23.01.2014 Views

Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

headed household were more likely to get assistance on input use and crop marketing than maleheaded<br />

households (see Table 169).<br />

Main source of information on different topics<br />

<strong>In</strong> addition to questions about extension services, respondents were asked to identify their<br />

main source of information on various agricultural topics.<br />

Seed When asked about their sources of information on seeds and different varieties, 40<br />

percent cited friends and family and just 25 percent cited the extension service. It should be<br />

recalled, however, that these friends and family may have been originally informed by an extension<br />

agent. Cooperatives and GVs are more important in Atacora, Borgou, and Zou, but only in Borgou<br />

are they the most frequently cited source of information on seed. Traders are a negligible source of<br />

information on seed except in Mono, where they are cited by 30 percent of the households. This<br />

may be related to the high proportion of farmers growing vegetables in Mono (see Table 4.1.170).<br />

Female-headed households rely on friends and family for information on seeds to a much greater<br />

extent than male-headed households. This is probably linked to the fact that female-headed<br />

households have little contact with extension agents (see Table 4.1.171).<br />

Fertilizer and pest control When asked about sources of information on fertilizer use, the<br />

extension services and GVs are mentioned by 61 percent of the households. Again, GVs are the<br />

most important source of information in Atacora, Borgou, and Zou, while the extension service is<br />

the main source in Atlantique and Ouémé. Traders are a significant source of information on<br />

fertilizer only in Mono (see Table 4.1.172). <strong>On</strong>ce again, female-headed households rely more on<br />

friends and family and less on the extension service than do male-headed households.<br />

Regarding sources of information on pests and weed control, the responses were similar to those<br />

concerning fertilizer (see Table 4.1.173).<br />

Crop production methods When asked about sources of information on crop production<br />

methods, the most common response was, somewhat surprisingly, friends and family. Thirty-eight<br />

percent of the households cited friends and family as the main source of information, compared to<br />

29 percent mentioning the extension service and 16 percent GVs. As above, GVs are only<br />

important in the main cotton growing departments: Atacora, Borgou, and Zou (see Table 4.1.174).<br />

101

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!