eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 3 13 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.03-13 1009-1 article Achille A. DIENDERE The use of information systems using mobile phone support is important in agriculture in terms of generating efficiencies in production and improving farmers' incomes. In Burkina Faso, despite the increasing spread of a wide variety of agricultural information via mobile phones since the 2000s, few farmers have adopted such an electronic information system. This research aims to empirically analyse the factors that influence the awareness and use of electronic information systems by producers. Primary data were collected from a sample of 210 grain producers and analysed using descriptive statistics and a logit sequential model. Descriptive statistics indicated that farmers interviewed had an unmet need for timely access to relevant, reliable, continuously available, and unfragmented information. The econometric results suggest that a high number of years of schooling for the head of household, regular contact with extension agents and technical assistance from market information systems (MIS) management structures influence awareness of electronic information systems. With regard to the actual use of the services offered by these information systems, the presence of educated members in the household, the size of the farm, the perceived relevance of non-commercial benefits derived from the information disseminated and access to agricultural financing appear as significant determinants. These results have required more targeted public policies. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Diendere.pdf adoption electronic information system agricultural information farmers Burkina Faso eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 14 23 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.14-23 1009-1 article Ebenezer KONDO This paper explored the effect of market participation intensity on productivity of smallholder cowpea producers in the Northern Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional primary data of 183 cowpea producers was sampled from three communities in each of four selected districts in the region. The Instrumental Variable (IV) regression model using the 2SLS estimator was employed to estimate the causal effect of intensity of market participation on productivity. The results revealed that market participation intensity, measured as the proportion of output sold is endogenous in the cowpea on-farm productivity model. This finding implies that policy measures that lower transaction costs will significantly boost smallholder cowpea productivity by empowering farmers to intensify their participation in the market. Additionally, policies tailored towards increasing farmers’ farm size, removing barriers in accessing and cultivation of improved varieties of cowpea seed as well as diversification of agricultural production activities should be promoted. Furthermore, opportunities created to enable these farmers upgrade themselves through the formal educational system will in the long run enable them to raise their on-farm cowpea productivity level through the adoption of productivity enhancing technologies. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Kondo.pdf productivity intensity of market participation cowpea endogeneity Ghana eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 24 31 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.24-31 1009-1 article Beneberu TEFERRA Likawent YEHEYIS Matthew NELSON Jemma TAYLOR David MCNAUGHTON Andrew SERGEANT Heather SANDERS Using lupin as a break crop and for soil fertility improvement is one of the practices to enhance productivity and improve soil fertility in Ethiopian conditions. However, the use of this practice by smallholder farmers is limited. Therefore, the major objective of this study was to empirically examine factors influencing farmers’ decision to allocate land for lupin crop production as a break crop in North Western Amhara Region of Ethiopia. In this study, stratified sampling procedure was used to select 253 sample households from four Districts (137 household who use lupin in their crop rotations and 116 that do not). The required data were collected using interviews with a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing farmers’ decision to allocate land for lupin production as a break crop. The results of the logit regression analysis indicate that family size, total farmland holdings and contacts with extension workers were the most important factors influencing the decision of the farmer to practice crop rotation with lupin. Hence, emphasis should be given to improve the human capital through training and providing extension service to bring farmers’ awareness to practice improved technologies and best indigenous knowledge. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Teferra_et_al-1.pdf Lupin Crop rotation Determinants Logit Ethiopia eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 32 40 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.32-40 1009-1 article Hamdiyah ALHASSAN Paul Adjei KWAKWA William ADZAWLA This study used multinomial logit regression to determine the factors that influence farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate change and variability of farmers in Savelugu-Nanton district, Northern region of Ghana. A simple random sampling was used to select 180 farmers. The data was analysed using a Multinomial logit regression model. From the results, the level of climate change and variability awareness was high and the adaptation strategies identified were mixed cropping, change crop varieties, changing planting time/date, soil conservation techniques, increased irrigation, increased female livestock herd, and seasonal migration. Farmers confirmed empirically observations that climate change would lead to a reduction in crop production. Also, gender, age, education, household size, farming experience, access to extension, access to credit, access to mobile phone and perceived decreased rainfall influenced farmers’ choices of a particular adaptation strategy. The findings support and justified calls for education of farmers on climate change and variability. