there was 12 to 33 per cent increase in profit for AAS farmers as compared to non-AAS farmers.

A survey of calf management practices and farmer perceptions of calf housing in UK dairy herds

Adoption of optimal management techniques for rearing dairy calves has significant effects on their health, welfare, and productivity. Despite much published literature on best practice, calf morbidity and mortality rates remain high. This survey aimed to establish current calf management practices in the United Kingdom, along with farmer perceptions surrounding different housing types. A survey containing 48 questions was distributed online to UK farmers via social media, online forums, and a convenience sample of veterinary practices and was completed by 216 participants. A descriptive analysis with frequency distributions was calculated, with chi-squared tests, linear regression and multinomial regression performed to assess associations between variables. There was a low level of regular veterinary involvement in day-to-day health decision making for calves (3/216, 1.4%), highlighting the need for appropriate staff training and standard operating procedures to ensure prudent antimicrobial usage. Restricted calf milk feeding remains highly prevalent in the United Kingdom, with most calves fed milk replacer (114/216, 52.8%), twice daily (189/216, 87.5%), initially given milk at 4 L/d (66/216, 30.6%) or 6 L/d (47/216, 21.8%). There was, however, a small number of farmers initially feeding only 2 to 3 L/d (28/216, 13.0%). Euthanasia of bull calves (5/216, 2.3%) and feeding antimicrobial waste milk to calves (8/216, 3.7%) both occurred on some farms. With regard to housing, use of individual calf pens has reduced from around 60% in 2010 to 38.4% in this study (83/216), with this reduction being partly driven by the policy of UK milk buyers. Farmer perceptions indicated that individual housing was thought to help to improve calf health and feed monitoring of calves, suggesting that successful use of group housing requires a higher level of stockmanship. The majority of farmers did not provide fresh bedding to calves on a daily basis (141/216, 65.3%), and relatively few disinfected both the calf housing (38.0%) and ground (47.7%) between calves, suggesting that hygiene practices may require additional attention in farm management protocols.

Staggered public procurement of food grains in Punjab: New policy regime

Punjab has been significantly contributing to the central pool of food reserves. But the marketing efficiency of farm produce must be improved in the context of new policy regime. The present study was undertaken during 2019–20 to examine the farmers’ perspectives and challenges that emerged in the initiation of an alternative procurement approach for foodgrains. The results revealed that the marketed surplus of wheat was around 232 q and about 90% of the wheat production is being sold in the market. The selected farmers sold about 95% of their marketed surplus in the postharvest period and just 5% sold during the lean period in case of wheat crop. Further, among all the categories, the large farmers sold their produce in a lean period followed by medium and small farmers. The month-wise pattern of the total market arrival clearly revealed that more than 90% of the wheat arrived during the month of April and May and prices of wheat crops fluctuate during the lean period. On the other hand, the largest volume of paddy arrived in the month of October and November and paddy price remained almost at par with MSP in the post-harvest period. By considering all the aspects, it was found that the scheme of staggered procurement is feasible for the wheat crop only as the majority of farmers were willing to adopt this scheme. In the whole process, the additional income to the farmers comprises a sum of ₹ 900 crores in the marketing season of the wheat crop.

Dairy goat welfare in semi-intensive production systems and drought conditions

AbstractThe region of Coquimbo has the highest percentage of goats (Capra hircus) in Chile and is severely affected by droughts. This can lead to environmental challenges such as limited water and forage availability when goats are kept in natural grasslands. The objective of this study was to assess the welfare of dairy goats in semi-intensive production systems under drought conditions. The study was carried out in La Serena city, region of Coquimbo, Chile and 22 semi-intensive dairy goat farms were assessed using the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol. In each evaluation, the following indicators and information were gathered: physical and behavioural indicators of animal welfare, farmers’ sociodemographic information, farm facilities, husbandry practices and management of the farm, and farmers’ perception of animal welfare. Of the goats evaluated (n = 446), the vast majority had a body condition score (BCS) considered normal (n = 349; 78.25%). The main welfare problems were poor hair condition, faecal soiling, overgrown claws and improper disbudding or dehorning. The majority of farmers (96%) considered it ‘rather important’ or ‘very important’ to handle their goats in a gentle manner, expressing concern about the welfare of their animals and considering pain as a negative experience for goats. A lower than expected percentage of very thin animals (low BCS) were seen, considering the drought conditions and the forage shortage that affects the region, and no animals were observed with signs of thermal stress. The semi-intensive production systems could be an alternative to pasture-based systems to overcome environmental challenges.

