Participation In Non-farm Activities Research Articles

Factors Affecting Smallholder Farmers' Adoption of Soybean Production Technologies in Kondala District Oromia Western Ethiopia

This study examines on the adoption and intensity of soybean production technology in the Kondala district. A two-stage sampling procedure was followed to select the sample households for the study. The study is based on primary data collected from 185 sample-selected households. Four rural kebeles were selected by using simple random sampling. The semi-structured interview schedule was developed, for collecting the essential quantitative data for the study and secondary data were used as additional data sources. Descriptive statistics and the Tobit model were used to analyse the data. This study also identifies soybean production technologies such as recommended seeding rate, recommended fertilizer applications, land allocation. The result of the descriptive statistics showed that the majority of farmers 57.3% were adopters and the remaining 42.7% were non adopters. In terms of land allocation and use of technologies there was a statistical significance difference in technology usage between adopters and non-adopters. The Tobit model results indicated that household ages, education level, farm experience, membership in cooperatives, access to agricultural inputs, participation in non-farm activities, and frequency of extension contact positively and significantly influenced the adoption and intensity of the use of soybean technologies. Whereas, distance from the market centre showed, a negative relationship with the adoption and intensity of adoption of soybeans production technology. The overall finding of the study underlined the high importance of institutional support in the areas of extension; membership in cooperatives and market to enhance the adoption of an improved soybean production package. Therefore, policy and development interventions should give emphasis to the improvement of such institutional support so as to achieve wider adoption which increases the productivity and income of smallholder farmers.

Rural Household’s Participation In Non-Farm Activities: The Case Of The Makuey District, Nuer Zone, Gambella Region, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a farming nation where agriculture provides a living for a large portion of the inhabitants. Most rural households suffer from chronic poverty and food insecurity as a result of agriculture's deteriorating carrying capacity, land fragmentation, and low agricultural income. This makes rural households participate in non-farm activities to generate income to cope with these challenges. The study used a mixed study design. A step-by-step sampling procedure was used in this study in which the Makuey district was selected purposively, Puokuath and Bildak kebelle were selected at simple, random, and stratified sampling procedures were applied to select sample respondents. The study also employed a descriptive, inferential, and econometric model for data analysis. Based on the findings, only significant discrete variables were the gender, literacy level, and household credit access. Similarly, the significant continuous variables were market distance and household income. Furthermore, the main challenges facing rural households' participation in non-farm activities were bad infrastructure and negative cultural perception. The binary logit model result indicated that market distance, literacy level, and credit access were significant and negatively influenced rural households, while incomes and the gender of rural households were significant and positively influenced the rural household's involvement in non-farm activities. The study recommended that the regional and district governments should access infrastructure and create awareness about the benefits of non-farm activities.

Listen to the radio and go on field trips: A study on farmers' attributes to opt for extension methods in Northwest Ethiopia

<abstract> <p>Extension professionals are expected to help disseminate agricultural technologies, information, knowledge and skills to farmers. In order to develop valuable and long-lasting extension services, it is essential to understand the methods of extension that farmers find most beneficial. This understanding helps adopt improved practices, overcome barriers, provide targeted interventions and continuously improve agricultural extension programs. Thus, assessing factors affecting farmers' choice of agricultural extension methods is essential for developing extension methods that comply with farmers' needs and socio-economic conditions. Therefore, we analyzed the factors affecting farmers' preferences in extension methods, using cross-sectional data collected from 300 households in two sample districts and 16 Kebelles in Ethiopia between September 2019 and March 2020. Four extension methods, including training, demonstration, office visits and phone calls were considered as outcome variables. We fitted a multivariate probit model to estimate the factors that influence farmers' choice of extension methods. The results of the study showed that the number of dependents in the household head, formal education and membership of Idir (an informal insurance program a community or group runs to meet emergencies) were negatively associated with farmers' choices to participate in different extension methods compared to no extension. On the other hand, the sex of the household head, farm experience, participation in non-farm activities, monetary loan access, owning a mobile phone, radio access and membership of cooperatives were found to have a statistically significant positive impact on farmers' choices of extension methods. Based on these findings, the government and the concerned stakeholders should take farmers' socio-economic and institutional traits into account when selecting and commissioning agricultural extension methods. This could help to develop contextually relevant extension strategies that are more likely to be chosen and appreciated by farmers. Furthermore, such strategies can aid policymakers in designing extension programs that cater to farmers' needs and concerns. In conclusion, farmers' socio-economic and institutional affiliation should be taken into consideration when selecting agricultural extension methods.</p> </abstract>

