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1
Ropafadzo, Chigunhah Blessing, Svotwa Ezekia, Munyoro Gerald, Mabvure Tendai Joseph, and Govere Ignatius. "Characterization of Bank Lending Requirements for Farmers in Zimbabwe." Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development 10, no. 2 (2020): 628–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.18488/journal.ajard.2020.102.628.644.
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Bank credit availability is vital for enhancing farm productivity, income, and farmer livelihoods. This study sought to characterize the lending requirements considered by commercial banks when lending to farmers in Zimbabwe. Primary data were collected from a cross-section of 12 registered commercial banks. Relative Importance Index (RII) and Thematic analysis analysed data. High importance lending requirements that were always considered by all commercial banks when lending to farmers included credit history, productive farm assets, business registration, loan purpose, amount, and repayment source. Agricultural production skills, age, business plans, financial statements, social reputation, and project insurance were also mandatory in the majority of the commercial banks. High to medium importance lending requirements included extension support, business management skills, bank account ownership, own contribution, and personal savings. Medium importance requirements included formal basic education, alternative income, and freehold land ownership. Therefore, besides the widely documented collateral, local commercial banks also considered several other requirements when lending to farmers. Government policy should go beyond solving the collateral issue but benchmark its policies to other bank lending requirements. Farmers should also pursue personal development programs in agricultural production, business, and financial management. They should also invest in off-farm assets to ensure collateral availability.
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Dube, Lighton. "Factors Influencing Smallholder Crop Diversification: A Case Study of Manicaland and Masvingo Provinces in Zimbabwe." International Journal of Regional Development 3, no. 2 (2016): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijrd.v3i2.9194.
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<p>This study analyzes the degree of crop diversification and factors associated with crop diversification among 479 smallholder farmers in Manicaland and Masvingo provinces of Zimbabwe. The Herfindahl index used to estimate diversification, while the Tobit model evaluated factors associated with crop diversification. The mean crop diversity index is 0.54. On average households in Nyanga and Bikita are the most diversified with indices of 0.48 and 0.49 respectively. The most specialized households are in Mutasa and Chiredzi with indices of 0.62. An analysis by gender shows that male headed households are slightly more diversified than female headed households. The Tobit model indicates that gender of head of household, education, number of livestock units, access to irrigation, membership to a farmers group, access to markets, farming experience, farms on flat terrain, farmer to farm extension, routine extension, agro-ecological zone and household income are significant contributors to increasing crop diversification. In turn, crop specialization is significantly associated with off-farm employment, soil fertility, farmers who are happy with extension contacts per year, farmers trained using the farmer field school approach and farmers who receive NGO extension support.</p>
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Munengwa, Anderson, Chikumba Nation, and Mugoti Alban. "Perceptions and practices on antimicrobial use by the farmers of the Chikomba District, Zimbabwe." Aceh Journal of Animal Science 5, no. 2 (2020): 73–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.13170/ajas.5.2.16713.
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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on antimicrobial use (AMU) of livestock farmers are poorly understood in Zimbabwe despite their essence in combating the development of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of the study was to assess these patterns based on suggested KAP variables. A questionnaire-based survey of (n=60) Small Scale Commercial Farmers (SSCF), (n=60) Large Scale Commercial farmers (LSCF), and (n=60) resettled farmers (A1) was undertaken from January to March 2019. Participants were purposively selected from 10 wards based on willingness to participate in the study. Logistic regression, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation were performed in SAS (2003) version 6. Overall AMU practice scores were above 50% despite detecting violation of manufacturer's specifications. AMU was correlated with farmer's knowledge, r (178) = 0.42, p =0.000 and attitude, r (178) = 0.54, p =0.000. Farming scale, type of livestock kept and level of education influenced AMU (P 0.05). Farming scale influenced above 50% of the farmers to change label dosages, withdrawal periods, treatment frequencies, and consult friends on AMU. A similar pattern was noted on the effect of main livestock species kept on changing treatment frequencies and the use of human antibiotics. AMU without prescriptions increased with a decreasing level of education (P = 0.010). Knowledge on AMU was high for LSCF (average 58%), low for A1 (average 33%), and SSCF (average 46%). Attitudes were positive for LSCF (average 67%) and SSCF (average 57%) and negative for A1 (average 49%). We concluded that there is a serious violation of antimicrobial manufacturer's specifications by farmers in the Chikomba district which is associated with poor knowledge and attitudes on prudent ways of AMU
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Mhlanga, David, Steven Henry Dunga, and Tankiso Moloi. "FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN ZIMBABWE." EURASIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE 8, no. 3 (2020): 168–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.15604/ejef.2020.08.03.004.
