IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/osf/thesis/2bmzr.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Analysing the social network of technology and information transfer for maize sheller service providers in Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Chikutuma, Mutsvandiani

Abstract

Smallholder farmers and their households in Zimbabwe depend on maize as a staple food and source of income. despite the high demand for maize production, there is little service provision particularly shelling on post-harvest technologies. Therefore, service providers for maize shelling are suggested to have a strong social network with customers and other service providers for demand creation. The aim of the project was to understand the business approaches of the service providers and their performances, using SNA to track the use of shellers for service provision and the associated information network in Domboshava and Makonde districts, Zimbabwe. SNA through interviews were used to assess the demand for shelling through customer and non-customer characteristics, to identify demand creation approaches and to analyze how the communication network differs between service providers. There was a variation in total earnings on average Makonde service providers with more earnings than in Domboshava. Service providers obtained the customers based on trust from the community. Total earnings increased with increasing number of customers (p<0.001), higher degree centrality and shelling capacity for both districts. Network density was higher in Domboshava than in Makonde district indicating more frequent contacts in Domboshava. Despite the earnings, most of the service providers operated below full capacity due to the low maize production caused by drought and the late availability of shelling services to the farmers. The service providers that achieved higher turnovers, tended to have shelling machines with higher capacities compared to those operating with small shelling capacities. Service providers started their business in 2016 season and little promotion had been made amongst farmers for shellers’ awareness campaign. There is more urgent need for promotion and business development and upgrading of shelling capacities to boost business performance. Identification of central actors such as the agricultural extension officers is vital in the social network for dissemination of information for high uptake of services.

