Research articleshttps://hdl.handle.net/13049/172024-03-29T08:10:08Z2024-03-29T08:10:08ZSocio-demographic Characteristics of Smallholder Farmers That Influence Their Competence in Rice Post-Harvest Value Addition, Southern Region of Sierra Leone.Kamanda, Philip JimiaMotaung, Masa VeronicahOkorley, Ernest Laryeahttps://hdl.handle.net/13049/7202024-03-19T08:59:29Z2023-08-01T00:00:00ZSocio-demographic Characteristics of Smallholder Farmers That Influence Their Competence in Rice Post-Harvest Value Addition, Southern Region of Sierra Leone.
Kamanda, Philip Jimia; Motaung, Masa Veronicah; Okorley, Ernest Laryea
This study on the influence of the socio-demographic characteristics of smallholder farmers on their competencies in rice post-harvest value addition was done in the Southern region of Sierra Leone. The study aimed at developing an extension training model to improve the capacity of smallholder farmers in rice post- harvest value addition with the view of identifying their required competencies. In addition, the farmers’ competencies for rice post-harvest value addition technologies were also assessed. A quantitative approach with the use of an interview schedule was used to generate data. Four hundred smallholder farmers were selected by using Yamane’s (1973) formula followed by a multi-stage proportional sampling technique. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression analysis was used to analyse data. Results show that the OLS model predicted R-square value r=0.125 (12.5%) from the main source of labour, alternative livelihood, the key source of information, and main source of income as the best socio-demographic predictors of smallholder farmer competencies in rice post-harvest value addition at p<0.05.Harvesting paddy with a knife (Mean=3.95), heaping paddy on tarpaulin (Mean=3.49), use of basket to transport paddy by humans (Mean=4.13) are some of the technologies where farmers acknowledged high competencies. The study, therefore, identifies that smallholder farmers in the study area have limited competencies in rice post-harvest value addition as they majorly rely on traditional technologies to manually harvest and process their rice after harvest. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Sierra Leone should therefore emphasise packaging, marketing, milling, and drying to promote rice post-harvest value addition among smallholder farmers.
2023-08-01T00:00:00ZAwareness and the perceived effects of the new livestock and meat Industries Act of 2006: A case study of Kgatleng and Kweneng Districts, BotswanaMalope, PatrickRansom, Elizabethhttps://hdl.handle.net/13049/6282024-03-19T08:57:58Z2009-10-01T00:00:00ZAwareness and the perceived effects of the new livestock and meat Industries Act of 2006: A case study of Kgatleng and Kweneng Districts, Botswana
Malope, Patrick; Ransom, Elizabeth
The objective of this study was to determine whether butchery owners in rural Botswana are aware of the New Livestock and Meat Industries Act of 2006 and their perceptions as to how it will affect their businesses. The study further sought to determine whether the present slaughter facilities were compliant with the New Act. A structured questionnaire was administered to butcheries in selected villages of Kgatleng (n=9) and Kweneng (n=4) districts to get butchery owners’ views about the New Act and how it will affect their businesses. Data was analysed using frequencies
The study found that the majority (77%) of butcheries in the study area were aware of the New Act and were in fact in agreement with it. However, all the butchers doubted the ability of the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to implement and enforce the new regulations because of lack of personnel. The study also found that all the slaughter facilities owned by the butchers interviewed were not compliant with the new regulations. As a result, butchers felt that the New Act will increase their costs as they will be required to either build new abattoirs that are complaint with the new regulations or hire the abattoirs approved by DVS.
Journal Article
2009-10-01T00:00:00ZProspects and challenges of seed sector privatisationMalope, Patrickhttps://hdl.handle.net/13049/6272024-03-19T09:03:46Z2011-09-26T00:00:00ZProspects and challenges of seed sector privatisation
Malope, Patrick
African countries embarked on privatisation of their seed industries in the 1980s as part of the structural adjustment programmes. Botswana however, chose not to privatise its seed production services at that time. This paper examines the prospects and challenges for embarking on seed sector privatisation in developing countries using Botswana as a case study. The study found that the present system is such that the department of agricultural research (DAR) through its seed multiplication unit (SMU) dominates seed production and distribution, especially for open pollinated varieties. This has stifled private sector participation in seed production and distribution. The present system has a number of shortcomings such as the provision of poor quality seed, insufficient monitoring of seed production, unfulfillment of contracts, low returns to DAR and limited capacity for seed distribution. Challenges facing the drive for privatisation are: free seed distribution, unreliable seed demand, lack of plant breeder’s rights and lack of institutional and policy framework to support private sector participation in the seed sector. However, there are a number of prospects that could stimulate private sector participation in the seed sector. These include government’s renewed interest in the development of the arable sector through initiatives that could stimulate seed demand and the government’s privatisation policy. For the process to succeed it should be followed cautiously and the strategy that promises success is that of contracting out and restructuring of the SMU. The government should also embark on institutional reforms and come up with an appropriate seed policy which will guide private sector participation in the seed industry.
2011-09-26T00:00:00ZTechnical efficiency of beef production in agricultural districts of Botswana: A Latent Class Stochastic Frontier Model ApproachBahta, S.Temoso, O.Mekonnen, D.Malope, P.Staal, S.https://hdl.handle.net/13049/6262024-03-19T08:58:22Z2018-07-01T00:00:00ZTechnical efficiency of beef production in agricultural districts of Botswana: A Latent Class Stochastic Frontier Model Approach
Bahta, S.; Temoso, O.; Mekonnen, D.; Malope, P.; Staal, S.
The study examined the production technologies and productive performance of smallholder beef production systems to determine the levels of technical inefficiency in the agricultural districts of Botswana. The analysis draws on data from 26 districts of Botswana for the period of 2006-2014 to estimate latent class stochastic frontiers in which the technological class to which the agricultural district belongs is determined within the model. To enable efficiency comparisons between agricultural districts across these technological classes, a meta-frontier that encompasses all the class frontiers is estimated. Components of efficiency drivers are embedded in this estimation to explain agricultural districts’ technical inefficiency with respect to their respective class frontiers. Results show that beef production efficiency is positively associated with the rate of formal education and negatively related with an increase in proportion of exotic breeds, high mortality and low offtake rates, indicating the presence of considerable scope for animal husbandry improvement. The mean technical efficiency scores for beef production between 2006 and 2014 for agricultural districts in class one is 18 % whereas it is 13 % for agricultural districts in class two, implying high potential to improve beef production using the same level of agricultural inputs through efficiency-enhancing investments.
2018-07-01T00:00:00Z