Value Chain Extension Research Articles

Interdependent Effects of Agro-input Node Interventions on the Adoption of Cattle milk Production Technologies among Smallholder Farmers in Kericho County, Kenya

Agricultural extension service delivery system is a vital component in agricultural development initiatives of any nation. Several extension approaches are used to achieve these initiatives. Globally, many Governments and development partners in rural agricultural development initiatives have gradually transitioned away from total state control of rural community and agricultural extension service delivery into adopting and supporting a more multifaceted system built on holistic participatory approach commonly referred to as Agricultural Value Chain Extension Approach (AVCEA). This AVCEA is relatively new in developing countries, including Kenya, and specifically in Kericho County where exploration on its impact on farm-level technology adoption has yet to be undertaken. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interdependent effects of agro-input node interventions on the adoption of cattle milk production technologies among smallholder farmers in Kericho, Kenya. This study adopted an ex-post-facto research design and systematic random sampling technique to select a sample of 132 farmers who previously exposed to AVCEA. Interviews were conducted for eight (8) dairy production experts and 6 Dairy organization representatives as key informants. The primary data were collected using interview schedules, questionnaires and focus group discussion tools. The data were analyzed for descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentages and inferential statistics like Chi-square tests with the aid of SPSS version 26.0. The results of the study indicated that there was a significant interdependence between some agro-input value chain node interventions and the adoption of cattle milk production technologies. There was also Interdependence between ease of access to farmers ‘groups/cooperative societies and the adoption of cattle milk production technologies by the smallholder farmers. Based on findings of this study, Agricultural experts, stakeholders, and other concerned bodies should focus on developing strategies to strengthen interventions at the agro-input node, particularly by fostering cooperation among smallholder farmers to enhance collective actions.

Value chain extension services for climate-smart agriculture adoption: evidence from Burkina Faso's cotton farming

PurposeThis study assesses the extent to which integrated extension services contribute to the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations within the cotton value chain in Burkina Faso.Design/methodology/approachTo address the research question, a probit multivariate econometric model with sample selection is utilized. The model is applied to a random sample of farmers (n = 510), and the endogeneity is addressed through a control function approach.FindingsThe study highlights the central role of value chains, particularly in the cotton sector, in overcoming resource scarcity through integrated extension services. Findings show that smallholder farmers who benefit from sound extension services are more willing to adopt and diversify CSA technologies. These include improved seeds, conservation techniques, adapted planting dates and mechanization. This study confirms the synergistic nature of these technologies and emphasizes that effective climate risk mitigation depends on the combined adoption of CSA technologies.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of cross-sectional data limits the analysis of long-term farmer behavior, and due to data limitations, the focus was primarily on the contributions of cotton companies and farmers to climate risk mitigation. Future research using panel data across the value chain could provide a more robust insights for policy decision-making.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by emphasizing the crucial role of integrated extension services within the cotton value chain in developing countries. This highlights the critical benefits for farmers and emphasizes the need to diversify modern technologies to effectively combat climate change and its variability in agriculture.

Core Skills and Competencies for Inclusion in the Curriculum for Effective Performance of Extension Professionals

Changing situations and developments in agriculture in the 21st century demands extension workers to be equipped with a diverse set of competencies. Extension workers’ ability to adapt, communicate effectively and combine technical expertise with participatory approaches can significantly influence their job performance and ultimately, contribute to the growth and sustainability of the agriculture industry. Hence, an attempt has been made to know the level of need of core skills and competencies required for extension professionals to perform their job effectively. A scale was developed to measure the level of need of the skills and competencies thatan agricultural extension professional requires to perform their tasks. Twelve broad areas of skills and competencies required for agricultural extension professionals were identified and grouped. Professionals presently working in Karnataka State Department of Agriculture, Karnataka State Department of Horticulture and Coffee Board are considered as respondents. The results revealed that soft skills were ranked first, followed by entrepreneurship development skills and communication skills. Planning and designing need based programs, building teamwork skills, agricultural value chain extension, use of modern communication methods and AV aids, use of computer applications, monitoring and evaluation of extension programs, designing training programs, problem solving skills, knowledge on subject matter concepts, motivating farmers, innovativeness and stress management are the individual skills ranked first respectively on the listed twelve broad areas of skills and competencies. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that equipping extension workers with the necessary skills during their undergraduate and postgraduate education is crucial to ensure they are well-prepared to meet the evolving demands of the agriculture industry. By reorienting and enhancing the curriculum, agricultural universities and institutions can play a significant role in developing competent extension professionals.

