Browsing by Author "Massaquoi, Saffa Mohamed"

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AN EMPIRICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF CASSAVA PRODUCTIVITY IN SELECTED AREAS OF SOUTHERN SIERRA LEONE
(Zibeline International Publishing, 2023) Massaquoi, Saffa Mohamed
This study examined the productivity and economic analyses of the cassava production in three communities—Nyallay, Sammamie, and Sindeh sections in Bo districts, Southern Sierra Leone. The crop is processed into garri, fufu, akara, and other foods. Cassava can also be used to make flour, pellets, and chips for animal consumption, as well as biofuel and particle boards The data was gathered using a questionnaire and interview schedule that were both well organized. Descriptive statistics, financial techniques, and a multiple regression model were all employed in the data analysis. The main data came from a sample of 300 cassava growers from three regions. The collected data were evaluated using econometric regression analysis. The findings indicated that, the net farm income was Le 214,361 and the net return on investment was almost Le 258, 375. The findings of a regression analysis showed that the number of cassava cuttings, hired labor, farm size, farming experience, and age statistically substantially influenced the output of cassava in the research region. It is indicated that the availability of improved cassava cuttings in the area and farmers’ access to subsidized inputs like fertilizer. In the study it was suggested that farmers be prodded to invest in the cultivation of cassava because of its economic worth and profitability. Cassava growers should be encouraged to obtain instruction on correct agronomic practices and input usage, and inputs should be made available and at reasonable costs, especially improved types of cassava cuttings, this will increase productivity.
Assessing the Factors Affecting Smallholder Farmers’ Access to Formal Credit in Bo District, Southern Sierra Leone
(2021-08-20) Massaquoi, Saffa Mohamed
Agricultural credit plays an important role in making farming segment supplementary productive and efficient in developing economies like Sierra Leone. Increasing food production and attaining food security in Sierra Leone require timely and adequate supply of agricultural inputs including agricultural credit. It is generally recognized that credit plays a crucial role in economic development in general and agricultural development in particular. Amid other things in Sierra Leone, lack of finance is one of the major problems impeding productivity and income of smallholder farmers. Since access to formal finance is very limited, the majority of the poor are forced to search financial services through informal channels. This study is anxious with analysis of factors affecting smallholder farmers’ access to formal credit. As credit is one of the most important factors required for smallholders input utilization, it is important to have sustainable agricultural development. A two stage sampling method was employed. A total of 148 farm households were selected randomly using probability proportional to size. Descriptive statistics and logit model were used for analyzing quantitative data. The respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and results revealed that 34.5% of the samples of smallholder farmers were official credit customers, whereas the remaining 65.5% were non-customers. Respondents accessed loans to finance their farming activities in areas such as land preparation, harvesting and threshing. The results revealed that respondents derived benefits from the use of credit including purchasing inputs and use of machinery to ensure high yield, undertaking land preparation. It was concluded that even though majority of the farmers in the study area take loans, yet they faced certain challenges like late disbursement of loans, small loan sizes whilst others also complain of the interest rate being too high. The study concluded that, access to loan is not a security for higher productivity; hence borrowing may allow farmers to respond to households needs rather than input market to increase productivity. Based on the findings, farm precise factors such as education needs to be nonstop, this would enable farmers make better technical decision on how to allocate production input effectively.
EMPIRICAL ANALYSES OF FINANCIAL CREDIT ON SMALLHOLDER FARMER’S PRODUCTIVITY MODELLING FARMERS CREDIT ALLOCATION FROM RURAL BANKS IN SIERRA LEONE
(Zibeline International Publishing, 2023) Massaquoi, Saffa Mohamed
Sierra Leone has experienced an increase in farmers’ accessibility to financial credit facilities in recent time. Financial credit plays a significant role in enhancing productivity and efficiency within the agricultural sector of emerging nations, and Sierra Leone is not exempt from this trend. The present study investigates the allocation of financial credit among farmers and its impact on technical efficiency. A three-stage sampling methodology was employed to gather cross-sectional data from a sample of 500 agricultural producers in Sierra Leone. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of financial support on agricultural productivity, with the ultimate goal of enhancing economic and technical efficiency. The evaluation of the effect of allocation techniques on technical efficiency is conducted through the utilization of the random frontiers truncated-normal with the conditional average model. The present study employed the Heckman treatment effect model and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to examine the production efficiency of smallholder farmers. The study’s empirical findings indicate that the provision of financial assistance by community banks has a notable and favorable impact on the technical efficiency of farmers. Despite the presence of many constraints, farmers’ access to financial financing remains limited. This is reflected in the total technical efficiency of farmers, which was measured at 0.81 (81%). This indicates that none of the farmers were able to achieve a production threshold of 1 (100%). Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the average disparity in efficiency between individuals who borrowed and those who did not borrow was 0.09, equivalent to a 9% variation. This finding provides further evidence supporting the notion that access to financial credit has a beneficial effect on the efficiency of farmers. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in the severity of poverty and extreme poverty. Despite facing challenges such as pest and disease infestations, financial constraints, and unpredictable weather conditions, the inefficiency model demonstrated that factors such as education, membership in a farmer-based organization, experience, access to credit, and participation in a government-sponsored mass spraying program had a notable and favorable influence on efficiency scores. Hence, it is advisable to propose a policy aimed at enhancing the accessibility of financial services from community and rural banking institutions that includes every group of smallholder farmers in Sierra Leone.
Socio-Economic Analysis of Rice Postharvest System among Rice Producers in the North and South of Sierra Leone
(2021-03-27) Massaquoi, Saffa Mohamed
This study examined the socio-economic characteristic of rice farmers and post-harvest losses of rice at three different stages (harvesting, threshing and milling) at selected Agricultural Business Centers (ABCs). Multistage sampling technique was used to select 150 rice farmers’ household from major rice producing Agricultural Business Centers (ABCs) in the North and South of Sierra Leone. Results from the study showed 71% of the rice farmers cultivated between 1 and 3 hectares; 66% had farming experience of over 30 years. Ironically, 99% endured post-harvest losses, ranging from 7 to 25%, with threshing losses accounting for 25%, on per capita basis. Average income per farmer stood at Le 511,584.000 /Ha. The ordinary least squares regression estimates shows threshing losses and household sizes were significant determinants of rice farmers’ income at 1% and 5% probability level respectively, while the analysis of constraints revealed that lack of harvesting equipment constituted the main challenge to rice post-harvest loss mitigation, as affirmed by 92.50% of the respondents. The study concluded that threshing losses had adverse effect on rice farmers’ income and consequently threshing losses has a negative influence on rice farmers’ income in the study areas. Losses from this source also constituted the bulk of losses encountered by rice farmers representing average of 25% of post-harvest losses, while the lack of processing equipment hindered processing operations. It is recommended that mechanization of the postharvest activities, providing technical knowhow and access to financial resources to acquire appropriate inputs could help reduce loses in rice production.