Many smallholder farmers, particularly those in developing countries do not practice mechanisation such as the use of tractor due to some plethora of issues among which include: lack of demand, problematic supply model and failed mechanisation programmes. Based on the problems associated with smallholder mechanisation and the roles lack of demand played in past mechanisation programmes, this research investigated the characteristics and the challenges of tractor service providers, as well as the analyses of the current demand trends by the sampled smallholder farmers for tractor services, while forecasting the future demand in Delta and Benue States of Nigeria. The study employed a snowball sampling technique to collect field survey data from 20 private tractor service providers (SMEs) and 6 government tractor service providers in four local government areas of Delta and Benue States. Descriptive statistics, weighted mean score and trend analyses were used to interpret the result. The study finds that tractor services provide employment for rural dweller, particularly male; use less of household labour and the majority of those involved own only a tractor.  Among the different challenges such as the inability of smallholders to pay a high price, long distance to get mechanic, and the high cost of maintenance/high cost of the spare part; too few qualified tractor mechanics is ranked the most severe challenge. While both SMEs and government tractor service providers face some common challenges, poor maintenance and corruption predominates government tractor services. There has been a constant increase in the demand for tractor services by the smallholder farmers from 2013 to 2016 and the demand is forecast to continue. Based on the different challenges associated with the provision of tractor services to the smallholder, it was suggested that the government should support market driver tractor service provision

The operations of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) to rural household income in Eastern Cape

Tractorization is crucial in the agricultural transformation of societies with either large farm size or challenged by a severe labor shortage. However, most smallholder farmers still lag in its use, making it necessary to investigate current tractor use by smallholders. This study investigated the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ decision to use tractors in the Delta and Benue States of Nigeria. Specifically, it determined the current level of mechanization (tractor use) in the farming system, estimated the contributions of tractor use among smallholder farmers, and determined the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ tractor use decisions in the study area. Multistage sampling techniques were used to collect data from 280 respondents. Descriptive statistics, a logistic model and odds ratio (OR) constituted the analytical framework. The results showed that poor tractor use still exists among smallholder farmers, with as much as 72% of farmers not using tractor in this modern era. The study revealed that the mean income of tractor users was twice as high as that of non-tractor users. The OR result revealed that educational status, household labor, farming experience, alternative occupation, and farm area under cultivation influenced the decision of the smallholder to use tractor services. It would seem that lack of utilizing the benefits of tractorization is a crucial constraint that calls attention to the need for a holistic campaign among the farming population. The practical applications of family labor are likely to remain high.

All foods have local origins, but their commercialization and global acceptance remain challenging. Agricultural commercialization involves producing agricultural products for financial gain and market purposes beyond family consumption. Indigenous foods have vast societal benefits, including cultural, employment, medicinal, food security-related, nutritional, and financial. However, indigenous food consumption and demand are constantly declining because exotic foods are replacing them, despite recent campaigns for their increased commercialization. The study investigates the challenges associated with indigenous food commercialization, possible pathways to commercialization, and the role of the government in commercializing indigenous food. It offers a hypothesized structure and essential blueprint for sustainable indigenous food (crop) commercialization. The methodology involved a review of the literature using various search engines, scholarly sites, and print books, combining quantitative and qualitative research. Scaling indigenous food for sustainable commercialization beyond dependency on the wild product takes specific steps, including domestication, certification, and effective government-private collaboration. Policies to improve the sustainability of indigenous food are urgently required to save them from extinction and meet future demand. Many indigenous foods are hindered by low-status perception, poor value addition, inadequate knowledge of their potential, lack of market penetration, and global acceptability challenges. Indigenous food commercialization lacks a holistic and systematic approach involving careful planning, procedural steps, and an aggressive market-spreading mechanism for global adoption. An excellent strategic relationship between government and stakeholders is a prerequisite for indigenous food commercialization, but the onus is on the government to commit to indigenous food commercialization programs.

Entrepreneurial orientation is vital to growth and development, but lacking in many small-scale enterprises. This study investigated growth and entrepreneurial orientation in the small-scale poultry subsector of Delta State, Nigeria. It also ascertained the drivers of poultry entrepreneurial orientation in the study area. A multistage sampling procedure was used to collect primary data from 180 poultry farmers, through a questionnaire. A four-point Likert scale of five items was used to measure entrepreneurial orientation from innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including gross margins, an autoregressive lag model, and logistic regression. The majority (57.7%) of the farmers are female. The small-scale poultry entrepreneurs had an orientation that was above average. The autoregressive lag model result indicated an increase in stock size and gross margins of poultry enterprises. It was forecast that the growth trend would increase up to 2022. Furthermore, the ANOVA result was statistically significant at 0.002*** and 0.001*** for stock size and gross margins, respectively. Years of experience and training in poultry farming and noninvolvement of entrepreneurs in other occupations influence their entrepreneurial orientation. Poultriy entrepreneurs must be trained while they adopt poultry farming as their principal occupation.