Nonlinear Characteristics of the Effect of Manufacturing Servitization on Consumer Business Performance

Servitization is an important trend in the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry, but whether it can significantly improve enterprise performance is the key to the transformation. Based on the sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2019, we analyze the business scope of 2502 annual reports to identify the service level of consumer goods manufacturing enterprises. The results show the following. (1) The “service performance” curve shows obvious nonlinear trends and heterogeneity in different industries and different performance conditions. The curve between servitization and return on assets tends to show a positive “U” shape, but the relationship between servitization and revenue per employee obviously shows an inverted “U” shape. (2) Manufacturing enterprises with relatively low technical complexity and relatively high industry competition will reach the inflection point of service performance “U” curve more quickly and get rid of “service trap” more easily. (3) The automobile manufacturing industry invests in software development and other fields that are not related to its own advantages, which violates the correlation law of the industrial value chain, leading to the coexistence of “service trap” and “principle-agent dilemma.” The clothing and electrical appliances industries are more likely to fall into the “service trap” because they face the challenge of “Internet + manufacturing” transformation. The beverage and wine manufacturing industry has induced a “service spillover” effect, which is mainly due to its low technical complexity and service based on the industrial chain. It is proposed that manufacturing enterprises explore business growth points from the perspective of industrial value chain extension and strengthen upstream product R&D and terminal e-commerce services.

Linking Global Value Chain to FDI Establishment Mode of Emerging Market Multinational Enterprises

This study draws upon and extends the global value chain (GVC) perspective to examine the establishment mode of foreign direct investment (FDI) of emerging market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs). It addresses how FDI establishment mode is influenced by the value chain extension strategy of EM MNEs. The empirical analysis of 605 FDIs made by Chinese MNEs from 2007 to 2015 shows that EM MNEs are more likely to choose acquisition over greenfield investment if they pursue vertical value chain extension through FDI. Further, EM MNEs pursuing upstream extension of the value chain are more likely to choose acquisition over greenfield investment than those focusing on downstream extension. In addition, the likelihood of EM MNEs choosing acquisition over greenfield investment is greater if they pursue vertical value chain extension in culturally more distant countries.

The agricultural value-chain extension model: concepts and applications in Africa

This paper describes the Agricultural Value Chain Extension Model after examining different extension models and differentiated terminologies related to evolution of extension models. Agricultural extension is a common denominator for functional value-chain and food security such that agricultural development outcomes are closely linked to agricultural advice provided by extension services. This model consists of five components of formal training, key clusters, informal training, value chain actors and value chain centre interlinked and connected with forward and backward linkages with overlapping activities among the key clusters. All of these interplay based on the level of funds and resources available for the activities connecting the components and the pervasiveness of the national agricultural policy where it is deployed. The paper concludes with the application of the Value-Chain Extension Model, by an International Non-Governmental Organization providing extension services along the value chain in Africa.

Innovative agricultural extension value chain-based models for smallholder African farmers

The value chain extension strategy of Sasakawa Africa Association focuses on improving the capacity of national agricultural extension systems and follows various thematic areas along the value chain to address key challenges accountable for low income households and poverty in Africa. Farmer learning platform is a model designed to increase crop productivity and encompasses demonstration plots where technological packages demonstrated significantly outperformed other technology plots in crop productivity and average profit margins. Enterprise-oriented production, postharvest and trading centers are value adding models designed to improve the effectiveness of extension and adoption of postharvest and agricultural processing technologies by producers. The use of the above along with necessary capacity building has facilitated the development of profitable business linkages of smallholder farmers with financial institutions and reliable market opportunities. The community association trader-trainer model is a market-oriented business approach applied in combination with other extension models. In 2018, 297 community-based commodity association trader-trainers were mobilized and capacitated to improve farmer group dynamics and developed collective input and output access and cluster aggregation centers at community level where various agricultural produces were mobilized and collectively aggregated, and valued at about 3.9 million USD. The supervised enterprise project model is an innovative agricultural extension model developed along with above models for capacity development of extension agents and transfer of technologies to smallholder farmers. Over 6000 supervised enterprise projects have been introduced into 27 universities in 12 African countries for training front-line extension officers and extension delivery to farming communities.

