Browsing by Author "Mahonge, Christopher P."
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Item Climate change effects and perceived sustainability of adaptive capacity resources among smallholder farmers in Manyoni District, Tanzania(Researchgate, 2018) Shirima, Andrew Omari; Mahonge, Christopher P.; Chingonikaya, Emanuel E.This paper assessed climate change future effects and determined the perception of sustainability of adaptive capacity resources among smallholder farmers in Manyoni District, Tanzania. The paper adopted a cross-sectional study design. A multistage sampling was used to select four wards randomly from which two villages were randomly selected in each ward to make a total of eight villages. Using simple random sampling guided by lottery method, 30 respondents were selected from each village. The specific objectives were to identify the future climate change effects; to determine the perceived sustainability of adaptive capacity resources and to analyse the weights of perceived sustainability resources. Data collection was done through a household questionnaire survey, focus group discussion and key informant interviews. Descriptive analysis was used for analysis using SPSS. Kruskal-Wallis Test was performed to test the perception of adaptive capacity resources in relation to age. It was found that the expected future effects are: fall of grain production, acute water shortage, washing away of fertile soil, reduced motivation to cultivating, increased food insecurity and soil erosion. Furthermore, 60.4% of the smallholder farmers were found to have low perception on the sustainability of adaptive capacity resources. Based on the findings the study concludes that climate change will pose more serious effects in the future as indicated by the majority who perceive sustainability of their adaptive capacity resources to be low being more worried of these effects. Furthermore, the study concludes that, the critical adaptive capacity resources are governance and human capital. The study recommends that smallholder farmers in collaboration with the District Agricultural Department devise proactive measures to address the anticipated effects. Similarly, smallholder farmers and the local government should set plans to strengthen a more sustainable access to and use of adaptive capacity resources.Item Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards local chicken genetic resource conservation: insights from farmers in Igunga district, Tanzania(College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), 2022-07) Kapella, Lazaro E.; Nyanda, Suzana S.; Mahonge, Christopher P.There is a growing interest in understanding farmers’ awareness of the loss of local chicken (LC) genetic resources. Many studies on farmers’ behaviour change have concentrated more on LC productivity rather than conservation. The extent to which farmers are aware of the loss of LC c is unclear. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Igunga District in Tabora Region to assess the farmers’ knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) level towards LC genetic resource conservation. Data were collected using a survey (n=384), focus group discussions (n=10) and key informants’ interviews (n=8). Content and descriptive statistical analyses were done using Atlasi.ti Version 7.5.7 and IBM SPSS version 25 computer software respectively. The index scale was computed to gauge the overall farmers’ knowledge, attitude and practice respectively. The findings show that; the majority of the farmers had an overall moderate knowledge (50.8%), neutral attitude (71.1%) and fair practice (54.4%). The findings indicated a significant association between knowledge and practice (p < 0.05) while a lack of association was found between attitude and practice (p > 0.05). Free-range production system, indiscriminate crossbreeding, inadequate supplementary feeding and feed quality, lack of performance records and limited veterinary inputs and services were reported as obstacles to attaining LC genetic resources conservation. The study recommends that the government collaborate with the development partners in fostering farmers’ KAP towards LC genetic resource conservation. It is for this reason that both knowledge and attitude as building blocks of practice should be increased through training and awareness campaigns focused on LC genetic resource conservation. To this end, it is vital to involve the community to attain sustainable LC genetic resource conservation in the study areas.Item The role of formal and informal institutions in land management in the Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro, Tanzania(Springer, 2023) Malisa, Emmanuel Timothy; Mattee, Amon Z.; Mahonge, Christopher P.Land degradation has remained a challenge in the Uluguru Mountains in spite of efforts by various actors to address the problem. Cognizant of the role institutions can play in land management, the paper analysed formal and informal institu- tions for land management with a focus on their role in governing land management in the Uluguru Mountains. Data were collected through participatory rural appraisal, focus group discussions and structured interviews. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. The primary education system, village environmental management committees and village extension system, as well as knowledge transfer from elders to the younger generation, labour pooling (ubava), traditional dances and farmer groups’ networks enhance land manage- ment. Blood sucking belief (umachinja) and a tendency to envy a person making good progress (katsopata) constrained land management. Land tenure system, belief in supernatural powers and religious institutions played both enhancing and constraining roles. The study affirms that institutions influence perceptions, preferences, behaviours and action. It contrasts with the rational choice thinking, which sees behaviour as only following an individualistic rational calculus independent of institutional setting. Through designed and spontaneous change, some institutions have become more relevant for land management. It is crucial that land management interventions take into consideration the existing institutional landscape.Item Role of Heifer In-Trust schemes in Smallholder Household’s Well-Being in Semi-Arid Region of Shinyanga, Tanzania(RJSSM, 2015) Msangya, Msangya. L; Urassa, Justin K.; Mahonge, Christopher P.Livestock-In-Kind Credit schemes has been used all-over the world to help the rural poor invest and save. Investment in livestock enables the rural poor to overcome shocks/risks and alleviate poverty. The Heifer in-Trust Schemes (HIS) was initiated in Shinyanga Region (semi-arid) to help reduce food and income insecurity of smallholder households. However, there exists an information gap on the schemes role to the beneficiaries’ well-being. As such, this study aimed at determining the role of heifer-in-trust schemes in smallholder household’s wellbeing. It adopted a cross-sectional research design. Data from 202 randomly selected HIS beneficiaries were collected using a structured questionnaire. In addition, five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to supplement the data collected through the questionnaire. Results showed that the dairy enterprise was the major source of food and income. Results further show that households’ food security increased in terms of the number and diversity of meals taken per day and income increased from milk and animal sales. It is concluded that investing in dairy farming is vital for smallholder households’ well-being.