Factors influencing the utilization of animal traction technology: the case of Sasakawa global 2000 in ufipa plateau Rukwa region Tanzania
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Date
2000
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
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.
Description
Master's Theses
Keywords
Animal traction technology, Utilization-animal traction technology, Sasakawa global 2000, Ufipa plateau Rukwa region, Tanzania