Study of Core Competence of Logistics Cluster: The Integration and the Extension of Value Chain

This paper focuses on the study of core competence of logistics cluster with the solution in two levels: one is the integration of supply chain, and the other point is the extension of value chain; both of them are based on the measurement of agglomeration level of logistics cluster and association level of cluster external resources. Hereby the MAEI model is proposed which is used to evaluate the agglomeration and association level as well as to enhance the core competence of logistics cluster by the solution of integration and extension of value chain.

Factors influencing adoption and intensity of adoption of orange flesh sweet potato varieties: Evidence from an extension intervention in Nyanza and Western provinces, Kenya

This study applied logit and transformed logit regression to examine factors affecting the adoption of orange flesh sweet potatoes, and intensity of such adoption, by a representative sample of 340 farmers in the Busia and Rachuonyo (OFSP) districts of Kenya in 2009. A double-censored Tobit model was also used to study factors affecting intensity of adoption. The study also investigated whether participation in a value chain extension intervention programme increased farmers’ likelihood of adopting OFSP. The participation variable was first tested for endogeneity and “purified” before using it as a “proxy” in the adoption regression. The results suggest that the district where the farmer comes from, knowledge on value addition and nutritional benefits, and availability of vines were the key factors for adoption. The results also suggest that participation in a value chain extension programme enhanced the probability of adoption. Factors affecting intensity of adoption were site, value addition, vines availability, level of commercialization and having a child of up to five years.

Game-Theoretic Analyses and Simulations of Adoptions of Security Policies for Drm in Contents Sharing Scenario

Abstract A legitimate contents sharing is an essential functionality of DRM (Digital Rights Management)-enabling contents industry and its value chain extension. In order to effectively choose and deploy some typical security policies in a contents sharing scenario, we introduced game theory to analysis the mutual influence of adoptions of trusted computing enabling enhanced security policies on benefits of two stakeholders, which are DRM Providers and contents Sharer who is a category of consumers. A dynamic and mixed game and its algorithm were proposed, where Sharer’s strategies were whether to employ the trusted computing enabling devices and related components or not, as well as Providers’ strategies included entirely general security, entirely enhanced security and dynamic security policies. We concluded from both game-theoretic analyses and Swarm simulation experiments that the number of acquired sharable digital rights and security cost have a direct effect on Sharer's choices of the enhanced secu...

Research on the Corporate Network Theory

In this modern society, corporate development features remarkably trend to centralization and merging change effect. Competition between different national enterprises is actually merging change competition between core enterprises, which finally is shown out by means of corporate network. Corporate centralization indicates leading enterprises focus more and more attention to function of brain decision-making, such as product development, famous brand truss, network-building of customer relationship, and extend specific processing and manufacturing function as their virtual part. After these organizations experiencing value chain division centralize on some specified level as enterprise community. The conformity of enterprise experiencing specialization division is defined as corporate network. Therefore, it is found that competition originally between single enterprises becomes competition between enterprise chains due to value chain extension, and then becomes enterprise community competition by means of merging change. Enterprise communities which have internal work division and collaboration and internal network bearing is defined as enterprise network. Because of its competition logic deduction from point-to-line-to-plane, corporate network theory draws more and more attentions.

Agricultural Value Chain Extension: A panacea for Agricultural Transformation in Nigeria

The study examined the effectiveness of value chain extension using some field activities among smallholder farmers in Nigeria and beyond and some farm projects that have adopted value chain extension approach. It revealed that the impact of a value chain extension approach if adopted include increased productivity, better post-harvest management, guaranteed and more remunerative market among others. The study also revealed that quite a number of problems constraining farmers from transforming into agribusiness could effectively be managed using the agricultural value chain extension approach. It was therefore recommended that agricultural value chain extension approach be piloted in selected states in Nigeria with a plan for gradual up-scale, as associated teething problems are being identified and appropriately managed to achieve desired outcomes.Keywords: Agricultural Value Chain Extension; Agricultural Transformation, Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.