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This paper investigates the impact of education on output of rice farming households in Vietnam.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the impact of education on output of rice farming households in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the literature review, this paper specifies three empirical models (i.e. linear constant coefficient model, partially nonlinear model and linear varied coefficient model) with variables that well describe the mechanism through which education affects output. The data were collected from 901 rice farming households randomly selected out of ten provinces and city in the Mekong River Delta (MRD) of Vietnam. The models are estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) and Robinson's (1988) double residual estimators.
Findings
Estimates of the empirical models show that seed, fertilizer, labor and farm size have significant impacts on output of rice farming households while pesticide and herbicide do not. Education is also found to have a positive effect on output of rice farming households because it helps them better manage farms of larger size via combining various inputs in a more desirable way.
Originality/value
This paper confirms the positive impact of education on agricultural output, which implies that policies aiming to provide better education to rural people will greatly enhance their income as well as trigger long-term economic and agricultural growth.
Abbas Ali Chandio, Yuansheng Jiang, Abdul Rehman, Martinson Ankrah Twumasi, Amber Gul Pathan and Muhammad Mohsin
In the developing countries, formal credit has dominant role for the development of agriculture sector. It increases the farmer's purchasing power for better farm inputs and…
Abstract
Purpose
In the developing countries, formal credit has dominant role for the development of agriculture sector. It increases the farmer's purchasing power for better farm inputs and agricultural technology for high crop productivity. The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder farmers for credit demand in Sindh, Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional data set randomly collected from 90 smallholder farmers in Thatta district, Sindh, Pakistan, is examined. Descriptive statistics, correlation and the OLS regression method were used to demonstrate the important factors affecting the demand for formal credit.
Findings
The results revealed that formal education, experience of farming, landholding size, road access and extension contacts positively and significantly influenced the demand for formal credit.
Originality/value
This study is the first, to the best of authors' knowledge, to demonstrate the influence of various socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder farmers on demand for formal credit in Sindh, Pakistan. It also illustrates the imperative contribution to the literature regarding credit access and demand to improve the agricultural productivity.
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Yongfeng Tan, Lu Qian, Apurbo Sarkar, Zhanar Nurgazina and Uzair Ali
The purpose of this paper is to measure Farmer’s adoption tendency towards drought shock, risk-taking networks and modern irrigation technology.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure Farmer’s adoption tendency towards drought shock, risk-taking networks and modern irrigation technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on this assumption, this paper evaluated the data gathered from 498 household surveys of Zhangye, Gansu province, PRC, by using the binary probit model. First, the empirical data was analyzed for evaluating the impact of drought shock and risk-taking tendencies on the adoption of modern irrigation technology by farmers. Second, the authors introduced informal risk-bearing networks with formal risks. Final, based on the empirical results, the sustainability test, along with the marginal effect analysis and the degree of impact was carried out.
Findings
The results show that the drought shock has a significantly deferent effect on the modern irrigation technology of the farmers. The probability of using technology for each level of drought loss is reduced by 15.02%. The risk-taking network has a significant role in promoting the modern irrigation technology of farmers. The probability of adoption for each additional unit of rural household labor security supply, the likelihood of adoption by farmers increased 23.11%, the probability of approval for each level of relative support, and neighborhood assistance by farmers increased by 13.11% and 17.88% respectively. This study further revealed that insurance purchases enabled farmers to adopt new irrigation technology with the probability increased by 24.99%; easily available bank loans increased the probability of farmers using irrigation technology by 31.89%. From the perspective of interactions between farmers, the risk-taking network can alleviate the inhibitory effect of drought impact towards the adoption of irrigation technology. Among the control variables, the number of years of education, the age of farming, the degree of arable land, the distance from home to the market, and the price of water all has significant effects on the adoption of modern irrigation technology by farmers.
