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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 February 2022

Wilfred Uronu Lameck

This article discusses the consequences of unethical leadership, particularly, the leader-follower relationship in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Tanzania. It…

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Abstract

Purpose

This article discusses the consequences of unethical leadership, particularly, the leader-follower relationship in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Tanzania. It analyses the means through which ethical leadership framework can be used to address the problem of unethical leadership in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

The article uses a comparative case study design to explain the position of ethical leadership in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in two local governments: Morogoro Municipality in Eastern Tanzania, and Hai District in Northern Tanzania.

Findings

The research shows that the delivery of agricultural extension services in Tanzania is guided by formal rules, which define the roles and responsibilities of local government officials and field workers. These roles and responsibilities are driven by national-level guidelines written by the Ministry of Agriculture. The guidelines define the key responsibilities of village, Ward and District level Agricultural Extension Officers. In developing the working schedule, agricultural extension workers at the village and ward levels are guided by an annual calendar that defines the seasons of the year and the relevant knowledge required by farmers. Nevertheless, the implementation of these schedules is compromised by a lack of resources and morale of field workers who in turn, cope through charging for the services, which is considered as their prime motives.

Originality/value

The findings can be of interest to national and local government policymakers and officials dealing with the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Tanzania.

Details

Public Administration and Policy, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1727-2645

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2020

Ferdinand Ndifor Che, Kenneth David Strang and Narasimha Rao Vajjhala

The purpose of this study is to uncover ground truth insights underlying the agriculture crisis from the perspectives of rural farmers in North-East Nigeria. The needs of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to uncover ground truth insights underlying the agriculture crisis from the perspectives of rural farmers in North-East Nigeria. The needs of individual farmers are otherwise not adequately reflected in national or regional economic development strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

A unique sequential mixed-methods research design was adopted for this study. A grounded theory approach was used for the literature review followed by a consensual qualitative research (CQR) technique. Data were collected through a semi-structured sense-making focus group (FG) held at a field site with agricultural extension workers. The CQR technique included brainstorming, the nominal group technique, open discussions, sense-making and consensual agreement on the most important ideas. The FG sense-making was recorded, and discourse analysis was conducted to develop thematic concept maps using NVivo software.

Findings

Agriculture crisis ground truth insight themes were consistent with the extant literature but several different issues were also found. Rural farmers in North-East Nigeria have significant challenges with government support in six core areas, namely, farm input quality and dissemination, fair input subsidization, training, market facilitation, corruption and insecurity.

Research limitations/implications

The target population of this study was rural farmers in Adamawa State, North-East Nigeria. A relatively small sample of 16 agricultural extension workers – very experienced farmers who also act as mentors and are paid incentives by the government for doing so – was used.

Practical implications

In tackling the agriculture crisis in Nigeria, policymakers will do well to recognize the realities that the rural farmers face and their needs, the government must address the areas highlighted in this study where support for farmers lacks and urgently review the current process of farm inputs dissemination.

Originality/value

Agriculture crisis problems were explored from the perspectives of rural North-East Nigerian farmers, who have not been previously sampled due to cultural, language, literacy and schedule constraints. The extension workers were better able to communicate agriculture crisis insights in modern economic planning terminology because they are well-educated farmers, knowledgeable about the problems due to their field experience and because they have more flexible work schedules. A unique sequential mixed-methods constructivist research design was used with an embedded CQR technique, which would be of interest to scholars and research institutions.

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2018

Gerba Leta, Till Stellmacher, Girma Kelboro, Kristof Van Assche and Anna-Katharina Hornidge

Ethiopia operates a large agricultural extension service system. However, access to extension-related knowledge, technologies and agricultural inputs is unequally distributed…

Abstract

Purpose

Ethiopia operates a large agricultural extension service system. However, access to extension-related knowledge, technologies and agricultural inputs is unequally distributed among smallholder farmers. Social learning is widely practiced by most farmers to cope with this unequal distribution though its practices have hardly been documented in passing on knowledge of agriculture and rural development or embedding it into the local system of knowledge production, transfer and use. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to identify the different methods of social learning, as well as their contribution to the adoption and diffusion of technologies within Ethiopia’s smallholder agricultural setting.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach was used, comprising farmer and expert interviews, focus group discussions, informal individual discussions and key informant interviews. The data were documented, coded and later analyzed using SPSS and ATLAS.ti.