Social Media in Agricultural Extension Services: Farmers and Extension Agents Perspective

The study aimed to assess the present status of social media in agricultural extension services as well as attitude of the farmers with their problems towards social media. The study was conducted in five unions of Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila, Chapainawabganj district. A total of 90 respondents (60 farmers and 30 extension officers) were randomly selected from the study area. The majority of farmers (75%) had a moderately positive view toward social media. According to the findings, all of the farmers were men, and 46.7% of them were in their middle years. The majority of the farmers (53.3%) were illiterate, the majority (38.3%) were small-group farmers based on land ownership, and only a small percentage (11.7%) used social media. The most popular social media platforms among them were Facebook and YouTube. Other respondents used social media at a rate of 93.3% for extension officers. About 46.7 percent of extension staff utilized both Facebook and YouTube to communicate with farmers, while 33.3% chose Facebook over other social media. They mainly used social media for agricultural information, amusement, personal reasons, and information sharing, but they did not find the use of social media solely for agricultural purposes to improve extended services agreeable. According to the extension officers, social media can assist farmers in receiving critical information and so bridge the gap between them and farmers. Farmers' lack of usage of social media is due to major issues such as lack of awareness, illiteracy, and lack of training, according to the study. As a result, it is proposed that researchers, extension officials, and the government take appropriate initiatives to encourage farmers to use social media.

Cocoa suitability mapping using multi-criteria decision making: An agile step towards soil security

Cocoa production is impacted by major resource constraints, such as the soil's capability, and in some areas, by unreliable access to markets. A multifaceted approach that employs both biophysical and socio-economic conditions is developed here for mapping areas that are suitable for cocoa production in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This manuscript presents a case study of using multi-criteria decision making by the Analytic Hierarchy Process for mapping the fundamental criteria for cocoa suitability. The results show that temperature, precipitation and soil reveal sections within Western, Gulf and Central (along the west coast joining to National Capital District) province that have very low suitability for cocoa production. In our analysis, precipitation, soil, slope and road, were ranked as the four most important criteria. Additionally, we included stream networks because they may help irrigation and allow cocoa transport via water (e.g. Manus Island). Comparing an already existing cocoa suitability map for PNG to the one created in this study, we found some similarities. For example, the Central, Gulf, and Western (Fly) areas are either unsuitable for cocoa production or have very low potential, and exceptional areas around Rabaul and Kokopo in East New Britain, Popendetta, and Bouganiville were identified. Some new areas suitable for cocoa production in East Sepik, East New Britain, and a major stretch within West New Britain may show low to moderate suitability. The most important finding is the potential to grow cocoa in the highlands, especially, Chimbu (Simbu), Eastern Highlands, Enga, Hela, Jiwaka regions. We found that currently the majority of farmers are growing cocoa in highly suitable areas (76% in class 4, 20%in class 3 and 4% in class 5). The inclusion of slope and roads impacts the impact of flooding conditions and the amount of work and ease of access to markets as important indicators of the connection farmers make between soil suitability and their decision to grow cocoa. This is an agile step towards linking biomass production to soil capability, and connectivity, allowing cocoa suitable areas selection and the production of ‘living maps’ that continually evolve as more empirical data becomes available. This can be an essential connectivity tool for practitioners to evaluate the potential geographic range for cocoa production.

