Browsing by Author "Kipaka, Jelle Msenga"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Factors influencing the utilization of animal traction technology: the case of Sasakawa global 2000 in ufipa plateau Rukwa region Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2000) Kipaka, Jelle Msenga
Smallholder farming is the important sector of agricultural production in Tanzania. The economic contribution from smallholder farmers remains highly significant for the development of the national economy. About 80% of smallholder farmers in Tanzania use human and animal traction technology in the production of their food and meeting income needs. Despite animal traction technology being a viable option for increasing land and labour productivity, its utilization among smallholder farmers has remained low. With particular reference to the SG 2000 agricultural project in the Ufipa Plateau of Rukwa, Tanzania, the study was conducted to determine factors influencing the utilization of animal traction technology among smallholder farmers in purposively selected villages. A cross-sectional design that employees survey methods was used for this study. A simple random sample of ninety eight respondents was picked with the aid of the table of random numbers. Data was collected using structured interview schedules during the months of March to June, 1999. Data were analysed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences Personal Computer (SPSS-PC). To determine the extent and the factors influencing utilization of animal traction technology, descriptive and inferential statistics (the frequencies and chi-square test for significance) were employed. The findings from the analysis show that the utilization of animal traction technology in the primary farm operations and for transportation among the SG 2000 participants and non-participants were high (over 90 percent) than in the secondary farm operations. However, utilization levels were slightly higher among the SG 2000 participants than non-participants. On average, SG 2000 participants farmers had high utilization levels of animal traction technology in the secondary farm operations than non-participants. This was due to the fact that the respondents participating in the SG 2000 had large farms, received training on animal traction technology and had more access to credits than non-participants. The major factors identified as influencing the utilization of animal traction technology in the secondary farm operations were gender, participation in the SG 2000 animal traction technology training programme, type of crops grown, labour availability, use of fertilizers and accessibility to extension services. The study concludes by saying that there is a need for a more diversified utilization of animal traction technology to ensure maximum utilization of the technology in order to enhance labour use efficiency and to increase crop productivity. Recommendations for improved utilization of animal traction technology include careful targeting of training to specific groups of smallholder farmers in equal proportion of both men and women, expansion of the existing animal traction credit in the study area and elsewhere and training of both adopters and non-adopters of the technology for more efficient and diversified utilization of animal traction technology.