Purpose: Pervasive use of poor quality seed remains an important reason for low yields throughout the developing world. We explore ways to increase the quality of the local stock of seed tubers among a sample of Ugandan potato farmers. Design/methodology/approach: Using videos, we provide agricultural extension information on (i) how to select the…

Mushroom production is a small-scale business unit in rural areas. The Life Long Learning for Farmers (L3F) Programme aims to enhance the socio-economic conditions for them, increasing their access to and use of knowledge and technology. This study evaluates the outcomes of the L3F Programme at the community level. Data were collected through a…

Purpose: This study assessed the quality of participation in farmer learning video (FLV) production by examining opportunities for actors' participation and the extent of incorporation of their interests. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study research design was used through focus group discussions and interviews held with 5 key…

Purpose: The present descriptive-analytical study aimed to rank the barriers of the application of the value chain in the context of rural entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: The statistical population was composed of 125 entrepreneurs from the provinces of Tehran, Hamedan, and Golestan, Iran. Data were analyzed by the TOPSIS technique.…

Purpose: New approaches to extension service delivery are needed that stimulate increased agricultural production, contribute to collective action and which also foster the emergence of agricultural innovation systems. Research in Peru and Mexico explores some of these new approaches. Design/methodology/approach: In both countries, a qualitative…

Rwanda, a small country in Africa, has experienced declines in per capita food production. Fish culture is one part of a many-stranded effort to increase food production and food security by intensifying the use of land resources to produce a much-needed protein crop. Beginning in 1983, the Rwanda National Fish Culture Project has assisted farmers…

The underlying theme of this paper is the relevance of the "package program" approach for the development of peasant agriculture in Southern Africa, particularly where there are livestock and population pressures with a declining soil fertility situation. In Rhodesia, full-time short literacy courses were held in June and July 1970, as a…

The basic philosophy of agricultural extension was established in the more highly developed countries over the past century. Newly formed nations, the rural population of which formerly maintained a subsistence agriculture with limited industry, found it essential to establish a better-balanced economy. This led to a variety of rural services and…

Discussion of the Nigerian government's efforts to improve agricultural productivity focuses on the role of rural libraries. Highlights include the neglect of libraries, the need for functional education for farmers, the role of library services, libraries as distributors of extension materials, and suggestions for improvements. (LRW)

Intended as a key to current work in agriculture in Yemen, this bibliography cites more than 520 resources produced since 1963 including monographs, journal articles, theses and dissertations, conference papers, case studies, reports, proposals, surveys, bibliographies, and United Nations publications. Foreign language materials in German, French,…

The objectives of the state-of-the-art paper, second in a series on farming systems research (FSR) in the Third World, are to: (1) review the literature on farming systems; (2) evaluate farming systems research in international institutes and in national agricultural research systems in the Third World; and (3) recommend what can be done to…

The FFHC/AD (Freedom From Hunger Campaign/Action for Development) is the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) link with peoples' organizations in the world's poor and rich countries. During its 18 years of activities, FFHC/AD has channelled additional funds collected by private financing agencies in the industrialized countries to rural…

Although women are a crucial element in national rural development, their role continues to be neglected in plans and programs for change--especially in Third World countries. In addition to the burden faced by rural people generally in developing countries, women carry a double burden because of their low social status, high illiteracy rate, lack…

Extension services to women in rural Botswana, particularly emphasized since the women's extension program began in 1975, must take into account constraints faced by female farmers, as past development processes have concentrated on male perceptions of concern (the beef industry, modernizing the economy). In Botswana, agriculture has traditionally…

This manual, developed for use by Peace Corps volunteers, attempts to help development counselors to understand the needs of remote-area groups and to provide for those needs through effective self-help projects. The projects covered are those that can solve most effectively, on the village level, the most pressing problems. The manual is written…