Effect of Different Doses of Compost on Growth and Yield of Cotton

Effect of Different Doses of Compost on Growth and Yield of Cotton
 Cotton is main cash crop of Pakistan that is also called "white gold". Majority of farmers from Punjab and Sindh cultivate it and earn high value in market to improve their livelihood. It is very important crop for cotton industry and people because, it provide raw material to industry and job to workers who serve in this sector from sowing to harvesting,ginning to weaving and selling. Cotton sector play important role in National economy as it is also a rich source of edible oil. In current scenario, growing cotton is becoming costly due to use of expensive inputs. To play part in reducing input cost of cotton present study conducted. The study aimed to evaluate efficacy of compost developed from crop refuse at zero cost. For this purpose performance of three cotton varieties MNH 886, FH 142 and IR 901 checked at five doses100 Kg, 200 Kg, 300 Kg, 400 Kg and 500 Kg of compost per acre. Results revealed that MNH 886 performed good among all three varieties on all doses followed by FH 142 and IR 901 respectively. MNH 886 performed good than all others, where maximum seed germination recorded 72.67%, plant height 138.93 cm, root length 35.43 cm, numbers of branches11.56, numbers of bolls 45.78 and yield 1840 Kg per acre on 500 Kg compost per acre recorded.However, minimum seed germination 48.56%, plant height 93.02 cm, root length 25.24 cm, numbers of branches 8.67, numbers of bolls 11.89 and yield was recorded 1042 Kg on 100 Kg compost per acre. Same trend of maximum growth at 500 Kg and minimum at 100 Kg compost observed on FH142 and IR901.

Sustainable agriculture in Northeastern India: how do tribal farmers perceive and respond to climate change?

ABSTRACT India’s monsoon dependent agriculture is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and inadequate policies contribute to socio-economic difficulties in farming communities. Many current policies and strategies to combat climate change impacts are focused on technical aspects of adaptations whereas little research is done to understand the socio-economic dimensions, particularly the perspectives of farmers. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with more than 800 farm-families residing in the Northeastern Region of India (NER), an Eastern Himalayan ecosystem. Results show that most farmers perceive changes in climate and are aware of its agricultural and socio-economic impacts. The majority of farmers from all eight NER states have personally experienced unusual climatic events within the last 10–15 years. About two-thirds believe that climate change is largely man-made and there is an urgent need to take action. Many farmers observed declining water availability and soil fertility across NER. High cost of agricultural inputs and unawareness of effective adaptation technologies are the core barriers for adaptation in NER. To sustain their livelihoods, vulnerable farmers have adopted a few low-cost measures. However, strategic interventions are highly advocated to empower human capital for enhancing socio-ecological resilience. In conclusion, to overcome the barriers of farm adaptations in NER, holistic support programs are needed, which raise awareness for suitable actions, reduce input costs, and facilitate access to financial credits.

Pengaruh Tanihub terhadap Minat Generasi Y Bertani dalam Penguatan Ketahanan Pangan

Tanihub is a market place that specifically sells agricultural products. the aim is to break the distribution chain so that consumers can buy food at low prices and farmers still get huge profits. Currently access and market networks are the main problems faced by the majority of farmers in Indonesia in selling agricultural products. Narrow marketing knowledge and low innovation towards modern agriculture have caused farming to be unprofitable. As a result, farmers live in poverty and farming is increasingly abandoned by the younger generation. this if left in the long run will be a threat to food security. Because in the future food is predicted to have a dual role as a source of food and energy raw materials. The purpose of this study was to analyze how the influence of Wages, Land Ownership, Prestige and Tanihub on the interest of generation Y farming in strengthening food security. The sample in this study were 94 members of HMI branch Ciputat. The analysis used in this study is descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression analysis. The results of the study revealed that as many as 54 people were interested in developing digital-based agriculture. The results of ordinal logistic regression analysis are known that Tanihub, Prestige and Land Ownership have a significant effect on the interest in farming. Whereas wages do not have a significant effect on the interest of generation Y farming.