Findings

The findings showed that 55 per cent of the farmers in the studied areas fully relied on social, community-level learning to adopt agricultural technologies, while 35 per cent of them relied on social learning only partly. Farmers acquired knowledge through social networks by means of communication, observation, collective labor groups, public meetings, socio-cultural events and group socialization. Informal institutions such as iddir, debo and dado, helped farmers learn, adopt and diffuse technologies.

Originality/value

This study used the concept of epistemic oppression by Dotson (2014) as a conceptual framework to examine farmers’ access to extension services and to analyze how informal institutions serve as workplace learning for the smallholder farmers. The authors suggest community-level social learning serves as a coping mechanism against the prevailing limitations of the formal extension system, and at the same time, it guards against the deepening of social, political and epistemic inequalities that are inherent to the knowledge system.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 July 2013

Nicholaus Mwalukasa

The purpose of this paper is to assess sources of agricultural information used by farmers for climate change adaptation in the semi arid areas of Tanzania.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess sources of agricultural information used by farmers for climate change adaptation in the semi arid areas of Tanzania.

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed quantitative and qualitative methods were deployed. Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 100 farmers in three selected wards in Chamwino district in Tanzania. Focus groups were also used to collect qualitative data from 30 farmers in the same wards.

Findings

The results showed that the major sources of information for farmers were predominantly local (neighbours and friends), followed by public extension services. Apart from radio and cell phones, advanced technologies (i.e. internet and e‐mail) and printed materials were not used in the study area, despite their existence in the communities.

Research limitations/implications

The study necessitates a need to conduct regular studies on preferred information source of agricultural information and knowledge, development of technologies and use multiple sources of knowledge and information (such as print and mass media) to deliver relevant information to farmers to enable them to adapt to climate change.

Originality/value

The study provides a deep understanding of sources of agricultural information used by farmers in the semi arid area, which necessitates a need for demand‐led and client‐based information services, in order to meet the disparate farmers' needs in this regime of climate change. These findings can serve as an example for the increasing use of mixed quantitative and qualitative in information research.

Article
Publication date: 10 September 2021

Nematollah Shiri

Today due to the use of chemical fertilizers in Iran's agricultural sector, the human health has been in danger. While the literature has increasingly focused on investigating…

Abstract

Purpose

Today due to the use of chemical fertilizers in Iran's agricultural sector, the human health has been in danger. While the literature has increasingly focused on investigating farmers' attitude toward organic agriculture, few studies have been conducted on the attitude of experts toward organic farming. To address this research gap, the current study was performed to investigate the determinants of the attitude of agricultural extension workers (AEW) toward organic agribusiness in Ilam province, Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

The statistical sample of this study comprises 394 AEW in Ilam province (located in the west of Iran) selected through random simple sampling method. The instrument in this study was a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using SPSSWin26 software.

Findings

Results showed that the AEW's attitude toward organic agribusiness was at the moderate level. Findings of multiple regression analysis indicated that about 42.6% of AEW's attitude toward organic agribusiness is explained by the variables of “reading research articles”, “use of social networks” and “number of information sources”.

Originality/value

The results of this study have practical implications for promoting sustainable agribusinesses in order to produce environmentally friendly products. In this regard, they can encourage agricultural extension experts to study the findings of research in the field of organic agriculture, launching educational channels and groups on organic farming on social networks such as Telegram and WhatsApp, and encourage agricultural extension experts to join these groups. Finally, it is suggested that programs and films in mass media such as TV, radio and satellite programs be designed and implemented to raise people's awareness about organic agribusiness.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

Joseph Welfare Irivwieri

This study aimed to find out the information needs of illiterate female farmers in Ethiope East local government area of Delta State, Nigeria. Agriculture is the mainstay of…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to find out the information needs of illiterate female farmers in Ethiope East local government area of Delta State, Nigeria. Agriculture is the mainstay of people in the rural areas, and is mostly for subsistence living. To bring about improvement in practice requires finding out: at what stages of farming illiterate female farmers need agricultural information; through which channels they receive agricultural information; the problems they encounter when they need information; and how the problem can be solve.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample consisted of 200 illiterate female farmers. Data was collected via structured questionnaire, which was read and translated to the illiterate female farmers in their local dialect, Urhobo.

Findings

Analysis of the data revealed that the illiterate female farmers do not have access to information because the agricultural extension services unit fails to visit them and provide the required agricultural information. Cassava is the major crop produced by illiterate female farmers in the Abraka and Agbon clans. Community/opinion leaders and children of farmers are the main sources of agricultural information for illiterate female farmers. Lack of funds to purchase radio/television so as to have access to programmes on better farming techniques was a major problem; as was the lack of a mobile library to visit the farmers and provide necessary agricultural information.