Does participation in non-farm activities provide food security? Evidence from rural Ethiopia

Does participation in non-farm activities provide food security? Evidence from rural Ethiopia

Antecedents of Savings Behaviour Among Rural Households: A Holistic Approach

The main purpose of this research is to empirically examine the antecedents of household savings behaviour in the Metekele, Beneshangu Guzu state of Ethiopia. In this study, three broader factors (household characteristics, socio-economic variables and institutional variables) influencing savings decisions of households have been identified and examined. This study followed mixed method research design with questionnaire and in-depth interviews as the main instruments. Binary logistic regression has been mainly utilized to analyse the quantitative data. The findings revealed age, educational level, family size, number of livestock unit, income, irrigation utilization, production season, participation in non-farm activities, use of credit, training and education significantly impact savings behaviour. However, sex, religion, marital status, land ownership and expenditure were found insignificant contributors to the model. The government and concerned parties should support more for the decision to save by facilitating and undertaking training on saving options, conducting regular review and monitoring to develop a clear policy on the importance of savings specifically for households on habit of regular savings.

Non-farm employment, natural resource extraction, and poverty: evidence from household data for rural Vietnam.

Natural resources are important in sustaining the livelihoods of rural households and the environment. However, over-exploitation is causing an alarming depletion of natural resources in many developing countries. At the same time, rapid economic growth has created non-farm employment opportunities for local people. In this context, examining the interrelationship between non-farm employment and natural resource extraction provides useful information for reducing resource extraction and improving rural households’ welfare. In this study, we use a dataset of 1780 identical households from three survey waves undertaken in 2010, 2013, and 2016 in Vietnam to (i) identify the determinants of rural households’ participation in non-farm activities, (ii) examine the interrelationship between non-farm employment and natural resource extraction, and (iii) investigate the impact of non-farm employment on rural households’ welfare. The findings from pooled sample estimations reveal that (i) cable internet at home and rural road quality positively affect households’ decisions to participate in non-farm employment; (ii) non-farm income and income from natural resource extraction have a negative association; and (iii) non-farm income significantly contributes to poverty reduction in both relative and absolute terms. Our findings suggest that improved provision of non-farm opportunities and increased investment in infrastructure and telecommunication are needed to improve rural households’ welfare and consequently reduce their natural resource exploitation.

Understanding participation in non-farm activities in rural Sudan: across-sector study of irrigated and rainfed agricultural systems

PurposeThis paper examines the determinants of participation in non-farm activities in rural Sudan. It also investigates whether the factors that influence participation in non-farm activities vary across agriculture sub-sectors.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts the multinomial logit and probit methods on labour supply participation theory using the Sudanese National Baseline Household Survey (2009). The analysis was applied across job types and agriculture sub-sectors.FindingsThe results indicated that educational level, means of transportation, lack of land and access to formal agricultural credit are the most significant factors that push rural farmers to participate in non-farm activities. Surprisingly, the effect of household income was positive and significant, implying that individuals from rich households have higher opportunity to engage in non-farm activities compared to their poor counterparts. The results also revealed some variations in the factors that influence participation in non-farm activities according to the agricultural sub-sectors.Originality/valueThe originality of this article lies in investigating the factors that influence participation in non-farm activities across irrigated and rainfed systems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study identifying the determinants of participation in non-farm activities across agriculture sub-sectors. Therefore, the paper fills an important gap in the literature and helps in designing appropriate pro-poor policies to allocate infrastructures across irrigated and rainfed areas in Sudan.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2022-0092.

