Many reviews and evaluations of contract farming and its importance for small-scale farmers in the developing nations have been conducted. While some scholars opined that contractual terms were unfavourable to farmers...Many reviews and evaluations of contract farming and its importance for small-scale farmers in the developing nations have been conducted. While some scholars opined that contractual terms were unfavourable to farmers, others considerd them as being beneficial to them. These contrasting views were not likely to discourage it since it provided encouragement for farmers＇ involvement in markets. It was therefore worthwhile to investigate previous experiences with the aim of improving on it. This study investigated contract farming entered into by farmers in Delta State of Nigeria and livestock feed companies with the objective of seeking ways to make such contractual agreements beneficial to small-scale farmers. The study utilized convergence of science approach. The study unveiled the constraints experienced by farmers and they included technical and institutional challenges. The technical problem was the planting date, while the institutional problem was the contractual arrangements. It was recommended that all the stakeholders in the contract should converge and negotiate technological adoptions of the improved maize varieties; contract needed to be clearly def＇med and risks and uncertainties should be parts of the contract; scientific investigations should be carded out to determine the best planting date; and there was need for legislation to particularly protect farmers in contract farming.展开更多
Trafficking in persons, especially women and girls has been on for long and is still going on. Persons in the female group constitute the mostly trafficked humans. This study was conducted to determine the effects of ...Trafficking in persons, especially women and girls has been on for long and is still going on. Persons in the female group constitute the mostly trafficked humans. This study was conducted to determine the effects of human trafficking on household farm labor needs available among farming households. Arable farming households involved in human trafficking were identified and purposively selected for this study with the aid of key informants in purposively selected communities. This led to the selection of 60 arable farming household heads in Delta North Agricultural zone, 65 farming household heads in Delta Central Agricultural Zone, and 36 arable farming household heads in Delta south agricultural zone to give a total of 151 respondents. Data for the study were collected with the utilization of questionnaire and interview schedule. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis with the application of frequency counts, percentages and means derived from 4-point likert-type scale. The hypothesis was tested using Tobit regression analysis. Human trafficking was found to be age and sex selective and the causes of human trafficking included both push and pull factors, such as high income in destination countries poverty, low risk profit, nature of trafficking in persons, ease in control and manipulation of vulnerable women and girls, low risk involved in working in destination countries, lacking of legitimate and fulfilling employment, sex selective migration policies, less access to information and peer pressure. Shortage of household farm labor was experienced by farming households in clearing and brushing of farm land, sowing, weeding, harvesting and processing/storage. Human trafficking was found to affect household labor availability in clearing/brushing of farm land, sowing, weeding, harvesting and processing/storage of farm produce. It is recommended that poverty alleviation programs should be specially organized for poor women, government and NGOs and international agencies should develop strategies to mitigate human trafficking. The government needs to collaborate with community based organizations and law enforcement agencies to create anti-trafficking committee in fanning communities. Community education should be created for the farming communities to emphasize anti-human trafficking with the use of change agents; extension agents should integrate anti-trafficking messages in their interaction with farmers.展开更多
文摘Many reviews and evaluations of contract farming and its importance for small-scale farmers in the developing nations have been conducted. While some scholars opined that contractual terms were unfavourable to farmers, others considerd them as being beneficial to them. These contrasting views were not likely to discourage it since it provided encouragement for farmers＇ involvement in markets. It was therefore worthwhile to investigate previous experiences with the aim of improving on it. This study investigated contract farming entered into by farmers in Delta State of Nigeria and livestock feed companies with the objective of seeking ways to make such contractual agreements beneficial to small-scale farmers. The study utilized convergence of science approach. The study unveiled the constraints experienced by farmers and they included technical and institutional challenges. The technical problem was the planting date, while the institutional problem was the contractual arrangements. It was recommended that all the stakeholders in the contract should converge and negotiate technological adoptions of the improved maize varieties; contract needed to be clearly def＇med and risks and uncertainties should be parts of the contract; scientific investigations should be carded out to determine the best planting date; and there was need for legislation to particularly protect farmers in contract farming.
文摘Trafficking in persons, especially women and girls has been on for long and is still going on. Persons in the female group constitute the mostly trafficked humans. This study was conducted to determine the effects of human trafficking on household farm labor needs available among farming households. Arable farming households involved in human trafficking were identified and purposively selected for this study with the aid of key informants in purposively selected communities. This led to the selection of 60 arable farming household heads in Delta North Agricultural zone, 65 farming household heads in Delta Central Agricultural Zone, and 36 arable farming household heads in Delta south agricultural zone to give a total of 151 respondents. Data for the study were collected with the utilization of questionnaire and interview schedule. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis with the application of frequency counts, percentages and means derived from 4-point likert-type scale. The hypothesis was tested using Tobit regression analysis. Human trafficking was found to be age and sex selective and the causes of human trafficking included both push and pull factors, such as high income in destination countries poverty, low risk profit, nature of trafficking in persons, ease in control and manipulation of vulnerable women and girls, low risk involved in working in destination countries, lacking of legitimate and fulfilling employment, sex selective migration policies, less access to information and peer pressure. Shortage of household farm labor was experienced by farming households in clearing and brushing of farm land, sowing, weeding, harvesting and processing/storage. Human trafficking was found to affect household labor availability in clearing/brushing of farm land, sowing, weeding, harvesting and processing/storage of farm produce. It is recommended that poverty alleviation programs should be specially organized for poor women, government and NGOs and international agencies should develop strategies to mitigate human trafficking. The government needs to collaborate with community based organizations and law enforcement agencies to create anti-trafficking committee in fanning communities. Community education should be created for the farming communities to emphasize anti-human trafficking with the use of change agents; extension agents should integrate anti-trafficking messages in their interaction with farmers.