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The study sought to investigate the impact of financial inclusion on poverty reduction in Zimbabwe among the smallholder farmers. It is alleged that financial inclusion can help in achieving seven of the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs), which include poverty eradication in all its forms everywhere, ending hunger, achieving food security, ensuring improved nutrition as well as promoting sustainable agriculture and many others. Using the simple regression method, the study discovered that financial inclusion has a strong impact on poverty reduction among smallholder farmers. The study went on to discover that, for the government to tackle poverty especially among the smallholder farmers, it is important to ensure that farmers do participate in the financial sector through saving, borrowing and taking out insurance among other services. So, it is important for the government of Zimbabwe to fully implement policies that encourage financial inclusion such as making sure that farmers find it easy to access financial institutions and encouraging financial institutions to review transaction costs like bank account opening charges periodically, implementing financial education programs among the farmers because these variables are important in influencing farmers to participate or preventing them from using financial services.
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Mhlanga, David, and Steven Henry Dunga. "MEASURING FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND ITS DETERMINANTS AMONG THE SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN ZIMBABWE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY." EURASIAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 8, no. 3 (2020): 266–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.03.008.
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The study sought to assess the levels of financial inclusion among the smallholder farmers and to investigate its determinants among the same. The study employed a household measure to measure the level of financial inclusion and multiple regression to assess the determinants of financial inclusion. The results indicated that the level of financial inclusion among the smallholder farmers was low because the percentage of households who were actively participating in the formal financial system was below 27 per cent below 50 per cent. The investigation on the driving factors of financial inclusion indicated that off-farm income, education level, distance, financial literacy and age of the household were the significant variables in explaining the determinants of financial inclusion among the smallholder farmers in Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. Therefore, the study discovered that it is important for the government of Zimbabwe and financial institutions to form partnerships to come up with policies that ensure that smallholder farmers are included in the formal financial market and these policies should motivate households to use the formal financial services. Also, the crafted should strive to remove all the barriers to financial inclusion among the smallholder farmers. For instance, looking at farmers, many farmers are finding it difficult to access loans due to lack of collateral security, so banks need to come up with services and products that are tailor-made for the smallholder farmers especially on credit, services that allow smallholder farmers to borrow.
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Nkomo, Gabriel Vusanimuzi, MM Sedibe, and MA Mofokeng'. "Farmers’ production constraints, perceptions and preferences of cowpeas in Buhera district, Zimbabwe." African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development 20, no. 06 (2020): 16832–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.94.19795.