Originality/value

Highlights the problems of illiterate indigenous people accessing information on agriculture that if applied should lift them above subsistence level.

Details

Library Hi Tech News, vol. 24 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0741-9058

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2021

Yi Cai, Wene Qi and Famin Yi

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of mobile Internet adoption on technology adoption extensity.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of mobile Internet adoption on technology adoption extensity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses cross-sectional data collected in 2018 from 932 smallholder litchi farmers in Guangdong Province and Guangxi Province in southern China. A Poisson regression with endogenous treatment effects (ETPR) model is applied to estimate the effects of mobile Internet adoption on technology adoption extensity.

Findings

The ETPR model results indicate that mobile Internet adoption can significantly enhance technology adoption extensity. In addition, the extensity of technology adoption is also determined by education level, training, share of litchi farming income, guidebook use and cooperative membership. Disaggregated analyses further confirm the positive impact of mobile Internet adoption on the number of capital- and labor-intensive technologies adopted.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on agricultural technology adoption. The findings highlight the need to facilitate modern agricultural technology penetration by promoting the use of mobile Internet technologies.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 June 2021

Chunhui Liu and Huawei Zheng

Low-carbon agricultural technology (LAT) extension is a key strategy for the agricultural sector to address climate change. Social capital, which consists of social networks…

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Abstract

Purpose

Low-carbon agricultural technology (LAT) extension is a key strategy for the agricultural sector to address climate change. Social capital, which consists of social networks, trust and norms, can play an active LAT extension role. This paper aims to analyze the mechanism of the role of social capital in the process of LAT extension.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire data from six counties in Jiangsu, China, were used to measure social capital and analyze its effect on LAT extension using logistic regression. Data from 27 interviews were used to analyze the LAT extension experiences and problems.

Findings

LAT is mainly deployed by the government to farmers and distributed among them. In this process, the village officials who form parts of the government’s composition and the villagers play a dual role that facilitates a close link between them and the farmers and ensures LAT integration. However, social norms did not play a significant role in the process.

Practical implications

Farmers’ acceptance of LAT is based solely on the trade-off between local networks’ benefits and trust in local villagers and village officials. LAT-related laws and technical measures, thus are essential to strengthen LAT practices’ authority and incorporate LAT-based agricultural production as the norm of production behavior.

Originality/value

This paper provides an insight into the process and essence of farmers’ acceptance of LAT, which provides theoretical lessons for the LAT extension in China and indeed other developing countries.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 December 2021

Hung Gia Hoang and Duc Van Nguyen

The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that shape the adoption of mobile phones for vegetable marketing by Vietnamese smallholders.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that shape the adoption of mobile phones for vegetable marketing by Vietnamese smallholders.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was given to 185 smallholders randomly chosen from 345 vegetable smallholders in the Vinh Thanh district of Vietnam. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and a binary logistic regression were applied to analyse the data.

Findings

The research results show that the smallholders’ adoption of mobile phones for vegetable marketing is significantly affected by their number of extension contacts, distance from smallholders’ homes to local markets, community-based organisation participation, gender, training/credit programme participation, age, education level, income and farm size (χ2 = 143,111, p < 0.000).

Practical implications

A combination of factors related to socio-economic, situational and institutional characteristics of smallholders should be considered when promoting smallholders’ uptake of mobile phones for vegetable marketing in developing nations.

Originality/value

This research provides useful insights into the determinants of mobile phone adoption for vegetable marketing by smallholders and highlights areas that need to be considered when designing policies to improve the uptake of information and communication technologies in developing countries.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 72 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2003

Esharenana E. Adomi, Monday O. Ogbomo and O.E. Inoni

Focuses on crop farmers’ access to agricultural information in rural areas of Delta State, Nigeria. Data were gathered by questionnaire from ten villages. Farmers of both genders…

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Abstract

Focuses on crop farmers’ access to agricultural information in rural areas of Delta State, Nigeria. Data were gathered by questionnaire from ten villages. Farmers of both genders experienced obstacles to information use, although findings revealed that there were also differences between male and female crop farmers with respect to their information needs and sources of agricultural information. Female crop farmers experienced greater problems in accessing agricultural information. However, the major information problems suffered by farmers are not gender‐specific problems. Concludes with recommendations to enhance all crop farmers’ access to agricultural information.

Details

Library Review, vol. 52 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Keywords

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