Monitoring of Land Use–Land Cover Change and Potential Causal Factors of Climate Change in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, through GIS and Multi-Temporal Satellite Data

Land use–land cover (LULC) alteration is primarily associated with land degradation, especially in recent decades, and has resulted in various harmful changes in the landscape. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has the prospective capacity to classify the vegetative characteristics of many ecological areas and has proven itself useful as a remote sensing (RS) tool in recording vegetative phenological aspects. Likewise, the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) is used for quoting built-up areas. The current research objectives include identification of LULC, NDVI, and NDBI changes in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, during the last 30 years (1990–2020). This study targeted five major LULC classes: water channels, built-up area, barren land, forest, and cultivated land. Satellite imagery classification tools were used to identify LULC changes in Jhelum District, northern Punjab, Pakistan. The perception data about the environmental variations as conveyed by the 500 participants (mainly farmers) were also recorded and analyzed. The results depict that the majority of farmers (54%) believe in the appearance of more drastic changes such as less rainfall, drought, and decreased water availability for irrigation during 2020 compared to 30 years prior. Overall accuracy assessment of imagery classification was 83.2% and 88.8% for 1990, 88.1% and 85.7% for 2000, 86.5% and 86.7% for 2010, and 85.6% and 87.3% for 2020. The NDVI for Jhelum District was the highest in 1990 at +0.86 and the lowest in 2020 at +0.32; similarly, NDBI values were the highest in 2020 at +0.72 and the lowest in 1990 at −0.36. LULC change showed a clear association with temperature, NDBI, and NDVI in the study area. At the same time, variations in the land area of barren soil, vegetation, and built-up from 1990 to 2020 were quite prominent, possibly resulting in temperature increases, reduction in water for irrigation, and changing rainfall patterns. Farmers were found to be quite responsive to such climatic variations, diverting to framing possible mitigation approaches, but they need government assistance. The findings of this study, especially the causes and impacts of rapid LULC variations in the study area, need immediate attention from related government departments and policy makers.

Research on Innovative Training on Smart Greenhouse Technologies for Economic and Environmental Sustainability

Great advancements in technologies such as big data analytics, robots, remote sensing, the Internet of Things, decision support systems and artificial intelligence have transformed the agricultural sector. In the greenhouse sector, these technologies help farmers increase their profits and crop yields while minimizing the production costs, produce in a more environmentally friendly way and mitigate the risks caused by climate change. In greenhouse farming, especially in the Mediterranean region, a lack of knowledge and qualified personnel able to uptake new knowledge, the small size of farms, etc., make it difficult to implement new technologies. Although it is necessary to demonstrate the advantages of innovations related to sustainable agriculture, there is a little opportunity for specific training on greenhouse production in cutting-edge technologies. To gain insight into this problem, questionnaires for greenhouse farmers and intermediaries were developed in multiple choice format and filled in by the stakeholders. A statistical analysis was performed, and the results are presented in graphical form. In most cases, the findings confirmed that producers who run small farms, in most cases, have a lack of knowledge, especially on how to manage climate control systems or fertigation systems. The majority of farmers were elderly with a low level of education, which makes it difficult to be aware of the training issues, due to distrust and a lack of innovation culture. Therefore, their strategy was usually survival with cost control. However, young graduates have been recently returning to agriculture, and they are open to training activities and innovation. The most desirable training offer should be related to sustainable agriculture and precision agriculture technologies.

