24 pages, Soybean (Glycine max (L. Merr.) has been a crop of interest to address both poverty
and malnutrition in the developing world because of its high levels of both protein and
oil, and its adaptability to grow in tropical environments. Development practitioners
and policymakers have long sought value added opportunities for local crops to move
communities out of poverty by introducing processing or manufacturing technologies.
Soy dairy production technologies sit within this development conceptual model. To
the researchers’ knowledge, no research to date measures soy dairy performance,
though donors and NGOs have launched hundreds of enterprises over the last 18 years.
The lack of firm-level data on operations limits the ability of donors and practitioners
to fund and site sustainable dairy businesses. Therefore, the research team developed
and implemented a recordkeeping system and training program first, as a 14-month
beta test with a network of five dairies in Ghana and Mozambique in 2016-2017.
Learning from the initial research then supported a formal research rollout over 18
months with a network of six different dairies in Malawi and key collaboration from
USAID’s Agricultural Diversification activity. None of the beta or rollout dairies kept
records prior to the intervention. The formal rollout resulted in a unique primary dataset
to address the soy dairy performance knowledge gap. The results of analysis show that
the dairies, on average, achieve positive operating margins of 61%, yet cannot cover
the fixed costs associated with depreciation, amortization of equipment and
infrastructure, working capital, marketing and promotion, and regulatory compliance.
The enterprises in our sample operate only at 9% of capacity, which limits their ability
to cover the normal fixed costs associated with the business. The challenge is not the
technology itself, as when operated, it produces a high-quality dairy product. The
challenges involve a business that requires too much capital for normal operations
relative to a nascent and small addressable market.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 196 Document Number: D08052
Notes:
John L. Woods Collection, Templates for training plans and scopes of work for developing field worker programs. Prepared by StratCom program of Chemonics International, Inc., Washington, D. C. 9 pages.
Online from UI Library subscription., Report of research about use of participatory communication in development projects involving agriculture, natural resources, and other topics at community levels. Findings emphasized need to give priority to it when carrying out community projects.
15 pages, Information needs, surveys, extension agents, information seeking, small farmers, small farms, development, Pakistan(Southern Asia), This study investigated information behaviour of citrus farmers residing in rural areas of Sargodha, Pakistan. The data were collected from 120 adult male farmers through face to face interviews using preformulated questionnaire and analyzed by applying descriptive statistics. The citrus farmers required information on land preparation, soil fertility management, better citrus varieties, citrus trees protection, harvesting techniques, pest and diseases control, fertilizer applications, plantation techniques, finance, Government policies and programs, better pricing, labor information in the locality, agrochemicals, how to stop fruit drop, weather, irrigation management, pesticides application, health and safety information, buyers, collections and traders, and herbicide. These farmers relied overwhelmingly on their prior experience and interpersonal relationships such as fellow farmers/friends, progressive farmers, for agricultural information. More than two-third of these farmers did not seem to have any contact, either written or oral, with government agricultural officials. The farmers’ farm size, education, and income appeared to predict their information needs and sources. Lack of timely access, inaccessibility, unawareness, bad timing of television programs, poor economic conditions, infrequent visits of extension staff, low level of education and language barriers were the primary obstacles in information acquisition. The results will be helpful for extension agents and librarians of the public libraries in the area while making adjustments for efficient and effective information delivery. This study would make a contribution in the existing research on farmers’ crop-specific information behaviour.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 196 Document Number: D08054
Notes:
John L. Woods Collection, Presentation visuals involving views, problems, and sample elements of agricultural technology systems. Development Training and Communication Planning, UNDP Asia and the Pacific Programme, Bangkok, Thailand. 13 pages.
Gavitt, A.R., Jr. (author / University of Connecticut, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Agricultural Publications) and University of Connecticut, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Agricultural Publications
Format:
Conference paper
Publication Date:
unknown
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 27 Document Number: B02745
Notes:
AgComm Teaching, Mimeographed, [19- ]. 14 p. Paper presented at the 54th Annual Conference of the American Association of Agricultural College Editors; July 15; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