Originality/value
The novelty of the study is that it illustrated the interactive influence of drought shock and risk-taking networks on the farmer’s adoption tendencies of modern irrigation technologies, the inner relationship among drought impact, the risk-taking network and the farmer’s adoption behavior and provide an interactive relationship between the formal risk-taking network and the non-risk-taking network in farmer’s technology adoption.
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Chandan Kumar Jha and Vijaya Gupta
The farmers used several information sources to gather information about the climatic variability and modern agricultural practices to cope with climate change. The choice of…
Abstract
Purpose
The farmers used several information sources to gather information about the climatic variability and modern agricultural practices to cope with climate change. The choice of adaptation strategies and the successful implication of adaptation strategies depend on accurate, timely information on the climate variability and precise technical details of adaptation strategies. By keeping the importance of climate information and agricultural extension information in the center, this study aims to conduct a micro-level evaluation of farmers’ choice of climate information, agriculture extension services and agricultural credit sources. This study’s primary objective is to understand how the different sources of climate information and agricultural extension influence farm household adaptation decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has been conducted in three subs agro-climatic zone of the Middle Gangetic Plain region, which falls in India’s Bihar state. This paper has randomly selected seven districts from these three subs agro-climatic zone to collect the data. The analysis of this study is based on survey data collected from 700 farm households. This study has used descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model to assess the sources of climate information, agricultural extension and credit sources and how these sources influence farm households’ adaptation decisions.
Findings
The result of this study shows farmers are using different traditional (sharing experience, newspaper and radio), information and communication technology (mobile and TV) and institutional arrangements (agricultural officer and meteorological department) in the study area. The study’s finding identifies different farm households’ different sources and how these options farming farmers’ adaptation decisions. The study further revealed that institutional factors such as extension services and access to information on climate change increase the probability of adopting knowledge-intensive adaptation strategies such as soil conservation, water conservation, crop insurance and planting horticulture and vegetables.
Research limitations/implications
The study has conducted a micro-level assessment of adaptation behavior at the local level to understand the factor influencing the adaptation decision. This study’s finding is useful in designing the appropriate policy framework for the farm household’s capacity building to enhance their technical skills and awareness toward the institutional arrangements.
Originality/value
This paper’s finding pointed out institutional arrangements’ requirement to improve adaptive capacity to make long-term strategic decisions to cope with climate change.
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Boyao Song, Bingxin Liu and Chao He
The main objectives of collective forest tenure reform in China are to stimulate rural households to invest in forestry management, protect the ecosystem and improve their…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objectives of collective forest tenure reform in China are to stimulate rural households to invest in forestry management, protect the ecosystem and improve their livelihood. By constructing the unbalanced panel data of household investment, this study discusses the dynamic changes and influencing factors of household investment, which will lay a foundation for further research and provide a reference for decision-making.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on 3,500 samples from rural households in the provinces of Fujian, Hunan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Gansu, and Liaoning collected during field investigations from 2010 to 2015, this study conducts an empirical analysis of the household investment in forestry management and its factors with nonbalanced panels.
Findings
According to the analysis, the average investment in forestry management per household from 2010 to 2015 fluctuates greatly; the age of the householder, increased forestry area, subsidies, joining professional cooperatives, and forest tenure mortgage show positive effects on achieving the objectives.
Originality/value
The discussions are drawn from the study that supporting policies such as the forest tenure transfer system, professional cooperatives, financial services and subsidies should be further improved to sustain a positive in the forestry industry.
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Jiaxin Wu, Jigang Zhang and Hongjuan Yang
This study aims to construct an evaluation system for farmers’ livelihood capital in minority areas and evaluate the impact of relocation in response to climate change on farmers’…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to construct an evaluation system for farmers’ livelihood capital in minority areas and evaluate the impact of relocation in response to climate change on farmers’ livelihood capital.
