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Agriculture is vital to global food production. Around 550 million smallholding households produce most of the world’s food, and many rely on livestock rearing for a living. Smallholder farms must survive and thrive to maintain and increase food production. Baseline information is vital for further extension service interventions. The goal of this Malawian study was to collect quantitative baseline data on crop and livestock production, agriproduct sales, and other indicators through a household survey, and to compare the efficacy (in terms of income) of using the concept of “Lead and Follow” farmer training programs. The baseline study survey was carried out in 44 sections of 11 extension planning areas from Malawi’s five districts (Dowa, Kasungu, Mchinji, Mzimba, and Rumphi). In total, 1131 smallholder households were interviewed. Crop production, livestock farming, and providing casual labor for others were all identified as significant sources of income for smallholders, implying that all agriproducts (the whole-farm approach) is equally important for improving smallholder livelihoods. On the one hand, the whole-farm approach should improve smallholders’ resilience regarding climate change and poverty. Lower agriproduct sales, on the other hand, indicated that links to the market were frequently poor but an increased market focus should help smallholders sell their produce at a fair margin. In terms of best practices adoption, both Lead and Follow farmers adopted similar farm practices (crops and livestock) to increase income. In general, no significant difference in income was calculated from many farm enterprises for both Lead and Follow farmers. However, the income from pigs and firewood was significantly higher for Follow farmers than for Lead farmers. Lead farmers reported significantly higher off-farm income sources. Significant changes are proposed to the “Lead farmer extension approach”.
Muhammad Azher Bhatti; Sosheel Solomon Godfrey; Ryan H. L. Ip; Chipo Kachiwala; Håvard Hovdhaugen; Liveness J. Banda; Moses Limuwa; Peter C. Wynn; Tormod Ådnøy; Lars Olav Eik. Diversity of Sources of Income for Smallholder Farming Communities in Malawi: Importance for Improved Livelihood. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9599 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Azher Bhatti, Sosheel Solomon Godfrey, Ryan H. L. Ip, Chipo Kachiwala, Håvard Hovdhaugen, Liveness J. Banda, Moses Limuwa, Peter C. Wynn, Tormod Ådnøy, Lars Olav Eik. Diversity of Sources of Income for Smallholder Farming Communities in Malawi: Importance for Improved Livelihood. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (17):9599.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Azher Bhatti; Sosheel Solomon Godfrey; Ryan H. L. Ip; Chipo Kachiwala; Håvard Hovdhaugen; Liveness J. Banda; Moses Limuwa; Peter C. Wynn; Tormod Ådnøy; Lars Olav Eik. 2021. "Diversity of Sources of Income for Smallholder Farming Communities in Malawi: Importance for Improved Livelihood." Sustainability 13, no. 17: 9599.
The resilience and profitability of livestock production in many countries can be impacted by shocks, such as drought and market shifts, especially under high debt levels. For farmers to remain profitable through such uncertainty, there is a need to understand and predict a farming business’s ability to withstand and recover from such shocks. This research demonstrates the use of biophysical modelling linked with copula and Monte Carlo simulation techniques to predict the risks faced by a typical wool and meat lamb enterprise in South-Eastern Australia, given the financial impacts of different debt levels on a farming business’s profitability and growth in net wealth. The study tested five starting gearing scenarios, i.e., debt to equity (D:E) ratios to define a farm’s financial risk profiles, given weather and price variations over time. Farms with higher gearing are increasingly worse off, highlighting the implications of debt accumulating over time due to drought shocks. In addition to business risk, financial risk should be included in the analyses and planning of farm production to identify optimal management strategies better. The methods described in this paper enable the extension of production simulation to include the farmer’s management information to determine financial risk profiles and guide decision making for improved business resilience.
Sosheel Godfrey; Thomas Nordblom; Ryan Ip; Susan Robertson; Timothy Hutchings; Karl Behrendt. Drought Shocks and Gearing Impacts on the Profitability of Sheep Farming. Agriculture 2021, 11, 366 .
AMA StyleSosheel Godfrey, Thomas Nordblom, Ryan Ip, Susan Robertson, Timothy Hutchings, Karl Behrendt. Drought Shocks and Gearing Impacts on the Profitability of Sheep Farming. Agriculture. 2021; 11 (4):366.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSosheel Godfrey; Thomas Nordblom; Ryan Ip; Susan Robertson; Timothy Hutchings; Karl Behrendt. 2021. "Drought Shocks and Gearing Impacts on the Profitability of Sheep Farming." Agriculture 11, no. 4: 366.
