A cross-sectional survey investigating the contribution of free-range village chickens to househo... more A cross-sectional survey investigating the contribution of free-range village chickens to household economies was carried out in four administrative districts within 60 km of Accra. Answers were provided by 101 men and 99 women. Nearly all respondents claimed to keep chickens for meat, with a far smaller percentage claiming to keep them for egg production. Over 80% of respondents kept chickens to supplement their incomes. The proportion of the flock eaten varied between administrative areas (p = 0.009 and p = 0.027), although this was possibly a consequence of differences in consumption patterns between occupation of the respondent, land area cultivated and flock size. The proportion of chickens sold varied as a result of differences in flock size (p = 0.013), the proportion sold increasing with number of birds in the flock. Respondents generally agreed that chickens could be sold without difficulty. A majority of chicken sales were from the farm gate, directly to consumers or traders. Sales were on demand or when the owner needed money. Money from the sale was kept by the owner of the chicken and the money was spent on personal needs. The proportion of the flock sold varied between administrative areas (p = 0.025) and occupation of the respondent (p = 0.040). Respondents describing animal production as their main occupation tended to have greater reliance on chicken sales for their income. Consideration is given to estimating the offtake from the flock and the financial contribution to the household.
ABSTRACT Although silvopastoral systems involving pigs were once widespread in Britain, the pract... more ABSTRACT Although silvopastoral systems involving pigs were once widespread in Britain, the practice has largely died out. However, recent changes in pig production techniques, consumer demands and the economic climate within which farmers operate, have led to renewed interest in both traditional and novel tree-pig systems. This paper describes a financial spreadsheet model (MAST) that was developed to: provide a means of determining financial performance of integrating finishing pigs with natural woodland; identify the likely importance of different as yet largely unresearched animal-tree interactions; and, determine which interactions warrant attention in research and management. Preliminary analysis suggests that the financial performance of this agroforestry enterprise could be superior to that of a pasture-based enterprise. The most important factors in determining incremental performance are identified as sales premia for ‘forest-reared’ pork, changes to feed conversion ratios arising from the provision of a heterogeneous microclimate, and the availability of cheaper land rents.
Summary Many small-scale farmers in central Kenya stall-feed cattle. A rapid rural appraisal (RRA... more Summary Many small-scale farmers in central Kenya stall-feed cattle. A rapid rural appraisal (RRA) in the Kiambu district showed that 25% of the forage came from the maize crop. Crop protection advice to farmers generally focuses on maize for grain and ignores the importance of the dairy animal in the livelihoods of these resource-poor livestock keepers. The RRA showed that
This article critically examines the nature and quality of governance in community representation... more This article critically examines the nature and quality of governance in community representation and civil society engagement in the context of trans-national large-scale mining, drawing on experiences in the Anosy Region of south-east Madagascar. An exploration of functional relationships between government, mining business and civil society stakeholders reveals an equivocal legitimacy of certain civil society representatives, created by state manipulation,
IFMA 16Theme 3 Farm Management 348 THE DEVELOPMENT AND ROLE OF NOVEL FARM MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR... more IFMA 16Theme 3 Farm Management 348 THE DEVELOPMENT AND ROLE OF NOVEL FARM MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR USE BY SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Peter Dorward* and Derek Shepherd School of Agriculture Policy and Development, ...
This paper examines the potential of using Participatory Farm Management methods to examine the s... more This paper examines the potential of using Participatory Farm Management methods to examine the suitability of a technology with farmers prior to on-farm trials. A study examining the suitability of green manuring as a technology for use with wet season tomato producers in Ghana is ...
... Mark Witcomb Æ Peter Dorward ... factors: poor and often corrupt management of the system (Ga... more ... Mark Witcomb Æ Peter Dorward ... factors: poor and often corrupt management of the system (Gatha-ara 1999; Kamau 2002; Kagombe and Gitonga 2005) and high levels of poverty in forest adjacent com-munities which compelled locals to exploit the system (Emerton 1999; TVE ...