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Alhassan_et_al.pdf Adaptation Climate change and variability Multinomial Logit Regression model Perception eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 41 50 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.41-50 1009-1 article Ejiofor Emmanuel OMEJE Chukwuemeka John ARENE Chiedozie Benjamin OKPUKPARA This study examined the impact of agricultural protection and other macroeconomic variables on agricultural growth in Nigeria from 1980 to 2016. The specific objectives were to (i) estimate the level of agricultural protection in Nigeria; (ii) determine the effects of agricultural protection on agricultural growth, and (iii) analyse the causal relationship between agricultural protection and agricultural growth in Nigeria. The data were obtained from annual time series dataset from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), World Bank, and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and were tested using unit root and cointegration tests. Descriptive statistics, Nominal Protection Coefficient (NPC) model, multiple regression and Granger causality were analytical test used, while the hypotheses were tested with F-test. Results revealed a significant presence of protection in the agricultural sector but not statistically commensurate with the share of agriculture to Nigeria's gross domestic product, (GDP). All hypotheses were tested at 1% probability level, i.e. p < 0.01. There was a negative significant relationship between agricultural growth and protection in agriculture. A significant and positive relationship exists between agricultural growth and budgetary appropriation to the agricultural sector, while foreign direct investment and farmers' economic welfare had a non-significant and negative relationship with protection level. There was significant causality running from budgetary appropriation (agriculture) to agricultural protection and from protection level to GDP (agriculture). One of the major recommendations is that government should review its policy instruments, programmes, and projects to ensure that targeted policy objectives such as increase in agricultural growth is achieved by increasing its budget and liberalizing the sector. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Omeje_et_al.pdf Agricultural protection agricultural growth agricultural budget political economy Nigeria eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 51 64 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.51-64 1009-1 article Toyin Benedict AJIBADE Opeyemi Eyitayo AYINDE Tahirou ABDOULAYE Having the mandate of achieving food security in Nigeria, commendable efforts have been geared towards food production in the nation. Albeit the increasing production, price volatility has continued to perpetuate in food markets in Nigeria hence attaining food affordability, a precondition for food security, remains a mirage. An innovative approach to the food challenge therefore, may be to understand the food markets dynamics such as to gain insight into how the market works. In this study we focus on maize, a very important staple in Nigeria. We seek to identify the point of price discovery and markets that significantly influence price of maize. In furtherance, we examine the dynamic relationship existing among the markets and explored the responsiveness of the markets to price signals from the other markets. Our results showed that most of the markets examined behave in such a manner expected of open market however full market integration has not been achieved. It was revealed that prices of maize are discovered from major food market in the deficit production zone. Majority of the markets were responsive to one-time price shock from itself, although exhibiting exogeneity in the contemporaneous period but becoming endogenous by the long run (whereby other markets majorly influenced prices) hence indicating that the markets had commendable informational influence on one another. The study therefore recommended installing infrastructure for linkage of production with the demand zones if price stabilization is to be achieved. Regulatory bodies should also check activities of cartels in the influential markets. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Ajibade_et_al.pdf Agricultural Markets Food crop Impulse response function Price discovery Variance decomposition eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 65 75 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.65-75 1009-1 article Milkessa ASFAW Endrias GETA Fikadu MITIKU Yield enhancement through increasing efficiency in cereal production in general and in wheat production in particular could be an important way towards achieving food security. This study was aimed at estimating the levels of technical, allocative and economic efficiencies of smallholder wheat producers; and to identify factors affecting efficiency of smallholder farmers in wheat production. A two stages sampling technique was used to select 152 sample farmers to collect primary data pertaining of 2016/17 production year. Both primary and secondary data sources were used for this study. Stochastic production frontier approach and two limit Tobit model was employed. The stochastic production frontier model indicated that input variables such as mineral fertilizers, land and seed were the significant inputs to increase the quantity of wheat output. The estimated mean