Analysis of Resource Endowments of Mustard Growers in Hamirpur District of Bundelkhand Region Uttar Pradesh

A vigilant study of the resource endowment conditions of farmers is a precondition for the appropriate design and successful implementation of the government’s programs. The study was conducted in Hamirpur district of Bundelkhand during 2019-20 to investigate the resource endowments and socioeconomic status of mustard grower farmers. Maudaha block of Hamirpur was selected, randomly. Primary data was collected from a sample of 120 respondents through structured questionnaire using a multistage sampling. The data indicated that out total respondent’s maximum were found illiterate, majority of farmers were having Pakka house. Agriculture was found to be the major source of income for the farmers of Maudaha block and also provided a source of the dietary needs of the family. Average size holding per farm was found highest under large farms followed by medium and small farms. The cropping intensity of Hamirpur was found less than that of whole Bundelkhand region. Buffalo population was found to be increasing in the region over the period.

​A Study on the Housing and Feeding Management Practices Followed by Rural Milk Producers of Telangana State

An investigation was carried out to study the housing and feeding management practices followed by the dairy farmers in five districts of Telangana state. From each district one mandal and from each mandal five villages were selected. The data was collected from 150 farmers through personal interview utilizing a schedule developed for the purpose. It was observed that most of the dairy farmers (59.33%) had medium herd size and 59.33% of farmers housed their animals beside their houses while 14.67% and 26% of the farmers housed the animals in a separate shed and below the shade of tree, respectively. Most of the animal sheds (66%) in the study area had mud flooring. Majority of farmers (52%) were not taking any measures to protect animals from extreme heat in summer. Grazing and group feeding were most commonly practised except in Rangareddy district where most of farmers (56.67%) followed individual feeding. Majority of the farmers from Medak (50%) and Mahaboobnagar (60%) districts were following one time feeding of their animals, whereas, most farmers from Vikarabad (66.67%) fed two times in a day. In Rangareddy and Nalgonda, majority (66.67% and 63.33%) of the farmers were offering feed three times. Most of the farmers were producing fodder by themselves in Vikarabad, Medak, Nalgonda and Mahaboobnagar districts and their percentages were 66.67%, 63.33% 93.33% and 86.67%, respectively. Most of the farmers of Rangareddy district were procuring fodder from outside.

Knowledge and practices of dairy farmers about environmental health: Need for eco-health approach in Punjab

The dairy industry impacts environmental health in various ways and the extent of the impact depends upon the knowledge and practices of dairy farmers. This research surveyed the knowledge and practices of the dairy farmers (n-300) towards environmental safety from five different agro-climatic zones of Punjab (India). Data were analyzed using SPSS software through descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of independence with Cramer’s V value as measures of effect size. Analysis of variances, followed by Games Howell post hoc test was performed to analyze subgroup differences amongst explanatory variables. The majority of farmers (57.66%) had a low knowledge score on environmental safety. Majority of farmers did not know greenhouse gases emission (81%) from dairy animals/their excreta, the impact of dairy farming on climate change (86.67%), and were not treating farm effluents before discharging them into the environment (92.67%). Climate change (I) followed by air pollution (II), human-animal-environment interaction (III), water pollution (IV), and soil pollution(V) were the rank-wise factors reported to affect dairy farming. Further, socio-demographic and farm characteristics have a positive influence on the farmer’s knowledge. The study warrants an extensive awareness campaign on scientific cum eco-friendly dairy farming with an emphasis on measures to reduce environmental pollution and an eco-health approach to bridge the knowledge hiatus.

Awareness and control methods of gastrointestinal parasites of merino sheep among farmers from different agro-ecological zones of Lesotho.