Design/methodology/approach
According to the characteristics of Yunnan minority areas, the livelihood capital of farmers in minority areas is divided into natural, physical, financial, social, human and cultural capital. The improved livelihood capital evaluation system measures farmers’ livelihood capital from 2015 to 2021. The net impact of relocation on farmers’ livelihood capital was separated using propensity score matching and the difference-in-difference (PSM-DID) method.
Findings
The shortage of livelihood capital makes it difficult for farmers to resist climate change, and the negative impacts of climate change further aggravate their livelihood vulnerability and reduce their livelihood capital. Relocation has dramatically increased the livelihood capital of farmers living in areas with poor natural conditions by 15.67% and has enhanced their ability to cope with climate change and realise sustainable livelihoods.
Originality/value
An improved livelihood capital evaluation system is constructed to realise the future localisation and development of livelihood capital research. The PSM-DID method was used to overcome endogeneity problems and sample selection bias of the policy evaluation methods. This study provides new ideas for academic research and policy formulation by integrating climate change, poverty governance and sustainable livelihoods.
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Jaflah Hassan Al-Ammary and Mohammed Essam Ghanem
Information and communication technologies (ICT)-presented technological developments, such as soil sensors, remote sensing, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, have shown…
Abstract
Purpose
Information and communication technologies (ICT)-presented technological developments, such as soil sensors, remote sensing, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, have shown the potential to increase crop output and quality while consuming fewer resources and having a smaller environmental impact. The first step in ushering in a new era of technological advancement in the agricultural sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain is evaluating how prepared farmers and farm owners are to adopt these technologies. Therefore, the current study examines how ICT are prepared, accepted and adopted in agriculture in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Design/methodology/approach
The study's goals were attained by using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A survey was created to learn more about the present state of ICT usage in agriculture, including its awareness, readiness, acceptance and adoption. To strengthen the conclusions and investigate the current situation related agricultural behavior, production and the use of information technology (IT) to support agriculture in the chosen farms, four exploratory field visits were made. Additionally, a strength-weakness-opportunities-threat (SWOT)-threat, opportunities, weakness, strength (TOWS) analysis was performed to evaluate the Kingdom of Bahrain's readiness and long-term plans for implementing ICT in agriculture. On the basis of secondary data, survey data and interview findings, SWOT-TOWS were created.
Findings
The findings revealed insufficient knowledge and awareness about ICT in agriculture. Despite the high level of digital infrastructure readiness in Bahrain, farmers are not ready to adopt sophisticated devices and complex applications such as crop sensing tools, the internet of things (IoT) and AI; however, there is a strong acceptance among farmers to implement new ideas and agriculture approaches.
Originality/value
The Arabian Gulf Countries, which are characterized by an arid environment, sporadic vegetation, weak soil and a lack of water supplies and arable land, have few studies that explore the crucial role of ICT in growing the agricultural sector. Considering the influence of ICT on the provision of more productive agriculture in a challenging and complicated environment, the study contributes to the body of knowledge by conducting an empirical investigation that addresses an urgent issue. The study is considered one of the few in the countries of the Arabian Gulf to address this subject.
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Eric Yaw Naminse, Jincai Zhuang and Fangyang Zhu
There is a recent growing interest to find a lasting intervention to rural poverty (RP) in developing countries based on farmer entrepreneurship and innovation. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a recent growing interest to find a lasting intervention to rural poverty (RP) in developing countries based on farmer entrepreneurship and innovation. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to examine the relation between entrepreneurship and RP alleviation in two resource-constrained provinces of China. This paper assesses the influence of three capabilities of farm entrepreneurs – educational, economic and socio-cultural – on farmer entrepreneurship growth and how these, in turn, impact alleviation of RP.
Design/methodology/approach
Household survey data comprising 363 respondents were taken from four deprived communities in two provinces of China. The paper employed structural equation modeling (SEM), using AMOS 21.0 alongside SPSS 20.0 to test the relations between the constructs.