The Effect of Productive Safety Net Programme on Household Food Consumption and Dietary Diversity in Ethiopia

This study empirically investigates the effect of productive safety net programme (PSNP) on household food consumption and dietary diversity in Ethiopia. The study applied random effects with instrumental variable to estimate the effect of PSNP membership. The study indicates that though PSNP membership improves household food consumption, it reduces household dietary diversity score. Household food consumption and dietary diversity are also significantly influenced by sex, age, education status of household head, household size, livestock ownership, distance to the nearest market and participation in non-farm activities. The findings of this study suggest that PSNP membership should be reinforced by building household awareness of the benefits of consuming a variety of foods. In addition, PSNP membership should be designed to endow the households to accumulate essential assets, especially livestock.

Impact of rural, non-farm activities on smallholder farmers’ income-poverty in Eastern zone of Tigray Region, Ethiopia

This study aims at assessing the impact of rural, non-farm activities on smallholder farmers’ income-poverty. It answers these research questions: Is there any significant difference in the poverty indices between the participants and non-participants of non-farm activities? What is the average treatment effect of rural, non-farm activities on smallholder farmers’ income-poverty? The study design was a survey based on cross-sectional data collected from 352 randomly selected farm households. To attain its objectives, the cost of basic needs based on the daily nutritional cut-off point of 2200 kcal/adult equivalent was used to establish the local poverty line. The Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) results indicated that farmers engaged in non-farm activities have lower incidence, depth, and severity of poverty. Furthermore, the propensity score matching analysis shows non-farm activities have a significant positive impact (at 1%; t = 5.86) on smallholder farmers’ income-poverty reduction. This suggests that poverty eradication policies and interventions require a paradigm shift away from equating rural livelihoods with agriculture and should address the constraints facing farmers for participation in non-farm activities like weaving, spinning, knitting, embroidery, metalwork, masonry, and pert trade. This study should make a contribution to addressing the dearth of literature on the issue and to the eradication of rural poverty.

The effect of the productive safety net programme on household food consumption and dietary diversity in Ethiopia

This study empirically investigates the effect of the productive safety net programme (PSNP) on household food consumption and dietary diversity in Ethiopia. The study applied random effects with instrumental variables to estimate the effect of PSNP membership. The results of the study indicate that, although PSNP membership improves household food consumption, it reduces the household dietary diversity score. Household food consumption and dietary diversity are also significantly influenced by sex, age, education status of household head, household size, livestock ownership, distance to the nearest market and participation in non-farm activities. The findings of this study suggest that PSNP membership should be reinforced by building household awareness of the benefits of consuming a variety of foods. In addition, PSNP membership should be designed to endow the households to accumulate essential assets, especially livestock.

Impact assessment of non-farm enterprises on poverty status of rural farming households in Nigeria

This study evaluates the impact of non-farm enterprises on the poverty status of rural farming households in Nigeria. The data were obtained from General Household Survey fielded by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2010/2011 and 2015/2016. However, only 1,619 matched observations were used for analyses, using Propensity Score Matching, Double Difference, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty measures and Poverty Equivalent Growth Rates (PEGRs). The results show that 53.3% of participants lived below the poverty line (poor) in 2011, while in 2016, this proportion declined to 31.94%. The poverty incidence of female participants (0.5504) decreased by 53.68% while that of male participants (0.4112) decreased by 4.81%. If female participants had not participated in non-farm enterprises, their poverty would have been reduced by only 9.7% but due to participation, it was reduced by 53.68%. The Poverty Equivalent Growth Rates are higher for all the three FGT measures than the actual growth rates for all participants, males and females with females showing higher poverty reduction; which means that growth was propoor, although the poverty of the poor decreased more than that of the core poor. Also, after five years there is a decline in poverty incidences of participants across the six geopolitical zones and the decline was mostly felt in the North East (NE) followed by North Central (NC) while the least percentage decline was seen in North West (NW). Since participation in non-farm activities had a significant impact on the poverty of participants, the promotion of non-farm enterprises among poor farmers should be encouraged.

