Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi

Due to rapid population growth, agri-food systems have been under increasing pressure to adapt and innovate to sustainably meet the growing demand for food. This requires advances in agricultural practices, technology and distribution networks. Farmer training has been proven to be a crucial compone...

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Main Authors: Kangogo, E., Otieno, David Jakinda, Okello, J.J., Mwenye, O., Kapalasa, E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Frontiers Media 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168922
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author Kangogo, E.
Otieno, David Jakinda
Okello, J.J.
Mwenye, O.
Kapalasa, E.
author_browse Kangogo, E.
Kapalasa, E.
Mwenye, O.
Okello, J.J.
Otieno, David Jakinda
author_facet Kangogo, E.
Otieno, David Jakinda
Okello, J.J.
Mwenye, O.
Kapalasa, E.
author_sort Kangogo, E.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Due to rapid population growth, agri-food systems have been under increasing pressure to adapt and innovate to sustainably meet the growing demand for food. This requires advances in agricultural practices, technology and distribution networks. Farmer training has been proven to be a crucial component in this transformative process. Equipping farmers with the necessary knowledge and skills becomes paramount to optimize agricultural productivity while also improving their coping with the effects of climate change. This study applied the difference-in-difference method with inverse probability-weighted regression to analyze the impact of farmer training on potato yield. Results showed that 40% of farmers who received training interventions were members of farmer groups and had more farming experience compared to the control group. Additionally, the annual crop enterprise revenue for training participants was USD 255 compared to USD 134 for the control group. Results also showed that potato farmers who participated in positive selection training reported an increase in yield by 14%. On average, training participants were able to increase their potato yield by 1.33 tons per acre. These findings demonstrate the importance of providing targeted training and specific skills in order to enhance farm output. Furthermore, improving access to credit and supporting effective participation in farmer groups would increase farm yields.
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spelling CGSpace1689222025-12-08T10:29:22Z Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi Kangogo, E. Otieno, David Jakinda Okello, J.J. Mwenye, O. Kapalasa, E. seed potatoes yields cultivar selection Due to rapid population growth, agri-food systems have been under increasing pressure to adapt and innovate to sustainably meet the growing demand for food. This requires advances in agricultural practices, technology and distribution networks. Farmer training has been proven to be a crucial component in this transformative process. Equipping farmers with the necessary knowledge and skills becomes paramount to optimize agricultural productivity while also improving their coping with the effects of climate change. This study applied the difference-in-difference method with inverse probability-weighted regression to analyze the impact of farmer training on potato yield. Results showed that 40% of farmers who received training interventions were members of farmer groups and had more farming experience compared to the control group. Additionally, the annual crop enterprise revenue for training participants was USD 255 compared to USD 134 for the control group. Results also showed that potato farmers who participated in positive selection training reported an increase in yield by 14%. On average, training participants were able to increase their potato yield by 1.33 tons per acre. These findings demonstrate the importance of providing targeted training and specific skills in order to enhance farm output. Furthermore, improving access to credit and supporting effective participation in farmer groups would increase farm yields. 2024-12-19 2025-01-13T19:06:17Z 2025-01-13T19:06:17Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168922 en Open Access Frontiers Media Kangogo, E.; Otieno, D.J.; Okello, J.; Mwenye, O.; Kapalasa, E. 2024. Impact of farmer training on potato yield: a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. ISSN 2571-581X. 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1496064
spellingShingle seed potatoes
yields
cultivar selection
Kangogo, E.
Otieno, David Jakinda
Okello, J.J.
Mwenye, O.
Kapalasa, E.
Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi
title Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi
title_full Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi
title_fullStr Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi
title_short Impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in Malawi
title_sort impact of farmer training on potato yield a case of smallholder potato farmers in malawi
topic seed potatoes
yields
cultivar selection
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168922
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