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Many smallholder farmers face crop production constraints, especially under rapidly changing climatic conditions. A survey was carried out to assess farmers’ production constraints, traits, and preferred cowpea varieties. A semi-structured questionnaire was used in a survey of Buhera District, Zimbabwe, in March and April of 2018. Women farmers dominated the survey as they were 52% of the surveyed population, while men occupied 48% of the total population. Eighty-three percent of farmers cited the shortage, unavailability, and cost of fertiliser. Sixteen per cent of farmers acknowledged that they do not have access to quality seeds, and 1% cited labour as the major constraint in cowpea production. Cowpea yield varied from 100 to 500 kg/ha. However, 48% of farmers harvested 200 kg/ha.As for abiotic factors, farmers ranked heat (86%), drought (10%), and soil fertility (4%) as the most important abiotic factors.Ninety-one percent of farmers ranked rust as the most destructive disease, while 2% ranked storage rot, 1% ranked anthracnose, and 1% ranked downy mildew. Eighty-one percent of farmers cited aphids as the main pests, while 3% ranked thrips, 3% ranked legume borers, and 2% ranked pod borers as other pests.Fifty-two percent of farmers preferred varieties that are resistant to diseases such as rust, whereas 48% were not concerned about diseases.As for qualitative traits, 50% of farmers had no specific colour preference, 32% preferred white colour, 14% preferred brown colour, 3% preferred red colour, and 1% preferred tan colour. For quantitative traits, such as grain size, pod size, plant height, and head size, the preferences of farmers varied. Ninety-nine percent of the farmers interviewed preferred cowpea varieties that are bred for drought tolerance, as Buhera District is frequented by intermittent droughts. Farmers’ experience in growing cowpeas ranged from 5 to 30 years. The top ranked accessions were CBC1, IT 18, and Chibundi Chitsvuku,while the least ranked was Kangorongondo. Identified constraints to cowpea farming included lack of education,insect pests, diseases, drought, weeds, harvesting difficulties and a lack of agriculture extension advice. The survey showed that there is a need to breed for biotic factors such as pests and diseases and abiotic factors such as drought and moisture stress.
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Mutandwa, Edward, Benjamine Hanyani-Mlambo, and Joseph Manzvera. "Exploring the link between climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe." International Journal of Social Economics 46, no. 7 (2019): 850–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijse-12-2018-0654.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the association between smallholder farmer perceptions toward climate change and adaptation strategies at the household level in Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 284 households mainly using a structured questionnaire. The Heckman probit selection model was used to first identify the underlying socio-economic factors that affect households’ recognition of climate change in the past 10 years, and the second model the factors that influence adaptation to the climate change phenomenon. Findings The majority of farmers (85 percent) perceived that climate change, characterized by rising temperatures and variability in rainfall patterns, has been occurring in the past ten years. As a response, farmers adapted using methods such as manuring and staggering of planting dates. Indigenous knowledge systems and non-governmental organizations increased the likelihood farmers’ recognition of climate change (p<0.05). The probability of adopting multiple adaptation strategies was influenced by household head’s education level, land tenure and access to public extension services. Practical implications Integrative extension methods that take into account socio-cultural values could be helpful in building resilience as farmers are better able to understand the climate change construct. There is a need to guarantee land tenure rights in resettlement areas to stimulate investment on farms. Originality/value This study showed that there is a link between farmers’ prior knowledge of climate change and the number of adaptive investments. The analysis proposed an educational and extension approach that is embedded in the socio-cultural and traditional setting of farmers.
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Chivuraise, Chipo, Tafireyi Chamboko, and Godfrey Chagwiza. "An Assessment of Factors Influencing Forest Harvesting in Smallholder Tobacco Production in Hurungwe District, Zimbabwe: An Application of Binary Logistic Regression Model." Advances in Agriculture 2016 (2016): 1–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4186089.
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Deforestation is one of the major effects posed by the smallholder tobacco farming as the farmers heavily depend on firewood sourced from natural forest for curing tobacco. The research aims at assessing the factors that influence the harvesting of natural forest in the production of tobacco. Data is collected through the structured questionnaire from 60 randomly selected farmers. Binary logistic regression model is used to explain the significance of factors influencing natural forest harvesting. Results show that farmer experience, tobacco selling price, and agricultural training level negatively affect the harvesting of natural forests (to obtain firewood) for curing tobacco significantly (p<0.05). However, gender, size of the household, tobacco yield, and level of education are insignificant (p>0.05) in influencing natural forest harvesting. Though farmers are exploiting the environment and at the same time increasing foreign currency earning through tobacco production, there is therefore a need to put in place policies that encourage sustainable forest product utilization such as gum plantations, subsidizing price of coal, and introducing fees, as well as penalties or taxes to the offenders.
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Kwaira, Peter, and Mishack T. Gumbo. "Applying Design and Technology Education in Addressing Farmers’ Problems in the Makonde Rural District, Zimbabwe." Journal of Human Ecology 48, no. 1 (2014): 103–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09709274.2014.11906779.