Background and Aim:Sheep production plays a crucial role in the economy of Lesotho by increasing economic state of the rural poor. However, gastrointestinal parasites infection is the most limiting factor in sheep productivity and has a highly detrimental effect on the sheep industry. Therefore this study aimed to evaluate farmers’ awareness and understanding of controlling gastrointestinal parasites of merino sheep in four Lesotho agro-ecological zones.Materials and Methods:Data were collected using a simple random sampling of 106 farmers in the lowlands, foothills, mountains, and Senqu river valley. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 20.00). Descriptive statistics were employed with cross-tabulations and tested with Chi-square and post hoc tests.Results:The majority of farmers (80%) were aware of the gastrointestinal parasites. Most farmers (70%) reported a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and associated it with lamb mortality in summer and autumn. Farmers use anthelmintics for treating gastrointestinal parasites in animals, and 93% of them reported the effectiveness of the drugs. However, more than 80% of farmers routinely use anthelmintics. The results revealed that 81.5%, 66.7%, 80%, and 66.7% of farmers from the lowlands, foothills, mountains, and Senqu river valley, respectively, keep sheep in non-roofed enclosures cleaned only after rains to avoid mud. Communal grazing is used as the main source of animal feeding where different livestock species share the same rangelands. Most farmers (more than 70%) believed that grazing lands were the main source of gastrointestinal parasites transmission.Conclusion:Farmers in Lesotho are aware of gastrointestinal parasites and apply control methods to combat the gastrointestinal parasites in merino sheep. However, a need still exists for them to be empowered with skills for improving management systems and the knowledge on how the gastrointestinal parasites behave at different times of the year and in different agro-ecological zones. This will assist them in adhering to the dosing schedule designed by animal health experts.

Predictors of integrated soil fertility management practice among cocoa farmers in Ghana

This study defines and estimates the proportion of organic and inorganic crop-land husbandry practices in the composite of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) by cocoa farmers in Ghana using their socioeconomic and ecological attributes. A binary logistic regression was used to determine how these factors predict the proportion of organic materials in the composite. The results showed that only 13% of farmers use pure organic-based ISFM while 87% use different combinations of organic-based and inorganic ISFM. The estimates revealed that frequency of access to ISFM information and awareness, level of education and age of farmers below 30 years significantly influenced various degrees of organic-based ISFM. Among the significant ecological predictors were locations of cocoa agroforests, and intercropping cocoa with food crops and other tree crops at establishment phase (0–5 years) of cocoa plantations. These results imply that during the establishment phase, farmers are more likely to use low (<50%) organic-based ISFM. In contrast, farmers who manage matured monocrop cocoa plantations (21–30 years) are more likely to utilize high (≥50%) organic-based ISFM. The use of high organic-based ISFM by farmers can be improved by increasing their access to ISFM information, education and awareness. • There is no scientific evidence of ISFM practice among cocoa farmers in Ghana. • This study predicted factors of ISFM practice by Ghanaian cocoa farmers. • Majority of farmers use combinations of inorganic and organic-based ISFM practice. • Access to extension, education and age influenced adoption of ISFM practice. • Ecological predictors include farm age, farm location and intercropping systems.

Determinants of food security and prospects of crop diversification in rural regions of Punjab, Pakistan

Pakistan is an agricultural economy, yet achieving food security has become indispensable. This study aimed at measuring the influence of different factors on the state of food security among rural households and prospects of crops diversification in tackling the food insecurity. This study was conducted in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Through multi-stage random sampling, 40 households were chosen randomly, making a total sample size of 200 families from the five districts. Face-to-face interviews assisted researchers in collecting data. OLS regression model was used to examine the elements contributing to food insecurity. Of the total respondents, 56.6% were aged between 40-60 years. The majority of respondents (65%) had less than 5 acres of land, accentuating subsistence farming. More than half (53.6%) had at least five years of schooling, indicating a miserable educational situation for participating farmers. Among total population only 23.49% of farmers have practically adopted crop diversification. Age, land size, access to credit and crop diversification were statistically significant (P0.05) with FCS and negatively associated with HFIAS. Findings imply that farmers were small landholders with poor education and inadequate access to services such as credit. Therefore, the majority of farmers were found food insecure according to the FCS score. The findings indicate a great prospect of crop diversification among farmers in the region to expedite the income-generating process to structure farmers' food security. The pre-defined and revamped roles of institutions like Public Sector Agricultural Extension could serve the purpose.