Changing income portfolios and household welfare in rural Uganda

ABSTRACT This paper provides evidence on the heterogeneous welfare implications of rural income portfolios in eastern Uganda. We use household survey data from two-panel rounds, and fixed and random effects estimation and quantile regressions to estimate average and heterogeneous effects. While the literature mostly focuses on either income diversification or participation in non-farm activities, we distinguish between income diversification, using the Simpson Index, and off-farm income generation. We use ex-post income and poverty measures as well as an ex-ante vulnerability measure to analyse welfare effects. We find that income diversification and non-farm income generation improve household income, and reduce poverty and vulnerability. We find that it is most beneficial for poorer households with less land assets to diversify their income portfolio, while moving out of agriculture is equally beneficial at all income levels and most beneficial for households with more human capital. We find that income diversification reduces vulnerability most strongly at high levels of diversification and low levels of income while non-farm income generation reduces vulnerability at lower levels of non-farm income and increases vulnerability at higher levels of non-farm income. Our results lead to nuanced findings that bring additional insights in the literature on structural transformation and rural development.

English

Undertaking non-agrarian income-generating activities to reduce overreliance on agriculture, production failures, and income fluctuations is a household-amenable, self-insurance mechanism, which provides employment opportunities and capital investment. This article examines the determinants of participation in non-farm activities and effect on household income. Heckman two-step procedure was used to analyze a three-wave survey data set captured from 3866 households. Crop failures, insufficient intake of food, household consumption expenditure, gender, family size, literacy, health status, farm animals holding, access to credit, total hired labor, cooperative membership and agricultural extension services were factors influencing household involvement in non-farm work. Furthermore, the findings establish that there is a decline in the likelihood of households headed by aged people, who tend to rely on subsistence farming to engage in alternative non-agrarian activities. The results of the analyses support the non-separability hypothesis of non-farm activities and household income; this implies that engaging in non-agricultural activities has a direct positive effect on household income. The omnipresence of non-agrarian income generating activities in agro-ecoregions requires inclusive rural development policies that focus beyond agriculture based on the recognition of the rural economic heterogeneity. Key words: Rural development, non-farm activities, household income, Heckman Two-Step model, Ethiopia.

Determinants of Participation in Non-farm Activities among Rural Farm Households in Ambo District of West Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

This study examined the determinants of non-farm economic activities participation decisions among rural farm households in Ambo district of West Shoa zone of Oromia region, Ethiopia. The research design adopted in this study was cross-sectional field survey from which a total of 300 rural farm households drawn. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression model were applied to investigate the effect of various factors on the decision to participate in non-farm economic activities. The logistic results show that gender, marital status of household head, dependency ratio, skill, access to credit and distance to the nearest market were found to be the key factors that significantly influenced rural farming household’s decisions to participate in non-farm activities. Women and married headed rural farm households were more likely to participate in non-farm activities. Transferable skill and access to credit also have positive influence on rural farm household decision to participate in non-farm activities. High dependency ratio and a long distance from the house to nearest market have strong negative effect on the decision to participate in remunerative non-farm activities. According to the descriptive result, the major non-farm economic activities that help rural households in the study area comprise selling of foods and drinks, retail shop, selling of wood and charcoal, trade in grain general, weaving, boutique, and craft work. The study has also identified factors that lead households to participate in non-farm activities. They include low income from farming activities, land inadequacy, soil fertility or productivity, growing family size, and increased opportunities. Thus, while this study is not advocating for non-farm economic activities as a substitute to farming, non-farm work could be a reliable complement to farming activities. Policies that aim to increase the non-farm work participation decisions of family members should take into consideration the difference in responses to the various factors that affect the non-farm activities decisions of rural farm households. Keywords : Determinants, Participation, Non-farm activities, Rural Households, Logit Model DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-4-04 Publication date: February 28 th 2021

