Browsing by Author "Lugamara, C. B."

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Effectiveness of communication channels and smallholder farmers’ adoption of improved legume technologies: A case of Morogoro region, Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2017) Lugamara, C. B.
Legume crops play important roles economically, socially and environmentally by providing jobs, being a cheap source of protein, improving health and nutrition, improving soil fertility, weed suppression and nitrogen fixation. However, it is yet to be clearly determined as to which approach or a combination of approaches that are effective in ensuring legume technologies are disseminated across the various farming groups. The current study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of awareness creation approaches on level of knowledge, adoption and willingness of smallholder farmers to pay for improved legume technologies and explore other factors associated with adoption and willingness to pay for the technologies in Gairo and Mvomero districts. The study adopted a cross sectional research design whereby data were collected once from Gairo and Mvomero Districts, Morogoro, Tanzania. The districts were purposively selected due to a number of multimedia approaches and other extension methods that had been used to raise farmers’ awareness of improved legume technologies. A total of 400 respondents participated in this study of whom about two thirds were from the area of intervention and a third were from the area with no intervention. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Data was analysed using SPSS whereby descriptive and inferential statistics were determined. Results show that smallholder farmers were aware of all the technologies assessed and the level of awareness differed across the treatments. Factors significantly associated with smallholder farmers awareness were availability of legume technology intervention (P<0.01) and total revenue from income generating activities (P<0.05). In addition, the results also show that less than a quarter of respondents adopted/cultivated improved common bean seeds. Generally, factors significantly (P<0.05) associated with adoption of improved common bean seeds were availability of legume technology intervention, total area cultivated, total income from other income generating activities (IGA), borrowing money from any financial source, visit by extension officer and household size. On the other hand, results show that overall, more than two thirds of the farmers were willing and ready to pay for at least one technology out of the six technologies assessed. Results also show that factors positively and significantly (P<0.05) associated with smallholder farmers willingness to pay for the technologies included availability of legume technology intervention, total revenue from IGA, being a member of a farmers' association and visit by extension officer. It can generally be concluded that, the surveyed farmers had moderate uptake for improved bean technologies which farmers’ pinned to lack of knowledge on how to use the inputs and lack of capital or prevailing high input prices. Therefore, the study recommends that, awareness creation should continue and target those farmers who have not adopted improved bean technologies. In order to increase farmers’ knowledge, adoption and willingness to pay for improved legume technologies there is a need for reduction of technology prices or provision of subsidies.
Factors associated with post-harvest milk losses at collection centres and among vendors in Tanzania
(Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2023) Lugamara, C. B.; Urassa, J. K.; Massawe, G. D.
Tanzania has engaged in various interventions to improve the countries food and nutritional security among which is the creation of a good environment for increased milk production, collection, storage, marketing and consumption. However, milk losses continue to occur along the country’s milk value chain (4.4% and 7.0% at the collection centres and the milk vendors respectively). The study on which the paper is based assessed factors associated with post-harvest milk losses among milk collectors and vendors in Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was adopted whereby 35 individuals who were in-charge of milk collection centres (MCCs) and 52 milk vendors were selected for the study covering the period June 2021 to September 2022. Generally, the results show that milk was mostly lost through spoilage (2.7% & 3.5%), spillage (1.9% & 3.3%) and contamination (0.1% & 0.2%) at the MCCs and vendors respectively. In addition, Generalised Linear Mixed Model results show that characteristics of the milk transporter (Adjusted Coefficient (AC) = -3.519; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -5.752--1.286), market stability (AC = -9.525; CI: -18.092--0.958), season (AC = -0.19; 95% CI: -0.37--0.010) and awareness/knowledge on post-harvest milk losses (AC = -0.274; 95% CI: -0.490--0.058) were negatively and significantly associated with post-harvest milk losses. Therefore, respondents’ characteristics, market stability, season, milk handling facilities and awareness/knowledge of post-harvest milk loss were the main drivers of post-harvest milk losses (PHMLs). Therefore, there is a need for the livestock extension officers in Tanzania to create awareness but, also train milk collectors on how to reduce PHMLs. In addition, there is a need for collective investment in milk infrastructures and other logistics if milk losses by the above-mentioned are to be reduced. Lastly, the Government needs to create a conducive environment that enhances the availability of quality and affordable milk handling equipment to allow the storage and transportation of milk that minimizes its losses.