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Chitakira, Munyaradzi, and Emmanuel Torquebiau. "Barriers and Coping Mechanisms Relating to Agroforestry Adoption by Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe." Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 16, no. 2 (2010): 147–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13892241003651407.
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Mapanje, Olga, Moses M. N. Chitete, Wisdom Mgomezulu, and Bernard C. G. Kamanga. "Determinants of Adoption of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Buhera and Chiredzi Districts of Zimbabwe." International Journal of Environmental Sustainability and Green Technologies 12, no. 2 (2021): 29–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijesgt.2021070103.
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This study was set to assess factors that drive adoption of six climate smart agriculture technologies in Buhera and Chiredzi districts of Zimbabwe using a sample size of 240 households. Multivariate probit analysis was used to determine factors that influence smallholder farmers' decision to adopt climate smart agriculture technologies. The study finds that age, gender, education of household head, household size, membership to social group, land size, land ownership, and training influence adoption of the six climate smart agriculture technologies. Therefore, policies that allow an improvement in land size and ownership should be given full support by both government and NGO community. The study further recommends that there should be more trainings on benefits of various climate smart agriculture technologies. Farmers should further be encouraged to participate in social groups for easy access to extension information on climate smart agriculture.
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Mafongoya, Owen, Paramu Leslie Mafongoya, and Maxwell Mudhara. "Using Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Seasonal Prediction and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts in Bikita District in Zimbabwe." Oriental Anthropologist: A Bi-annual International Journal of the Science of Man 21, no. 1 (2021): 195–209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0972558x21997662.
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The use of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in seasonal forecasting and adaptation to devastating vagaries of climate change has gained attention in academic discourses. The debates opened contrasting views with the first over-romanticizing IKS’ potentials, while the other arguing that it has many setbacks. In this study, we interrogated IKS’ roles in seasonal forecasting and chances of informing adaptation among poorly resourced smallholder farmers in ward 24, Bikita. Using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews, we identified diverse indigenous indicators and interrogated how they subsequently inform adaptation. We noted that IKS is important in providing seasonal forecasting information, which is critical in making decisions in planning, designing cropping calendars, offering early warnings, as well informing preparedness against disasters. However, we also noted that IKS is under threat from Western education, Christianity, scientific seasonal forecasting (SSF), and climate change. These factors are challenging and reducing IKS’ reliability and hence increasing its susceptibility to disappearance. We concluded that IKS can be resuscitated if included in science education and policy frameworks. We recommended governments to formulate policy frameworks, which allow it to work well with SSF in reducing poorly resourced smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change disasters.
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Gwandu, T., F. Mtambanengwe, P. Mapfumo, T. C. Mashavave, R. Chikowo, and H. Nezomba. "Factors Influencing Access to Integrated Soil Fertility Management Information and Knowledge and its Uptake among Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe." Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 20, no. 1 (2013): 79–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1389224x.2012.757245.
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Mhone, Tryness Anastazia, Gift Matope, and Petronella Tapiwa Saidi. "Detection ofSalmonellaspp.,Candida albicans,Aspergillusspp., and Antimicrobial Residues in Raw and Processed Cow Milk from Selected Smallholder Farms of Zimbabwe." Veterinary Medicine International 2012 (2012): 1–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/301902.
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A cross-sectional study was conducted to detect the presence ofSalmonellaspp.,Candida albicans,Aspergillusspp., and antimicrobial residues in raw milk (n=120) and processed cow milk (n=20) from smallholder dairy farms from three sites in Zimbabwe. Culture and isolation ofSalmonellaspp.,C. albicans, andAspergillusspp. were performed using selective media, while antimicrobial residues were detected by a dye reduction test. NoSalmonella, butC. albicans(17.5%; 21/120),Aspergillusspp. (0.8%; 1/120), and antimicrobial residues (2.5%; 3/120) were detected from raw milk.C. albicanswas isolated from all three sites, whileAspergillusspp. and antimicrobial residues were detected from sites 1 and 3, respectively. From processed milk, onlyC. albicans(5%) was isolated whileAspergillusspp. and antimicrobial residues were not detected. These results suggested low prevalence ofSalmonellaspp. andAspergillusspp. and a relatively high prevalence ofC. albicansin raw milk from the smallholder farms. The potential public health risks ofC. albicansand the detected antimicrobial residues need to be considered. Thus, educating farmers on improving milking hygiene and storage of milk and establishing programmes for monitoring antimicrobial residues may help to improve the safety of milk from smallholder farms.
