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Beef cattle farmers are in an ideal position to advance their income through marketing; however, the subsector is characterized by low market participation. Wealth preservation and prestige from cattle accumulation outweigh market incentives, thereby jeopardizing the integration of farmers into organized market systems. Therefore, the study was set to examine the determinants of farmers’ sales decisions in cattle marketing. Understanding determinants of sales decisions is an indispensable base for establishing sustainable development policy frameworks that maximize rural economic growth. Descriptive statistics and a double-hurdle model were applied on cross-sectional data collected from 397 farmers through personal interviews aided by a structured questionnaire. Herd size (74.1%), ecological zone (32.4%), slaughters (22.1%), pregnant cows (18.2%), experience (15.0%) and breed type (11.4%) revealed statistically significant effects on the probability of market participation. The key determinants of the level of market participation (p < 0.01) included extension, married marital status, pasture availability, cows, heifers, market distance, market information and market channel 2 (individual). Education, experience, non-farm income, expenses and laborers were significant at p < 0.05. Widowed marital status and market channel 1 (processor) were found to be significant at p < 0.1. Extension adjustments and institutionalization of market linkages are recommended to assist farmers in increasing marketable surplus.

Poverty and hunger reduction are intertwined challenges and enduring issues in the world, particularly in developing countries. Improvement in the effi ciency in vegetable farming helps the farmers increase the per capita income, reduce poverty and eventually improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers. Th is paper evaluates economic effi ciency of vegetable farms in Nepal using a non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. Th e results show evidence to suggest that vegetable farms in Nepal have a considerable potential for improving the vegetable production effi ciency with a greater access to improved seed, agricultural credit, and training and extension services. Some policies options with regard to the vegetable production technology, and support services for farmers in general and women farmers in particular, are suggested to increase the farm effi ciency. While some of these support services are currently available, we suggest that a more focus be given to creating the improved market access, to the women focused extension, and to training packages for the sustainable production. Th ese support services can lead to increases in the farm income and to reduce poverty.

This article examines the adoption of new-generation modern rice varieties (MRVs) and their impact on family welfare among rural farm households in central Nepal. Using cross-sectional data from 416 farm households and the Heckman’s sample selection model, this article finds a positive and significant impact of MRVs on farm income; distance to market and off-farm work exert a negative effect on farm income. The likelihood of adoption is mainly explained by age and education of the household head, access to extension services, seed access and acceptability of the rice grain to consumers. The results further reveal that farm size and land type have significant and positive influences on the adoption of MRVs. Designing mechanisms to help promote MRVs’ adoption among poorer households by developing new varieties suited for rain-fed areas may be a reasonable policy instrument to increase farm incomes. The results of this study suggest that because of the difficulties and costs of transportation and travel to distant markets, availability of seed in local retail outlets will benefit the farmers. To reduce transaction costs, farmers need to be linked to markets by a wide seed distribution network. Integrating farmers with potential buyers may increase profitability in agriculture and its subsequent impacts on rural farmers’ food security and general livelihood.