A cross-sectional survey investigating the contribution of free-range village chickens to househo... more A cross-sectional survey investigating the contribution of free-range village chickens to household economies was carried out in four administrative districts within 60 km of Accra. Answers were provided by 101 men and 99 women. Nearly all respondents claimed to keep chickens for meat, with a far smaller percentage claiming to keep them for egg production. Over 80% of respondents kept chickens to supplement their incomes. The proportion of the flock eaten varied between administrative areas (p = 0.009 and p = 0.027), although this was possibly a consequence of differences in consumption patterns between occupation of the respondent, land area cultivated and flock size. The proportion of chickens sold varied as a result of differences in flock size (p = 0.013), the proportion sold increasing with number of birds in the flock. Respondents generally agreed that chickens could be sold without difficulty. A majority of chicken sales were from the farm gate, directly to consumers or traders. Sales were on demand or when the owner needed money. Money from the sale was kept by the owner of the chicken and the money was spent on personal needs. The proportion of the flock sold varied between administrative areas (p = 0.025) and occupation of the respondent (p = 0.040). Respondents describing animal production as their main occupation tended to have greater reliance on chicken sales for their income. Consideration is given to estimating the offtake from the flock and the financial contribution to the household.
ABSTRACT Although silvopastoral systems involving pigs were once widespread in Britain, the pract... more ABSTRACT Although silvopastoral systems involving pigs were once widespread in Britain, the practice has largely died out. However, recent changes in pig production techniques, consumer demands and the economic climate within which farmers operate, have led to renewed interest in both traditional and novel tree-pig systems. This paper describes a financial spreadsheet model (MAST) that was developed to: provide a means of determining financial performance of integrating finishing pigs with natural woodland; identify the likely importance of different as yet largely unresearched animal-tree interactions; and, determine which interactions warrant attention in research and management. Preliminary analysis suggests that the financial performance of this agroforestry enterprise could be superior to that of a pasture-based enterprise. The most important factors in determining incremental performance are identified as sales premia for ‘forest-reared’ pork, changes to feed conversion ratios arising from the provision of a heterogeneous microclimate, and the availability of cheaper land rents.
Summary Many small-scale farmers in central Kenya stall-feed cattle. A rapid rural appraisal (RRA... more Summary Many small-scale farmers in central Kenya stall-feed cattle. A rapid rural appraisal (RRA) in the Kiambu district showed that 25% of the forage came from the maize crop. Crop protection advice to farmers generally focuses on maize for grain and ignores the importance of the dairy animal in the livelihoods of these resource-poor livestock keepers. The RRA showed that
This article critically examines the nature and quality of governance in community representation... more This article critically examines the nature and quality of governance in community representation and civil society engagement in the context of trans-national large-scale mining, drawing on experiences in the Anosy Region of south-east Madagascar. An exploration of functional relationships between government, mining business and civil society stakeholders reveals an equivocal legitimacy of certain civil society representatives, created by state manipulation,
IFMA 16Theme 3 Farm Management 348 THE DEVELOPMENT AND ROLE OF NOVEL FARM MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR... more IFMA 16Theme 3 Farm Management 348 THE DEVELOPMENT AND ROLE OF NOVEL FARM MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR USE BY SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Peter Dorward* and Derek Shepherd School of Agriculture Policy and Development, ...
This paper examines the potential of using Participatory Farm Management methods to examine the s... more This paper examines the potential of using Participatory Farm Management methods to examine the suitability of a technology with farmers prior to on-farm trials. A study examining the suitability of green manuring as a technology for use with wet season tomato producers in Ghana is ...
... Mark Witcomb Æ Peter Dorward ... factors: poor and often corrupt management of the system (Ga... more ... Mark Witcomb Æ Peter Dorward ... factors: poor and often corrupt management of the system (Gatha-ara 1999; Kamau 2002; Kagombe and Gitonga 2005) and high levels of poverty in forest adjacent com-munities which compelled locals to exploit the system (Emerton 1999; TVE ...
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