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Manjera, Alpha Marlvin, and Alpha Marlvin Manjera. "EDUCATION LEVEL AND ADOPTION OF PROCESS INNOVATION IN THE DAIRY SECTOR OF ZIMBABWE." International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology 5, no. 9 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.33564/ijeast.2021.v05i09.016.
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This paper, seek to assess factors that are hindering diffusion of process innovation under the Zimbabwean dairy industry. The paper utilized 400 smallmedium scale dairy farmers in Zimbabwe who are registered under Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF). The rationale behind the research issue is that Zimbabwean dairy sector has failed to adopt process innovations such as e-marketing and e-extension. The paper adopted a binomial logistic regression model and majority of the dairy farmers in Zimbabwe have not acquired any form of education and based on such evidence, level of education has affected the level of adoption of process innovations such as e-marketing and e-extension. The research recommends the dairy sector to introduce nonformal courses and trainings on change management and innovations prior to introduction of new process innovations.
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Ndlovu, Everson, Barend Prinsloo, and Tanya Le Roux. "Impact of climate change and variability on traditional farming systems: Farmers’ perceptions from south-west, semi-arid Zimbabwe." Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 12, no. 1 (2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v12i1.742.
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Despite annual climate variability threats, traditional farming in semi-arid Zimbabwe remains entrenched in unproductive, rain-fed agricultural practices. Adaptation strategies by farmers are seemingly failing to mitigate climate impacts, as evidenced by annual crop and livestock losses. Matabeleland South Province was a thriving livestock and small grain-producing province in the 1970s. Today, the province relies heavily on humanitarian assistance from government and humanitarian agencies. Through literature review, observations and focus group discussions with 129 farmers, the qualitative study established the perceptions of farmers around climate variability impacts in the past 20 years in Mangwe, Matobo and Gwanda districts in Zimbabwe. The study (1) analysed changes in climate and weather patterns in the past 20 years; (2) analysed climate impacts on traditional farming systems in the past 20 years in Gwanda, Mangwe and Matobo districts in Zimbabwe; and (3) established farmers’ perceptions, experiences and their climate adaptive strategies. The findings showed that the farmers experienced annual heat waves, protracted droughts, chaotic rain seasons, frost and floods, which led to environmental degradation. Traditional farming systems or practices have been abandoned in favour of buying and selling and gold panning, among other alternative livelihood options, because of climate-related threats and misconceptions around the subject of climate change. Farmers fail to access timely and comprehensive weather forecasts, resulting in annual crop and livestock losses, as decision-making is compromised. Given that the smallholder farming system sustains the bulk of the population in Matabeleland South Province in Zimbabwe, climate education and capital investment is needed to change traditional farmer perceptions about climate change impacts on the farming practices. Increased climate awareness initiatives, establishment of village-based weather stations and the marrying of traditional farming climate knowledge to modern practices are highly recommended to enhance resilience to climate.
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Asare-Nuamah, Peter, Mclarence Shungu Mandaza, and Athanasius Fonteh Amungwa. "Adaptation Strategies and Farmer-led Agricultural Innovations to Climate Change in Mbire Districtof Zimbabwe." International Journal of Rural Management, April 22, 2021, 097300522199991. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0973005221999913.