Water storage practices for small-scale irrigation systems in East Hararghe zone, Ethiopia

AbstractAgricultural productions of smallholder farmers are vulnerable to rainfall shortage and variability in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was aimed to examine water storage strategies practiced by farmers for small-scale irrigation systems in East Hararghe zone, Ethiopia. Data were collected from 300 irrigation user households using an interview schedule. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate probit (MVP) model. The research findings revealed that about 62.67, 54.33, 20.33 and 17.67% of households have used borehole, shallow wells, hand-dug, and farm pond water storage practices for small-scale irrigation, respectively. The finding of the MVP model showed that the choice of using borehole water storage practices affected by education level and frequency of extension contacts. The choice of shallow wells to store water was influenced by livestock size, participation in non-farm activities, and the use of the improved seed. Furthermore, the choice of using hand-dug is affected by household size, farm size, access to training, external support, and weather information. Finally, the size of livestock ownership influenced the choice of ponds for small-scale irrigation. Therefore, various stakeholders should work to enhance the water storage capacity of the farmers by reducing the hindrances and strengthening enabling factors in the study areas.

The Impact of Non-farm Activities on Poverty Reduction among Rural Farm Households in Ambo District of West Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

This study investigated the impact of cash-oriented non-farm activities on poverty reduction among rural farm households in Ambo district of West Shoa zone of Oromia region, Ethiopia. It was conducted in the five selected kebeles; namely Golja, Ya’i Chebo, Uko Korke, Ilamu Goromti and Birbirsa Kulit . Cross-sectional survey was employed to collect data from 300 respondents, in which 150 were participants and 150 were non-participants in remunerative non-farm activities. The cost of basic needs approach was used to estimate absolute poverty line, and the Foster, Greer and Thorbeck index to determine the incidence, depth and severity of poverty among participant and non-participant households. The study employed logit model to identify determinants of non-farm activities participation and propensity score matching method to analyze the impact of non-farm activities on poverty. The study finds that 26.33% of households in the study area are poor. The incidence, depth and severity of poverty were found to be higher among non-participant households than among participant households. The result of logit regression indicated that gender, marital status of household head, dependency ratio, skill, access to credit and distance to the nearest market are identified as determinants of participation in non-farm activities. The propensity score matching results indicated that participation in remunerative non-farm activities has a significant effect on the households’ consumption expenditure level. The average treatment effect of treated indicated that, the average monthly per capita consumption expenditure of participant is birr 72.31 more than non-participants households. These results indicate that the participation in remunerative non-farm activities improved the livelihood of households in the study district. Thus, while this study is not advocating for non-farm economic activities as a substitute to farming, non-farm work could be a reliable complement to farming activities. The promotion of non-farm activities in addition to farm activities seems indispensable to alleviate rural poverty. Keywords: Poverty, Rural farm households, Impact, Non-farm activities, Propensity score matching DOI: 10.7176/JPID/58-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Assessing Women’s Participation in Non-farm Activities and Its Effects on Their Household Income

The study was carried out to assess women’s participation in non-farm activities and its effects on their household income in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Data were collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire containing open and close end questions which were administered among the rural women farmers in the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 96 respondents. The data collection was analyzed using descriptive (frequency tables and percentage) statistics. The study revealed that most of the respondents were married with a total of 64.2% having a household mean of 2.3, mostly Christians with a total of 46.3% having a mean of1.74 mostly adults between the ages of 41-50 years with a total of 41.6% having a mean of 47, mostly learned with a total of 55.4% having a mean of 3.62, mostly large farm owners with a total of 7-9 acres having a mean of 5.61. Results showed that most of the respondents who engaged in non-farm activities have higher household income compared to those who do not (X=3.54 and X=3.34). It is therefore recommended that the government and private organizations involved in farming should make adequate capital available to poor farmers by granting loan and also introduce relevant training programs and introduction of high yielding technologies.

