Maize is one of the major five staple cereal crops in Ethiopia. High productivity and efficacy in its production is critical to improve food security, reduce the level of poverty and achieve or maintain agricultural growth. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 385 household heads and interviewed using a structured questionnaire during 2013/2014 production year. The study estimates, technical, allocative and economic efficiency using a parametric stochastic frontier production function (Cobb-Douglas). Inefficiency effects are modeled in a second stage applying a two-limit Tobit regression model. The results show that the mean technical, allocative and economic efficiency score was found to be 62.3, 57.1 and 39%, respectively, indicating a substantial level of inefficiency in maize production. The result depicted that important factors that affected technical, allocative and economic efficiency are a number of family size, level of education, extension service, cooperative membership, farm size, livestock holding and use of mobile. Based on the findings the following recommendations are forwarded. The government should motivate and mobilize the youth in agricultural activities, invest in the provision of basic education and facilitate the necessary materials, strengthen the existing agricultural extension system, organize non-member farmers in cooperative association and due attention should be given to enhance the efficiency of farmers with large land holding size. Further, government and stakeholders should promote the expansion of mobile networking in the study area.

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The sugar industry in Swaziland is the highest contributor to the government treasury through taxation, social services and trade. The sugar industry also plays a crucial role in the Swaziland’s economy by influencing economic growth and employment. Given the role of the Swaziland’s sugar industry, it is therefore important to understand the influencing factors of the Swaziland sugar exports volumes to its major trading partners. The study objective was to analyze the factors determining sugar export from Swaziland to her trading partners using a gravity model approach. The study used panel dataset for the period 2001 to 2013. The results showed that Swaziland’s GDP, importer’s GDP, importer’s land area and official common language had significant positive effects on Swaziland’s sugar exports. The study further revealed that the creation of COMESA and EU trading blocs had significant positive effects on the Swaziland’s sugar exports. This implies that the above-mentioned factors have contributed to the sugar trade flows increase during the time period under study. On the other hand, importer’s population, Swaziland openness and distance between Swaziland and her trading partner’s capital cities had a significant negative effect on Swaziland’s sugar export flows. It is therefore recommended that policies that lead to the exceptional advancement of the Swaziland and importer’s economy should be promoted which will have an effects on the Swaziland GDP and importer’s GDP. Trading with less self-sufficient, neighbouring countries and deepening the economic integration processes enhances Swaziland sugar exports flows.

Low land productivity due to soil erosion is one of the biggest challenges to improving the performance of the agriculture sector in Uganda. Several soil erosion control technologies are recommended for use by farmers, but there have been claims that adoption of such technologies is still low. Therefore, this study aimed at determining factors that influence the incidence and intensity of technology adoption. A survey was conducted in Bukwo and Kween districts, which are located on the slopes of Mt. Elgon in eastern Uganda. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and double hurdle models. The findings revealed that on average, the incidence of technology adoption is appreciably high and the intensity of use is moderately high. Nonetheless, a considerable percentage of farmers are using the technologies on small scale. We note that technology adoption can be further increased by increases in: access to extension services, amount of land owned, and diversity of farm tools owned by farmers. However, some farmers are not well endowed with regard to the agricultural assets and services alluded to. Thus, we recommend support to farmers by both Government and non-Government actors in line with the factors identified as potential catalysts of adoption of soil erosion control technologies.

<p>To address the problem of high rural poverty and food insecurity, government and international donors have funded on-farm plantation forestry projects as one of the tools for improving the welfare of rural communities. In the wake of climate change, on-farm plantation forestry has evolved to include carbon forestry, with the dual purpose of sequestering carbon and improving rural livelihoods. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence regarding whether and under what conditions on-farm plantation forestry can deliver favorable livelihood outcomes.</p>Therefore, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and endogenous switching regression models were used to estimate the average treatment effects of adopting eucalyptus and carbon forestry woodlots (under the planvivo system) on consumption expenditure per adult equivalent and daily calorie acquisition per adult equivalent. PSM and switching regression results consistently indicated that adoption of eucalyptus woodlots increased consumption expenditure by 32 and 28.3% respectively. PSM and switching regression results also indicated that adoption of eucalyptus woodlots increased calorie acquisition per adult equivalent by 36 and 13.1% respectively. Results also indicated that adoption of carbon forestry increased calorie acquisition per adult equivalent by between 22 and 26.9% but the impact on consumption expenditure per adult equivalent was mixed. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that adoption of on-farm eucalyptus woodlots is an important pathway for smallholder farmers to escape poverty and improve food security. Similarly, adoption of carbon forestry woodlots under the planvivo system can improve food security. However, previous on-farm plantation forestry projects were not well targeted to the poor households.