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This study explores adaptation and farmer-led agricultural innovation strategies of smallholder farmers in Mbire District of Zimbabwe. Guided by explanatory sequential mixed methods design, 201 smallholder farmers were selected through multistage probability sampling technique and 18 participants were purposively selected. The instruments for the study included questionnaire and interview, which were analysed through basic descriptive and thematic analysis, respectively. The results show that smallholder farmers have adapted to climate change through multiple strategies including planting improved and drought resistant crops, cultivating fewer plots, mixed cropping, keeping more livestock, applying agrochemicals and local ecological knowledge as well as livelihood diversification, which are influenced by gender, education and farm size of respondents. The respondents have diversified their livelihood by engaging in brick moulding, sales of livestock, petty trade and dependence on remittance and social safety net as well as reduction in size and number of diets. The study identified financial, technological, social, institutional and information barriers to farmers’ adaptation. Farmer-led innovations identified by this study included planting Kanongo open pollinated variety of maize, pen fattening, over mulching, cassava cultivation and staggered planting. The implications of the results are teased out and policy recommendations are suggested.
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Chimbunde, Pfuurai. "The Emergency of Satellite Schools and Access to Education in Zimbabwe: Leveraging the Human Rights Agenda." Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education 16, no. 1 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.20355/jcie29405.
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While the Land Reform Programme (LRP) in 2000 and beyond was camouflaged as a distributive justice schema aimed to better the socio-economic status of the Indigenous people in Zimbabwe, it precipitated educational injustices for students arising from the creation of an education landscape marked by inequitable access to education. The study, undertaken after 20 years since the inception of the LRP, sought to check the progress made thus far by the Government of Zimbabwe to enhance access to education by children of the new farmers. Informed and guided by the international normative frameworks of the right to education, of which Education For All (EFA) and the Zimbabwean Education Act (1987) are part, the case study cast in the qualitative approach, presents constructed narratives of three primary school learners and their three teachers at one purposively selected satellite school. The study finds that as much as the advent of the LRP worked to bring equal access and redress in land appropriation between the settlers and natives, a new form of injustice has resurfaced as reflected by challenges of equitable access to education.
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Silas, Chamunorwa, Sakadzo Nyasha, and Kugedera Andrew Tapiwa. "Exploring Constraints and Opportunities for Sorghum Production in Dry Regions of Zimbabwe." NASS Journal of Agricultural Sciences 3, no. 2 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.36956/njas.v3i2.327.
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The objective of the study was to explore the constraints and opportunities for small-holder sorghum farmers in dry regions.Two hundred and fifty farmers were sampled by using the simple random and snowball sampling to provide the information that answered the research questions. Questionnaire and interviews were used as the research instruments. Out of 250 participants, 80% were males and 20% were females showing that more males were selected for the research. Data was coded and processed using excel. Descriptive statistics were used to describe results. Of all the participants, 4% were in the age range of 25-30 years, 10% in the age range of 31-35 years, 14% in the age range of 36-40 years, 16% in the age range of 41-45 years and 56% in the age range of 46 years and above. Out of all the participants, 20% attained primary education while 68% had attained secondary education. Only 12% had tertiary education. Results indicated availability of resources (60%) such as certified seed, fertilizers, herbicides and draught power as the major constraint in the production of sorghum. Lack of technical knowhow (20%) of sorghum production, poor farming methods (9.6%) such as mono-cropping, Striga weed (12%), outbreak of fall armyworm (14.4%) and marketing of produce (8%) were also amongst the major constraints indicated by most participants. 66% of the 250 participants showed that they produce sorghum due to its drought tolerant nature. Beer brewing was just slightly above half (52%) whilst making mealie meal was slightly below half (48%). Lack of knowledge, resources and poor markets hindered sorghum production in dry regions. Farmers were using retained seeds which are populated and affected by diseases and this contributed to low yields. Opportunities such as reducing poverty, food insecurity and income generation drives some farmers to venture into sorghum production.
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Parwada, C. "COVID-19 outbreak lockdown and its impacts on marketing of horticultural produces in Zimbabwe." International Journal of Horticultural Science 26 (July 29, 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.31421/ijhs/26/2020/6178.