Although Norway is the largest sheep meat producer in Scandinavia and Norwegian Muslims are expected to double in population in the next decade, the overall local per capita red meat consumption is still low. Meanwhile, Norwegian Muslims’ purchasing preferences on lamb meat products have not been investigated. This paper presents the results of a choice-based conjoint survey which would help stakeholders to understand the niche Muslim immigrant halal meat market and potentially increase meat consumption. Post-hoc market segmentation was performed using latent class analysis, and factors affecting consumers’ purchase intentions were studied within each segment. Results show that purchasing halal meat from a butcher was the top preference while there was a higher willingness to purchase from national supermarkets among younger second-generation Pakistanis. In order to benefit from niche halal meat market, Norwegian supermarkets are recommended to adapt some of the services that halal butchers are offering to their consumers.
Muhammad Azher Bhatti; Sosheel Solomon Godfrey; Ryan H. L. Ip; Mari Øvrum Gaarder; Shakar Aslam; Geir Steinheim; Peter Wynn; David L. Hopkins; Reinert Horneland; Lars Olav Eik; Tormod Ådnøy. An exploratory study of Muslim consumers’ halal meat purchasing intentions in Norway. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 2020, 70, 61 -70.
AMA StyleMuhammad Azher Bhatti, Sosheel Solomon Godfrey, Ryan H. L. Ip, Mari Øvrum Gaarder, Shakar Aslam, Geir Steinheim, Peter Wynn, David L. Hopkins, Reinert Horneland, Lars Olav Eik, Tormod Ådnøy. An exploratory study of Muslim consumers’ halal meat purchasing intentions in Norway. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. 2020; 70 (1):61-70.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Azher Bhatti; Sosheel Solomon Godfrey; Ryan H. L. Ip; Mari Øvrum Gaarder; Shakar Aslam; Geir Steinheim; Peter Wynn; David L. Hopkins; Reinert Horneland; Lars Olav Eik; Tormod Ådnøy. 2020. "An exploratory study of Muslim consumers’ halal meat purchasing intentions in Norway." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 70, no. 1: 61-70.
The agriculture sector in Pakistan, as in most developing countries, is dominated by smallholder producers. Pakistan has the world’s third largest dairy industry, and milk is efficiently collected and distributed chiefly by informal value chains that market the raw product with minimal cool chain infrastructure. Formal processors have a small market share of 5%. Interview data from farmers, milk collectors and consumers from three rural-urban case study value chains were analysed to study opportunities and challenges faced by the dairy industry. Compositional analysis of milk samples (n=84) collected along these chains identified the fact that in Pakistan informal milk chains provide a cheaper source of calories for the final consumer than industrialised milk chains (USD 0.12 compared USD 0.15 per 100 calories). These three chains created an estimated 4,872 jobs from farm to market and provided access to interest-free credit for the farmers. The existing government price setting mechanism at the retail end and collusion by large processors to set farm gate prices provided significant limitations to the profitability of small-holder farms providing the product. The absence of quality and quantity standards, amid the exchange of huge numbers of small volumes of milk along these chains, are major impediments to industry growth.
Sosheel S. Godfrey; Gavin C. Ramsay; Karl Behrendt; Peter C. Wynn; Thomas L. Nordblom; Naveed Aslam. Analysis of agribusiness value chains servicing small-holder dairy farming communities in Punjab, Pakistan: three case studies. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 2019, 22, 119 -136.
AMA StyleSosheel S. Godfrey, Gavin C. Ramsay, Karl Behrendt, Peter C. Wynn, Thomas L. Nordblom, Naveed Aslam. Analysis of agribusiness value chains servicing small-holder dairy farming communities in Punjab, Pakistan: three case studies. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. 2019; 22 (1):119-136.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSosheel S. Godfrey; Gavin C. Ramsay; Karl Behrendt; Peter C. Wynn; Thomas L. Nordblom; Naveed Aslam. 2019. "Analysis of agribusiness value chains servicing small-holder dairy farming communities in Punjab, Pakistan: three case studies." International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 22, no. 1: 119-136.