Determinant of Rural Household Participation in Non-Farm and Level of Generated Household Income from the Activities: The Case of Haramaya Woreda, East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

This study analyzed the determinant of rural household participation in non-farm and level of generated household income from the activities in Haramaya district, Ethiopia using cross-section data. During this study both primary and secondary data were employed Primary data were collected from 196 sample respondents using stratified random sampling. In this study both descriptive and econometric analysis was carried out. Descriptive statistics were applied to characterize the sample households in terms of economic, demographic and institutional factors. Heckman two stages selection model was used for estimation of determinant participation of rural households in non-farm activities and determinant level of income from non-farm activities. The result of factors affecting participation of rural households in non-farm activities indicated landholding size, use of irrigation, livestock holding and distance to nearest market negatively and significantly influenced participation while education, household size and non-farm training significant and positively affects participation of rural household in non-farm activities. In the result of determinant level of non-farm income shows that landholding size, use of irrigation, livestock holding and distance to the nearest market were significant and negatively affects level of non-farm income while household size and education status were significant and positively influenced level of non-farm income. In generally the study identified the determinant of rural household participation in non-farm activities and determinant level of income from non-farm activities. Therefore, Policy makers should integrate the promotion of non-farm activities in the framework of rural development policies and strategies. Keywords: participation, non-farm activities, household income, heckman two steps selection model DOI: 10.7176/JPID/58-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Pre-COVID 19 Pandemic Era Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Via Collective Action: Meta-Analysis on the Case of the Ethiopian Highlands

In Ethiopia's highlands, land degradation is one of the most significant obstacles to agricultural productivity and environmental quality. Adoption of physical soil and water conservation measures has been recognized as a requirement for sustaining the dynamism of ecosystems, agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and human security for more than five decades. Despite increased attempts by the government and then non-state actors to introduce these technologies and support farmers, adoption rates remained low due to a greater emphasis on individual adoption over collective adoption. The objective of this review study was to evaluate the role of collective action in the adoption of such measures in the Ethiopian highlands prior to COVID-19, in which the factors and challenges of such adoption were highlighted. Following that, the public materials and their arguments were thoroughly scrutinized, and a conceptual framework was contextually changed and implemented. The conclusions of the binary logit model were based on the empirical results of other studies where the dependent variable was dichotomous, and they were employed with pre-arranged and pre-interpreted qualitative and quantitative data. The results of the investigation revealed that as the number of days spent in touch with an extension grows, so does the likelihood of adopting such activities. Participation in non-farm activities, on the other hand, lowers the likelihood of such practices being adopted. Finally, collective action could help to speed up the acceptance of such practices. Extrinsic as well as intrinsic variables, however, may make such behaviors difficult to implement. As a result, policymakers, extension workers, and future researchers should think about the important factors that may influence the adoption of such better techniques. As a result, the regime and non-state actors in Ethiopia's highlands should forfeit attention to adult education and training opportunities focused on the acceptance phase of adoption, as well as the role of collective action focusing on the adoption of such conservation practices.

Households’ nonfarm livelihood participation and agricultural inputs investment: Evidence from northern Ethiopia

Evidence shows that nonfarm livelihood activities are an important source of income for rural households and they may interact with farm activities in different ways. This article attempts to examine the investment linkage in which evidence is scarce in the study area. Also the paper examines the determinants of households’ nonfarm employment participation. The study uses household level data collected from 455 randomly selected rural families in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Findings from the logit regression indicate that livestock holding, access to credit and male-headed households significantly increase nonfarm employment participation. Conversely, the possibility of nonfarm employment participation decreases with age, number of children, access to irrigation and remittance. Moreover, the propensity score matching estimates and auxiliary estimates using tobit and ordinary least square (OLS) consistently indicate nonfarm employment significantly decreases agricultural inputs investment. Similarly, participation in nonfarm activities significantly lowers investment in crop inputs. Further, findings from this study indicate that nonfarm livelihood activities may help in reducing rural poverty. Moreover, the study suggests that policies targeting enhancement of agricultural inputs investment should look at other options rather than relying on income generating nonfarm activities to increase agricultural inputs investment.