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Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-2019) outbreak resulted to a global health problem. Lockdown was one of the common options suggested to curb the pandemic. Horticultural produces are perishable so delayed post-harvest marketing cause losses. This study aimed at evaluating the marketing of horticultural produces and farmers’ level of preparedness during the COVID-19 lockdown. A self-administered questionnaire was posted online from April 7 to May 7, 2020 the first month of COVID-19 lockdown in Zimbabwe (began on March 30, 2020). The study targeted horticultural farmers around Harare peri-urban and had 300 respondents. Data on sociodemographic, farmers’ behavior, awareness and attitude toward marketing and desire to minimize post-harvest losses was obtained. Frequency counts and percentages were determined. Chi-square tests on independent variables were done to test associations with demographics using SPSS version 8. There were significant (P<0.05) relations between awareness and attitude toward marketing, age and level of education. Demographic variable influenced the famers’ marketing behavior and attitude during COVID-19 lockdown. Most farmers reported highest (>35%) produce sale leftovers at the markets and spoilage during than prior the COVID-19 lockdown. The lockdown resulted to low sales and most farmers were unprepared for any crisis during the marketing stage of their production. The research contributed to an understanding of how a crisis situation influence marketing of horticultural produce and raises awareness regarding post-harvest losses. A qualitative study is recommended as a follow-up of this work.
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Mujeyi, Angeline, Maxwell Mudhara, and Munyaradzi Mutenje. "The impact of climate smart agriculture on household welfare in smallholder integrated crop–livestock farming systems: evidence from Zimbabwe." Agriculture & Food Security 10, no. 1 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40066-020-00277-3.
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Abstract Background Agriculture contributes significantly to the welfare of smallholder farmers, but it has become highly susceptible to climate change, due to its reliance on the increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) offers important opportunities for enhancing food security and incomes through increased agriculture productivity. Technology evaluation through impact studies provides information on the effect of CSA on farmer welfare, thereby highlighting its potential in optimizing agriculture productivity. This paper analyses the impact of CSA adoption on food security and income of households, using cross-sectional survey data collected from 386 households across four districts in Zimbabwe. The analysis was done using the endogenous switching regression model which controls for selection bias and unobserved heterogeneity, a commonly used method in adoption impact analysis. Results The study found several agricultural and socio-economic factors which affect adoption and food security. The econometric results show that the status of soil fertility in fields, distance to input and output markets, ownership of communication assets, and Total Livestock Units (TLU) have a significant impact on the decision of farmers to adopt CSA. The Average Treatment Effects on the Treated (ATT) and Average Treatment Effects on the Untreated (ATU) were found to be positive and significant for adopters and non-adopters, indicating that CSA adoption has had a significantly positive impact on the welfare of the farmers. An analysis of the outcomes revealed that the characteristics of farmers and farms, as well as market factors, significantly affect the welfare of households. The household income, with reference to the adoption of CSA, was significantly affected by factors such as the education of household head, labour size, TLU, and asset index. Food security was influenced by factors such as the education of household head, TLU, access to sanitation, and arable land size. Conclusions The study concludes by giving policy recommendations centred on the access to inputs, sanitation, and encouraging investing in assets and TLU. The findings indicate that the adoption of CSA has a positive impact on the welfare of farmers. To exploit the full potential of these technologies, the study suggests that access to timely weather forecasts must be ensured, that sanitation must be promoted, and that incentives must be provided for agricultural input agro-dealers to decentralize to rural areas.
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Kudakwashe, Shirichena, Mavondo Greanious Alfred, Moyo Obadiah, Chikuse Francis Farai, Mkwanazi Blessing Nkazimulo, and Gwatiringa Calletta. "Evaluation of the Appropriateness of the Current Sugarcane Out-grower Support Programs towards Improving Yields in the Lowveld of Zimbabwe." Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research, May 14, 2020, 20–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/ajaar/2020/v13i230101.
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Problem: Sugar production has drastically reduced over the years due to several reasons. The effects of the Land Redistribution Program (LRP) on agriculture, price controls, associated inflationary economic conditions, and hostile international foreign policies have formatted years of economical upheavals affecting sugarcane production. The infrastructure which had been developed to the point of being among the most sophisticated irrigation systems in the world, is threatened with collapse. Approximately 872 out-grower farmers, largely beneficiaries of the Fast Track Land Reform and Redistribution Program, have acquired sizable tract of land hoping to build the sugar industry but numerous problems beset the sector players.