Findings
The results show that a statistically significant and positive relation exists between entrepreneurship and RP alleviation in China. The findings of the study further reveal that qualitative growth of entrepreneurship has a stronger positive influence on RP alleviation than on quantitative growth, and socio-cultural capabilities of respondents significantly and positively affect entrepreneurial growth of farmers, rather than education and economic capabilities.
Research limitations/implications
The use of data from four communities in two provinces tends to limit the ability to generalize the findings of the study. Furthermore, the survey did not collect information on non-farm entrepreneurs, making it impossible to compare the findings from farm entrepreneurs with non-farm entrepreneurs.
Practical implications
The findings have practical implications for policy makers in rural China toward addressing targeted RP. This paper, therefore, suggests that entrepreneurship should be pursued vigorously among farmers in rural areas of China to help solve poverty. The paper also presents a useful lesson for various stakeholders in poverty alleviation programs in other developing countries.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the academic literature on the entrepreneurship–RP alleviation nexus by combining the theory of capability and SEM in the analysis of an emerging economy such as China.
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Timothy Manyise, Domenico Dentoni and Jacques Trienekens
This paper aims to investigate the entrepreneurial behaviours exhibited by commercial smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, focusing on their socio-economic characteristics, and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the entrepreneurial behaviours exhibited by commercial smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, focusing on their socio-economic characteristics, and considers their implication for outcomes of livelihood resilience in a resource-constrained and turbulent rural context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used survey data collected from 430 smallholder farmers in Masvingo province, Zimbabwe. Using a two-step cluster analysis, the study constructed a typology of farmers based on their entrepreneurial behaviour and socio-economic characteristics.
Findings
The results revealed that commercial smallholder farmers are heterogeneous in terms of their entrepreneurial behaviours. Four clusters were identified: non-entrepreneurial, goal-driven, means-driven and ambidextrous. Beyond their entrepreneurial behaviours, these clusters significantly differ in the socio-economic characterises (gender, age, education levels, farm size, proximity to the market and social connection) and farm performance (seasonal sales per hectare and farm income per hectare).
Research limitations/implications
The typology framework relating farmers’ entrepreneurial behaviours to their socio-economic characteristics and business performance is important to tailor and therefore improve the effectiveness of farmer entrepreneurship programmes and policies. In particular, tailoring farmer entrepreneurship education is crucial to distribute land, finance and market resources in purposive ways to promote a combination of smallholder farmers’ effectual and causal behaviours at an early stage of their farm ventures.
Originality/value
Researchers still know little about which farmers’ behaviours are entrepreneurial and how these behaviours manifest in action during their commercial farm activities. This research leverages effectuation and causation theory to unveil previously overlooked distinctions on farmers’ entrepreneurial behaviours, thereby enhancing a more grounded understanding of farmer entrepreneurship in a resource-constrained context.
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Abstract
Purpose – The main objective of this study was to analyze the factors that affect the poverty level of the farming community after the tsunami that occurred in Aceh. After the conflict and tsunami, Aceh has faced severe poverty. However, the long years of conflict, political struggle, economic transformation, and natural disasters have caused Aceh to become one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia today.
Design/Methodology/Approach – The research was conducted in five districts in Aceh province: Aceh Barat, Aceh Besar, Pidie Jaya, Bireuen, and Aceh Utara. The total sample used in this study amounted to 280 farmers who were taken by stratified random sampling method. This research used primary data and secondary data. The analysis model used a logistic regression model with maximum likelihood.
Findings – The results showed that the poverty level of farmers is influenced by seven factors: education, experience, income, the number of family dependents, planting area, side job, and work motivation. The other factors such as age, farming tools, land ownership, and position in the community have no significant effect on the poverty level of the farmers.
Research Limitations/Implications – Implications of the results of this study show that financial assets are the most important factor in influencing each strategy implemented by farmers. The main obstacles faced by them are generally difficult to get credit because agricultural produce is uncertain.
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