Browsing by Author "Urassa, Justin"

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Contribution of Malawi’s decentralized agricultural extension service system to farmers’ maize productivity
(Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2022) Mphepo, P. J.; Urassa, Justin
Agricultural extension plays a critical role in the agricultural sector’s development and sustainability of farmers’ productivity and well-being. Malawi has consistently been reforming its agricultural extension services to increase accessibility by farmers. However, smallholder farmers’ productivity remains low. Therefore, the study on which the paper is based, aimed at examining the contribution of Malawi’s decentralized agricultural extension system (DAESS) to households’ maize productivity. Specifically, the study aimed at determining how farmers’ access to agricultural extension services, factors associated with their maize productivity and lastly, farmers’ satisfaction with Malawi’s DAESS. The study adopted the cross-sectional research design whereby a structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 150 smallholder maize farmers in Mangochi district, Malawi. In addition, supplementary data were collected from 10 focus group discussions involving 6 – 8 participants and from nine (9) key informant interviews. IBM-SPPS was used to determine descriptive and inferential statistics. Regression analysis was run to determine how access to extension services is associated with maize productivity. Farmers’ satisfaction with DAESS was measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Study findings show that farmers’ access to extension services was positively and significantly (p<0.001) associated with maize productivity and that 73.3% of smallholder farmers expressed a high level of satisfaction with the services provided. It is concluded that access and number of visits to extension services raise farmers’ maize productivity. It is also concluded that most smallholder farmers in Mangochi district were satisfied with the extension services they received. Therefore, it is recommended that the government of Malawi should continue with the implementation and improvement of the DAESS and use of the lead farmer approach to expand access to quality agricultural extension services by smallholder farmers.
Determinants of conflicts coping strategies among farmers and pastoralists in Kilosa and Kiteto districts, Tanzania
(Rural Planning Journal, 2018) Saruni, Parit; Urassa, Justin; Kajembe, George
Natural resource use conflict is a global issue. In sub-Saharan Africa, such conflicts can be extreme; even resulting into deaths of individuals. There is a plethora of literature exploring the causes and effects of such conflicts. The study explored farmers-pastoralists coping strategies to natural resource use conflicts and determinants of these strategies. To answer the above objectives, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with stakeholders in Kilosa and Kiteto Districts in Tanzania to establish the understanding of the issue and its local context. A stratified random sample of pastoralists (n=143) and farmers (n=230) was selected to quantify responses to conflict. The finding show that conflicts were quite extreme and included cases of physical violence including setting fire on the farms. Those affected were forced to buy food or rely on relatives and wider social networks (including local government) to provide practical support. Emotional support from relatives and social networks and from religious organisations was also important. Male-headed, larger, and younger households were more likely to use coping strategies (p <0.05) than female-headed, smaller, and older households. Also, land ownership is likely to increase the use of strategies for coping with conflicts among households. Therefore, it is recommended that people in the areas affected by conflicts should be encouraged to own land, have proper land planning and use in order to minimize natural resource use conflicts among actors especially farmers and pastoralists. Additionally, the design of rules and regulations should be informed by the actual coping strategies adopted by farmers and pastoralists.