Implementation of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Protection Policy in Sukabumi City, West Java, Indonesia

The population increase and regional development are causes of decreasing agricultural land. For supporting agricultural land protection, Sukabumi City issued a Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2016 concerning Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Protection Policy in Sukabumi City (LP2B) which determines 321 ha land as eternal agricultural land. This study examines a level LP2B policy implementation in Sukabumi City. Factors that will be considered: the level of land readiness as LP2B, the level of an implementation incentive program, the level of response and availability of farmers, and the level of infrastructure and information systems readiness. The analytical method used is a descriptive method through collecting data by interviewed farmers, government and reviewing documents related to LP2B policies. The results of the study show that for land readiness, in early 2021 Sukabumi city is ready for about 10.024% % from total planned land. For the implementation of LP2B incentive program, the majority of farmers has not experienced the incentive program. For the farmer’s response and availability, the majority of farmers does not know about LP2B policy, 80% of owner farmers are ready to provide their land into LP2B with some conditions. The availability of irrigation infrastructure in Sukabumi City is very good, where more than 75% of respondents rice fields has an irrigation system. Related to LP2B information system, Sukabumi City has issued a Mayor Regulation Number 8 of 2018 concerning LP2B Information System in Sukabumi City, but this system has not been optimal in providing basic information that is required to exist in a LP2B information system.

Risk Management of Granola Potato Seeds Production: A Study in Kertasari, West Java, Indonesia

The quality of potato seeds is important to support increased production. The majority of farmers do not certify potato seeds, which can result in various risks for potato seed production activities. This research aims to identify the risks of potato seed production and formulate risk control strategies for potato seeds production. The research uses house of risk method. The results of this study show thirty-nine identified risk events. The most impactful risk event was rotten potato. Thirty-two identified risk agents with two priorities must be handled first. The most effective ways in handling strategy are training, the certification of potato seed breeder farmers, potato seed certification, as well as purchasing breeder seeds from vegetable crop research center and from other seed breeders. This research suggests the needs to produce quality potato seeds by certifying potato seed and to update the competency certification of potato seed breeders.

The Role and Sustainability of Community-based County Government Funded Agricultural Infrastructure Projects: A Case of Community Cattle Dips and Acaricides Use in Kilifi, Kajiado and Nakuru Counties

The study objective was to provide baseline and reference data on status and use of acaricides based on type or active ingredients by individual farmers and in public cattle dip maintained by county governments. The survey was conducted through a cross-sectional study in three counties (Kilifi, Kajiado and Nakuru), based on livestock farming intensive (low, medium and high) respectively. A total of 72 farmers were sampled where Questionnaire and informal interview were used to collect data on acaricides use, grazing method, herd characteristics, production and marketing. Data obtained was stored in excel spread sheets coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for social Scientists (SPSS). Grazing systems were conventional grazing (31), zero grazing (10) and fenced pastures (41). Collapse of county governments maintained cattle dips was observed. Hence use of alternative methods by farmers; spray race (22) and mechanical (hand) spray (31). Chemicals used included TRIATIX (12), DUODIP (11), STELADONE (7) among others with majority of the farmers (32) spraying once a week. Water sources for use were tap (piped) water (8), Borehole (54), community dams (3), river water (4) and harvested rain water (1). Majority of farmers (43) used manual methods of milking while 29 farmers used automated machines. Nakuru had highest number of lactating cattle (1422) and milk production (22,480 litres), followed by Kajiado (247) with low milk production (371 litres) compared to production Kilifi production (1470 litres) herd (150). Milk was sold to KCC, Brookside and vendors with farmers adding little value (Yoghurt and Mala). In conclusion, extensive use of chemicals may accumulate in the ecosystem thus a public health problem with little productivity. Data forms basis for further research and policy formulation on acaricides use. Analysis of hydro-chemical parameters and acaricides in the water source is recommended to ascertain its suitability for Agricultural and domestic use.