values of technical, allocative and economic efficiency were 78, 80 and 63% respectively, which indicate the presence of inefficiency in wheat production in the study area. A two-limit Tobit model result indicated that technical efficiency positively and significantly affected by sex of the household head, education, extension contact, off/non-farm activity and soil fertility but negatively affected by land fragmentation. Similarly, age, education, extension contacts and off/non-farm activity positively and significantly affected allocative efficiency. In addition, economic efficiency positively and significantly affected by sex, age, education, extension contact, off/non-farm activity and soil fertility. The policy measures derived from the results include: expansion of education, strengthening the existing extension services, establish and/or strengthening the existing off/non-farm activities and strengthening soil conservation practices in the study area. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Asfaw_et_al.pdf economic efficiency Ethiopia smallholder stochastic frontier eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 76 83 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.76-82 1009-1 article Gbêtondji Melaine Armel NONVIDE Majority of the irrigation schemes developed in Benin failed upon the withdrawal of foreign partners in 1980s, and these schemes were abandoned by farmers. The 2008 food crisis and the new challenge of climate change and variability have renewed Benin government interest to invest in irrigation development to achieve food security. This article explores the policies needed for such investments to be successful and improve adoption of irrigation and farmers’ profitability using a case study from the rice irrigation scheme of Malanville, Benin. Results indicate that irrigated rice farming is profitable in Benin. Furthermore, profitability is positively correlated with education, access to credit, extension services, soil quality, amount of fertilizer and herbicide applied, and ownership of mobile phone. Policy reforms needed to sustain the development of irrigation and to increase profits include the development of irrigation policy document, the reinforcement of institutional supports for farmers, and the improvement in the production practices. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Nonvide.pdf Adoption Irrigation Policy Rice Benin eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 83 90 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.83-90 1009-1 article Marelign ADUGNA Mengistu KETEMA Degye GOSHU Sisay DEBEBE One of the challenges of perishable vegetable production is selecting appropriate market outlets to deliver the produce fresh and earn better price. Various factors affect producers’ decision to choose among the alternative market outlets. This study was aimed to identify determinants of smallholder vegetable producers’ decision on market outlet choice and verify the existence of difference in productivity and income of households among different market outlets in Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia. Using primary data collected from a survey of 385 farmers in three districts located in Lake Tana basin, the study estimated multivariate probit model to explain the factors that influence market outlet choice of smallholder vegetable producers. F-statistics was sued to verify the effect of market outlets on productivity and income. The results show that those households choosing both farm gate and local market simultaneously are found at better level of productivity and income. Multivariate probit results show that buyers visit and age of household head simultaneously determined all market outlets decision of producers. Those households visited by buyers at farm or village were found more likely to choose farm gate and roadside market outlets and less likely to sell the produce at market place. The implication is that as far as smallholder producers had access to alternative market outlets, they would earn better income by choosing appropriate combination of market outlets. Interventions that improve access to all market outlets could improve income and boost production of vegetables. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Adugna_et_al.pdf Lake Tana basin Market outlet Multivariate probit Smallholder farmers Vegetable eng Faculty of Economics and Management of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra and the Association of Agricultural Economists in Slovakia Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics 1336-9261 2019-03-31 22 1 91 97 10.15414/raae.2019.22.01.91-97 1009-1 article Oluwakemi OBAYELU Abimbola ADEPOJU Olukemi OMIRIN Food security and human development are intricately linked and no meaningful progress can be sustained without an affiliated progress on the other. Fighting food insecurity therefore requires an increase in the level of human capital. However, food insecurity and low level of human capital development are major challenges among the rural milieu in Nigeria. The effect of human capital on food insecurity status among rural households in Nigeria was therefore investigated in this study. Principal Component Analysis was used to generate human capital index which comprised age, age squared, education, number of inactive days and body mass index of the household head. Household heads that had medium level of human capital were food secure. Human capital index, household size, being a male-headed household, membership of association, land ownership and access to extension significantly reduced food insecurity. Although human capital index had a negative effect on food insecurity, there was no bicausality between them. https://roaae.org/wp-content/uploads/RAAE_1_2019_Obajelu_et_al.pdf Dietary diversity human capital bicausality rural Nigeria