Social Network Structures among Groundnut Farmers

Abstract

Purpose: Groundnut farmers in East Africa have experienced declines in production despite research and extension efforts to increase productivity. This study examined how social network structures related to acquisition of information about new seed varieties and productivity among groundnut farmers in Uganda and Kenya. Design/methodology/approach: Data came from face-to-face interviews with a sample of 491 farmers randomly selected from a larger frame purposefully selected to represent farmers who had worked with researchers and farmers who had not, and to represent both male and female farmers. We used social network analysis to visualize and interpret patterns of farmers' networks with regard to information sources, productivity supports and local group affiliations. Findings: Ugandan farmers primarily used weak ties with researchers and extension agents as sources of information. In contrast, Kenyan farmers used strong ties with close associates. For farmers in both countries weak ties were least associated with productivity. Strong ties, natural factors and farmers' own experience with new varieties were most associated with productivity. The majority of farmers had ties to local groups to strategically pool risks and access available resources. Practical implications: Visualizing farmers' social networks enables policy-makers and change agents to identify relevant social relationships that could be utilized strategically to increase the capacities of poor farming communities. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that important differences in social network structures can exist among farmers in similar geographic regions producing similar crops.

Adoption of High-Yielding Groundnut Varieties: The Sustainability of a Farmer-Led Multiplication-Dissemination Program in Eastern Uganda

“…This work complements a number of recent studies of groundnut producers in Uganda by considering the sustainability of GSP outcomes regarding adoption of HYVs over a period of 10 years following the end of the intervention [3,5,7,8,62]. Our analysis of sustainability is two-fold: (1) lasting impact on adoption levels among participants; and (2) diffusion of adoption to neighboring HHs beyond the direct scope of the project via spillover effects.…”

“…A total of eight models are estimated according to the alternative specifications, which include restricted (1, 3, 5, 7) and unrestricted (2,4,6,8) versions of models (i) (1, 2, 5, 6) and (ii) (3,4,7,8) estimated via OLS (1, 2, 3, 4) and FR (5,6,7,8) (Table 4). We find the results are consistent across specifications and indicate a positive and significant impact of GSP on the adoption of HYVs by the BEN and C_IN groups relative to the pure controls denoted by C_OUT.…”

“…Lessons from previous ATU projects indicated that farmer-led seed multiplication is an effective means of promoting access to and utilization of HYVs and alternative farming practices. In addition, recent studies in Uganda have demonstrated the effectiveness of farmer networks in fostering technology innovation and the adoption of HYVs [7,8,72].…”

“…To address this low productivity, Ugandan plant breeders have become well-known for the development of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of groundnut that exhibit disease and drought resistance [2]. Furthermore, recent studies of smallholders in Uganda have demonstrated the benefits of adopting groundnut HYVs [3][4][5][6], and how farmer networks can help to facilitate adoption [7,8]. This pattern of results begs the question: have efforts to promote HYVs led to increased adoption?…”

Assessing the effect of farmers practices on the severity of groundnut rosette virus disease in Uganda

“…The high levels of GRVD in Jinja could therefore be partially attributed to the low utilization of improved varieties within the region compared to the Northern and Eastern regions of Uganda. It has recently been reported that farmers in Eastern Uganda are more likely to acquire information regarding research outputs from external sources as compared to those in Busoga region where Jinja district is located (Thuo et al, 2014). The existence of a known hotspot for rosette in this zone, Nakabango, compounded with the use of landraces could exacerbate GRVD severity in the area.…”