Does Participation in Farmer Field School Extension Program Improve Crop Yields? Evidence from Smallholder Tea Production Systems in Kenya
محورهای موضوعی : Farming Systems
جسیاه آتکا
1
(
گروه اقتصاد کشاورزی، دانشگاه کشاورزی و فناوری جومو کنیتا
)
پپرز اونونو
2
(
دانشگاه کنیا، گروه اقتصاد کاربردی، نایروبی، کنیا
)
مارتین اتیانگ
3
(
گروه تئوری اقتصادی، دانشگاه کنیا، نایروبی، کنیا
)
کلید واژه: propensity score matching, FFS extension, train and visit, tea productivity, demand–driven extension services, self-selection endogeneity,
چکیده مقاله :
Agricultural Extension services are among the most important rural services in developing countries. The services are considered to be a key driver of technological change and productivity growth in agriculture. In Kenya, like in the rest of the developing economies, agricultural extension has largely been delivered through supply–driven approaches. Due to perceived low impact of agricultural extension, the country is implementing the National Extension Policy (NEP) which advocates for demand–driven extension and participation of other players. Using the case of the smallholder tea sub-sector, this paper examines the effects the FFS extension on tea crop yields in Kenya. The FFS system uses participatory approaches including the demonstration of best sustainable practices in the farms and farmers learn by doing. Data for the study was collected from a sample of 525 farm households in Western Kenya using a multi stage random sampling procedure and analyzed using the propensity score matching (PSM) model which controls for self-selection endogeneity. The results show that participation in FFS extension increases annual tea yields by an average of 471.70 kgs per acre (p = 0.009) while the farmer–funded train and visit system has no influence on crop yields. A part from showing the contribution of FFS to crop yields, the paper demonstrates that the supply–driven extension models including T&V are necessary to stimulate demand in the initial stages of implementing the FFS models. Based on the findings, investments to enhance FFS access among smallholder farmers are recommended.
خدمات ترویج کشاورزی جزو مهمترین خدمات روستایی در کشورهای درحال‌توسعه هستند. این خدمات ازجمله عوامل اصلی تغییر فناوری و رشد بهره‌وری کشاورزی به شمار می‌روند. در کنیا همچون بقیة اقتصادهای درحال‌توسعه، خدمات کشاورزی عمدتاً ازطریق رویکردهای مبتنی بر عرضه ارائه می‌شوند. با توجه به تأثیر به‌ظاهر اندک خدمات کشاورزی، این کشور در حال اجرای سیاست ملی ترویج (NEP) است که براساس ترویج مبتنی بر تقاضا و مشارکت سایر بازیگران استوار است. در این مقاله با تمرکز بر زیربخش تولید چای توسط کشاورزان خرده‌پا به بررسی اثر ترویج FFS بر عملکرد گیاه چای در کنیا می‌پردازیم. در نظام FFS از رویکردهای مشارکتی مانند نمایش بهترین شیوه‌های پایدار در مزارع و یادگیری عملی کشاورزان استفاده می‌شود. داده‌های مطالعه‌ای از نمونه‌ای متشکل از 525 خانوار کشاورز در غرب کنیا که ازطریق نمونه‌گیری تصادفی چندمرحله‌ای انتخاب شده بودند، جمع‌آوری شدند و با استفاده از مدل همسان‌سازی براساس نمرات گرایش (PSM) که درون‌زایی خودانتخابی را کنترل می‌کند، تحلیل شدند. نتایج نشان داد که مشارکت در ترویج FFS باعث شد که عملکرد سالیانة چای به طور متوسط 70/471 کیلوگرم در ایکر افزایش یابد (p = 0.009) درحالی‌که نظام آموزشی و بازدید به هزینة خود کشاورز تأثیری بر عملکرد محصول نداشت. در کنار اینکه نشان می‌دهیم FSS در افزایش عملکرد گیاه نقش دارد، این مقاله نشان می‌دهد که مدل‌های ترویج مبتنی بر عرضه ازجمله T&V برای تشویق تقاضا در مراحل اولیة اجرای مدل‌های FFS ضروری‌اند. براساس یافته‌ها، توصیه می‌شود روی افزایش دسترسی FFS در میان کشاورزان خرده‌پا سرمایه‌گذاری بشود.
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