Suggested Citation

  • Chikutuma, Mutsvandiani, 2019. "Analysing the social network of technology and information transfer for maize sheller service providers in Zimbabwe," Thesis Commons 2bmzr, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:thesis:2bmzr
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/2bmzr
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://osf.io/download/5dd072f03fa23b000a56952e/
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.31219/osf.io/2bmzr?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diao, Xinshen & Silver, Jed & Takeshima, Hiroyuki, 2016. "Agricultural mechanization and agricultural transformation:," IFPRI discussion papers 1527, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Hermans, Frans & Sartas, Murat & van Schagen, Boudy & van Asten, Piet & Schut, Marc, 2017. "Social network analysis of multi-stakeholder platforms in agricultural research for development: Opportunities and constraints for innovation and scaling," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21.
    3. Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Pandolfelli, Lauren, 2010. "Promising Approaches to Address the Needs of Poor Female Farmers: Resources, Constraints, and Interventions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 581-592, April.
    4. Magnan, Nicholas & Spielman, David J. & Lybbert, Travis J. & Gulati, Kajal, 2013. "Leveling with Friends: Social Networks and Indian Farmers' Demand for Agricultural Custom Hire Services," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150711, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Moussa, Bokar & Otoo, Miriam & Fulton, Joan R. & Lowenberg-DeBoer, James, 2009. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Alternative Extension Methods: Triple-Bag Storage of Cowpeas by Small-Scale Farmers in West Africa," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49448, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Magnan, Nicholas & Spielman, David J. & Lybbert, Travis J. & Gulati, Kajal, 2013. "Leveling with friends: Social networks and indian farmers’ demand for agricultural custom hire services:," IFPRI discussion papers 1302, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele & Muricho, Geoffrey, 2011. "Agricultural Technology, Crop Income, and Poverty Alleviation in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1784-1795.
    8. Benin, Samuel & Johnson, Michael E. & Abokyi, Emmanuel & Ahorbo, Gerald & Jimah, Kipo & Nasser, Gamel & Owusu, Victor & Taabazuing, Joe & Tenga, Albert, 2013. "Revisiting agricultural input and farm support subsidies in Africa: The case of Ghana’s mechanization, fertilizer, block farms, and marketing programs:," IFPRI discussion papers 1300, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Jonathan Isham, 2002. "The Effect of Social Capital on Fertiliser Adoption: Evidence from Rural Tanzania," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 11(1), pages 39-60, March.
    10. Kirstie Cadger & Andrews K. Quaicoo & Evans Dawoe & Marney E. Isaac, 2016. "Development Interventions and Agriculture Adaptation: A Social Network Analysis of Farmer Knowledge Transfer in Ghana," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-14, July.
    11. Polson, Rudulph A. & Spencer, Dunstan S. C., 1991. "The technology adoption process in subsistence agriculture: The case of cassava in Southwestern Nigeria," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 65-78.
    12. Collier, Paul & Dercon, Stefan, 2014. "African Agriculture in 50Years: Smallholders in a Rapidly Changing World?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 92-101.
    13. Adesina, Akinwumi A. & Baidu-Forson, Jojo, 1995. "Farmers' perceptions and adoption of new agricultural technology: evidence from analysis in Burkina Faso and Guinea, West Africa," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Magnan, Nicholas & Spielman, David J. & Gulati, Kajal, 2013. "Female social networks and learning about a new technology in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150688, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Magnan, Nicholas & Spielman, David J. & Gulati, Kajal & Lybbert, Travis J., 2015. "Information networks among women and men and the demand for an agricultural technology in India:," IFPRI discussion papers 1411, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Omotuyole Isiaka Ambali & Francisco Jose Areal & Nikolaos Georgantzis, 2021. "Improved Rice Technology Adoption: The Role of Spatially-Dependent Risk Preference," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-13, July.
    4. Fredrick Bagamba & Proscovia R. Ntakyo & Geoffrey Otim & David J. Spielman & Bjorn Van Campenhout, 2023. "Policy and performance in Uganda's seed sector: Opportunities and challenges," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(3), May.
    5. Alobo Loison, Sarah & Hillbom, Ellen, 2020. "Regional evidence of smallholder-based growth in Zambia’s livestock sector," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    6. Bryan, Elizabeth & Behrman, Julia A., 2013. "Community–based adaptation to climate change: A theoretical framework, overview of key issues and discussion of gender differentiated priorities and participation," CAPRi working papers 109, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Magnan, Nicholas, 2015. "Property rights enforcement and no-till adoption in crop-livestock systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 76-83.
    8. Thomas Daum & Regina Birner, 2017. "The neglected governance challenges of agricultural mechanisation in Africa – insights from Ghana," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(5), pages 959-979, October.
    9. Ma, Xingliang & Spielman, David J. & Nazli, Hina & Zambrano, Patricia & Zaidi, Fatima & Kouser, Shahzad, 2014. "The role of social networks in an imperfect market for agricultural technology products: Evidence on Bt cotton adoption in Pakistan," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 175276, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Hailemariam Teklewold & Menale Kassie & Bekele Shiferaw, 2013. "Adoption of Multiple Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Rural Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 597-623, September.
    11. Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia, 2019. "Information exchange links, knowledge exposure, and adoption of agricultural technologies in northern Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 94-106.
    12. Carolyn Afolami & Abiodun Obayelu & Ignatius Vaughan, 2015. "Welfare impact of adoption of improved cassava varieties by rural households in South Western Nigeria," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-17, December.
    13. Varshney, Deepak & Joshi, P.K. & Roy, Devesh & Kumar, Anjani, 2021. "Understanding the Adoption of Modern Cultivars in India: Adoption probability and use intensity," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 47(1), January.
    14. Ferreira Gonzaga, Jenifer & Vilpoux, Olivier François & Gomes Pereira, Matheus Wemerson, 2019. "Factors influencing technological practices in the Brazilian agrarian reform," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 150-162.
    15. Jourdain C. Lokossou & Hippolyte D. Affognon & Alphonse Singbo & Michel B. Vabi & Ayoni Ogunbayo & Paul Tanzubil & Alcade C. Segnon & Geoffrey Muricho & Haile Desmae & Hakeem Ajeigbe, 2022. "Welfare impacts of improved groundnut varieties adoption and food security implications in the semi-arid areas of West Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(3), pages 709-728, June.
    16. Slavova, Mira & Metiu , Anca, 2015. "Ritualization and the Process of Knowledge Transfer," ESSEC Working Papers WP1511, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    17. B.W., Muriithi & K., Menale & G., Diiro & M.O., Nyanganga & D., Masiga, 2021. "Micro-Economic Impact of Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Control Interventions on Farmers’ Livelihoods in Kwale County, Kenya," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315235, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Ndiritu, S. Wagura & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele, 2014. "Are there systematic gender differences in the adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices? Evidence from Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 117-127.
    19. Beatrice W. Muriithi & Kassie Menale & Gracious M. Diiro & Michael N. Okal & Daniel K. Masiga, 2023. "Effect of use of tsetse repellant collar technology on the farm performance and household welfare of small-scale livestock farmers in Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(3), pages 751-770, June.
    20. Ishika Gupta & Prakashan Chellattan Veettil & Stijn Speelman, 2020. "Caste, Social Networks and Variety Adoption," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 15(2), pages 155-183, August.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:osf:thesis:2bmzr. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: OSF (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://thesiscommons.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.