The paper aims to analyze the snap bean value chain and assess the competitiveness of small farmers and how the value-added benefits are shared by various participants of the value chain in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. We find that farmers had the lowest share of value added among the chain...

Paper investigates the determinants of pesticide related Cost of Illness (COI), and acute symptoms, using a balanced panel of 363 farmers interviewed in 2005 and 2008. Finding shows that the incidences of pesticide-related health impairments have increased. Variation in number of symptoms and...

The ability of genetically modified (GM) crops to increase yields and reduce use of pesticides is well established. Based on food security needs and the central role of agriculture, Africa may stand to benefit from green biotechnology given the low agricultural productivity and the looming food...

The study examined resource productivity analysis of small scale root and tuber crop farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Data used for the study were obtained from primary source using a multi-stage sampling technique with structured questionnaires administered to 150 randomly selected root and...

Recent studies on the economics of agricultural water management in Tunisia report a low water productivity of some presently widely cultivated crops such as durum wheat. The objective of this study is to estimate water productivity and marginal value of irrigation water applied to durum wheat...

Maize is an important staple crop in Africa but is severely affected by frequent droughts leading to crop failure. Drought tolerant maize (DTM) has been recognised as one of the most important innovations necessary for maize farmers to be able to adapt to climate change and is, therefore,...

Zambian farmers have long experience with maize hybrids and input subsidies. The successful development and diffusion of improved maize seed in Zambia during the 1970s–80s was supported by government commitment to parastatal grain and seed marketing and subsidized provision of services to...

Marketing of vegetables is a complex phenomenon due to their perishable nature, seasonality and bulkiness, and as such, vegetable production requires an efficient marketing system. This study was therefore carried out to examine the marketing efficiency and determinants of marketable surplus in...

Declining land availability and increasing rural poverty hamper further production growth and agricultural development in Burundi. Yet, over the last decades, food demand continued to increase as a result of high population growth and urbanisation. In a country like Burundi, where it is...

Irrigated agriculture commercialization is a necessary step towards realizing Nigeria’s goal of poverty reduction and rural development. Commercial irrigation farming in this paper is taken to mean producing above subsistence and utilizing farm resources efficiently. This paper is a case study...