Objectives: To find solutions to the sugar production through investigating and looking into the appropriateness of the out-grower support for this end.
Methods: Out-growers, beneficiaries of the Land Reform program and targeted sugar producers were observed to be the best source of information on how best to revitalize sugar production in Zimbabwe. Probability random sampling technique to select the out-growers was used. A list of all the out-growers was drawn and using the Kth term every eighth name was picked until a sample of 100 was reached. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. Five-point Likert scale close-ended questions were used in the questionnaire followed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient analysis for internal validity and reliability testing. GraphPad InStat Software (version 5, GraphPad Software, San Diego, California USA) was used for relative statistical comparisons between estimates with. P values of 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: The population age groups of out-grower farmers were mixed with majority of them falling between 46 to 55 years with the majority of the farmers having 10 to 19 years of experience in sugarcane farming business. Most out-growers were educated holding at Ordinary (O) level of education. Out-growers who did ordinary level and above proved to be following the standard sugarcane procedures. A relatively high proportion of respondents followed the standard sugarcane growing procedures although the farmers did not possess enough business managerial skills. There was a notable difference in production between farmers that had formal sugarcane growing training than those that did not have. A significant proportion of lending institutions charged rather exorbitant interest rates and lacked flexibility required by the farmers.
Conclusion: The general business operating environment for out-grower farmers was rather hostile with short loan repayment periods, reduced yields per hectare and low profit margins. The sugarcane out-growers were not keen to form syndicates for buying inputs or repairing infrastructures.
Main recommendation: Out-growers should be provided with funding and training to allow them to utilize resources adequately to generate incomes that will allow them to support the agricultural activities efficiently without relying on input support from commercial plantation owners. Out-growers need to be encouraged to form partnerships for to enable them to advantages in reducing production costs.
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Masere, Tirivashe, and Steven Worth. "Applicability of APSIM in Decision-Making by Small-Scale Resource-Constrained Farmers: a Case of Lower Gweru Communal Area, Zimbabwe." Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, December 1, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2015.22302.
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Ndhlovu, Mthokozisi P., and Thabani Mpofu. "Communal farming, climate change adaptation and the media in Zimbabwe." Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 8, no. 3 (2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v8i3.239.
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Climate change is destroying Zimbabwean communal farmers’ agricultural activities – a source of living for most people. As communal farmers struggle to adapt, the media is expected to assume a fundamental theoretical role of educating and informing them about the appropriate adaptation techniques. Located in Umguza District in Matabeleland North Province, the study explored how communal farmers created meaning out of climate change media content and its influence on their agricultural practices from October 2014 to April 2015. In doing so, the study used the Two-Step Flow theory and Hall’s Encoding and Decoding Model. Entrenched in pragmatism, the study embedded quantitative techniques at different stages. Multistage sampling combining Simple Random Sampling (SRS), purposive and systematic sampling techniques was used to identify the 263 households for semi structured questionnaires, direct observations and in-depth interviews. The findings were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), thematic analysis and pattern matching. The results show that personal observations; print, broadcast and online media; and opinion leaders were the main sources of climate change information. The radio was the most used medium in communicating climate change adaptation though it was the second most accessed after mobile phones. Conservation Agriculture and planting of drought-resistant crops were some of the adaptation techniques communicated in the media. When interacting with media content, communal farmers create their own meaning influenced by their cultural values, resulting in some adopting, rejecting or modifying certain adaptation techniques. The study concludes that opinion leaders are fundamental in communal farmers’ interaction with media but their influence must not be overestimated.
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Foti, Richard, Innocent Nyakudya, Mack Moyo, John Chikuvire, and Nyararai Mlambo. "Determinants of Farmer Demand for “Fee-for-Service” Extension in Zimbabwe: The Case of Mashonaland Central province." Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education 14, no. 1 (2007). http://dx.doi.org/10.5191/jiaee.2007.14108.
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