ISSN 2736-1756
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2015
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2015 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Adoption of agro-forestry technologies among small-holder farmers: A case of Zimbabwe
C. Parwada1*, C. T. Gadzirayi1, W. T. Muriritirwa1 and D. Mwenye2
1Department of Agriculture, Bindura University of Science Education, P. Bag 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
2International Centre for Agro-forestry, Zimbabwe.
Accepted 17 August, 2011
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to assess and compare the levels of adoption of agro-forestry technologies between trained and untrained farmers, and identify specific factors that affect adoption of technologies. Data from 300 smallholder farmers selected by snowballing from villages where change agents had been trained by the International Center for Research in Agro Forestry was collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science and Microsoft Office Excel. The results showed that there was low level of awareness of agro-forestry technologies among farmers. Formally trained farmers adopted agro-forestry technologies more than informally- trained farmers. Logit regression results showed that the likelihood to adopt live fence was influenced significantly by land ownership, awareness, training, drought, labour and local institutions (p<0.05). Adoption of trees for nutrition was influenced by belonging to a farming group, awareness, training, land size and local institutions (p<0.05). Adoption of improved fallows was influenced by employment status, belonging to farm group, awareness and land size (p<0.05). Factors that influenced adoption of fodder banks were employment status, awareness and training (p<0.05).
Key words: Adoption, agro-forestry technologies, change agents, logit regression.
W. T. Muriritirwa and D. Mwenye, C. Parwada*, C. T. Gadzirayi
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2015
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2015 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Determination of seasonal price variations for some food crops in Iran at Karaj zone to achieve Sustainable Agriculture
Behzad Sani1* and Hossein Aliabadi Farahani2
1Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e Qods Branch, Tehran, Iran.
2Islamic Azad University, Takestan Branch, Iran.
Accepted 1 June, 2014
Abstract
Iran is one of the largest Asian countries with arid and semi-arid weather, but can produce most food crops due to special geographical position. In order to determine seasonal prices (SPV) variations in some food crops, this study was carried out at Karaj city of Iran in 2009. In this experiment, four groups of food products were used. The first group includes tree fruits (orange, apple and pomegranate), the second includes the kitchen garden fruits (watermelon, melon and cantaloupe), the third includes greenhouse fruits (banana, strawberry and pineapple) and the fourth group includes vegetables (tomato, potato and onion). Each of the above products price was determined in each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and were compared with one another by statistical graphs. The results showed that price variations were high in tree fruits, vegetables and kitchen garden fruits than the greenhouse fruits and demand of these products was very dependent on price variations. In the seasons, increase in product demand results to decrease in product price, while reduction in the product’s demand results to increase in product price; but greenhouse fruits prices were constant during the year and there were also constant demand for these products in all seasons. The results showed that the greenhouses production and processing food products can keep constant prices of food products throughout the year and remove the destructive role of brokers.
Key words: Seasonal price variations, food crops, sustainable agriculture.
Behzad Sani*, Hossein Aliabadi Farahani
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2015
Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr
© 2015 International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Truncation and endogenous stratification in various count data models for recreation demand analysis
Tomoaki Nakatani1* and Kazuo Sato2
1Department of Agricultural Economics, Hokkaido University, Kita9 Nishi9, Sapporo-shi, 060-8589, Hokkaido,
Japan. 2Department of Dairy Science, Rakuno Gakuen University, Midorimachi 582, Bunkyodai, Ebetsu-shi, 069-8501, Hokkaido, Japan.
Accepted 29 July, 2014
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to extend the truncated and endogenously stratified Poisson and negative binomial models to three alternative discrete distributions, namely the generalized Poisson, geometric and Borel distributions. Our primary intention here is to demonstrate how the improper treatments of the data generate divergent outcomes by applying those results to the recreation trip data surveyed from the visitors to an indigenous horse park in Japan. Our empirical application shows that failure to account for overdispersion, truncation and endogenous stratification leads to substantial changes in parameter estimates and their standard errors. The parameter on the travel cost tends to be underestimated in absolute value in the standard setups. This induces serious overestimation of the economic benefit that the recreation site offers to the society. Even when the endogenous stratification is incorporated, ignoring the overdispersion estimates the per capita per trip consumer surplus over 7 times larger than the one obtained under the endogenous stratification and overdispersion.
Key words: Count data models, endogenous stratification, overdispersion, recreation demand analysis, consumer surplus.
Tomoaki Nakatani*, Kazuo Sato
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Bai Shen Sun, Zhe Ming Fang, Li Juan Gu, Dong Liang Zhang and Chang Keun Sung*, Chun Yan Wang, Zhen Wang
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
S. Melki Ben Fredj*, S. Chebil and A. Mliki
Page: 1 - 10
Research Article
Ashish K. Asthana, Molly Madan, Anupam Das, Anita Pandey*, Ritu Kansal
Page: 1 - 10