Browsing by Author "Sieber, Stefan"

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An economic comparison between alternative rice farming systems in Tanzania using a monte carlo simulation approach
(MDPI) Kadig, Ibrahim L.; Mutabazi, Khamaldin D.; Philip, Damas; Richardson, James W.; Bizimana, Jean-Claude; Mbungu, Winfred; Mahoo, Henry F.; Sieber, Stefan
An economic risk analysis of fertiliser microdosing and rainwater harvesting in a semi-arid farming system in Tanzania
(Taylor & Francis) Mwinuka, Lutengano; Mutabazi, Khamaldin Daud; Sieber, Stefan; Makindara, Jeremia; Bizimana, Jean-Claude
Analysis of households’ vulnerability to food insecurity and its influencing factors in East Hararghe, Ethiopia
(Springer) Sileshi, Million; Kadigi, Reuben; Mutabazi, Khamaldin; Sieber, Stefan
Analysis of households’ vulnerability to food insecurity and its influencing factors in East Hararghe, Ethiopia
(Springer, 2019) Sileshi, Million; Kadigi, Reuben; Mutabazi, Khamaldin; Sieber, Stefan
Previous studies on food insecurity in many developing countries, including Ethiopia, have mainly focused on current food insecurity, lacking the ex-ante analysis. An under- standing of household vulnerability to food insecurity is critically important to inform the formulation of policies and strategies to enhance food security and reduce vulner- ability to food insecurity among smallholder farmers. This paper analyses vulnerability to food insecurity of farming households using the vulnerability as expected poverty (VEP) approach. The paper is based on cross-section data collected from a sample of 408 households in East Hararghe, Ethiopia, selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. The factors which influenced vulnerability to food insecurity were analyzed using the Feasible General Least Squares regression model. The results of analysis indicate that vulnerability to food insecurity increased with the age of household head (P < 0.1), and family size (P < 0.01). It decreased with access to improved seeds (P < 0.01), adoption of soil and water conservation (P < 0.01), size of cultivated land (P < 0.1), and access to credits (P < 0.1). Based on the intensity of their vulnerability, households were grouped as chronic food insecure (24.27%), transient food insecure (11.77%), highly vul- nerable-food secure (18.38%), and low vulnerable-food secure (45.59%). Overall, about 54% of households were categorized as vulnerable to food insecurity. These included households who were food insecure at the time of the survey (36.02%) and those who were categorized as transient food secure group (18.38%). These findings imply that food insecurity policies and interventions in developing countries should focus not only on households that are currently food insecure, but also on those categorized as transient food insecure or households that are more likely to be food insecure in the near future.
Determinants for adoption of physical soil and water conservation measures by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia
(ScienceDirect) Sileshi, Million; Kadigi, Reuben; Mutabazi, Khamaldin; Sieber, Stefan
Determinants for adoption of physical soil and water conservation measures by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia
(ScienceDirect, 2019) Sileshi, Million; Kadigi, Reuben; Mutabazi, Khamaldin; Sieber, Stefan
Adoption rates of soil and water conservation measures remain below the expected levels in Ethiopia despite the considerable investments in reducing land degradation and improving soil fertility. This constitutes one of the key research agendas in the country. This paper underscores the need for inves- tigating the factors hindering or facilitating the adoption of soil and water conservation measures. The study results presented in this paper are based on cross-section data collected from 408 households in eastern Ethiopia, including field observations of 790 plots selected using a multi-stage sampling pro- cedure. A multivariate probit model was employed to analyse the determinants of adoption of three soil and water conservation measures (stone bund, soil bund, and bench terracing) at the plot level. The study findings reveal that household, socioeconomic, and institution characteristics were the key factors that influenced the adoption of soil bund, stone bund, and bench terracing conservation measures. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation among the three soil and water conservation measures, indicating that the adoption of these measures is interrelated. In particular, the results show that there was a positive correlation between stone bunds and soil bunds. However, the correlations between bench terracing and stone bunds as well as bench terracing and soil bunds were negative (implying substitutability). These results imply that the Government and other relevant organizations that are responsible for reducing land degradation in order to increase agricultural production should support the establishment and strengthening of local institutions to facilitate the adoption of soil and water con- servation measures.
Expert-based ex-ante assessments of potential social, ecological, and economic impacts of upgrading strategies for improving food security in rural Tanzania using the ScalA-FS approach
(Springer) Graef, Frieder; Uckert, Götz; Schindler, Jana; König, Hannes Jochen; Mbwana, Hadijah A.; Fasse, Anja; Mwinuka, Lutengano; Mahoo, Henry; Kaburire, Laurent N.; Saidia, Paul; Yustas, Yusto Mugisha; Silayo, Valerian; Makoko, Bashir; Kissoly, Luitfred; Lambert, Christine; Kimaro, Anthony; Sieber, Stefan; Hoffmann, Harry; Kahimba, Frederick C.; Mutabazi, Khamaldin D.
Impact of soil and water conservation practices on household vulnerability to food insecurity in eastern Ethiopia: endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approach
(Springer) Sileshi, Million; Kadigi, Reuben; Mutabazi, Khamaldin; Sieber, Stefan
Impact of soil and water conservation practices on household vulnerability to food insecurity in eastern Ethiopia: endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching approach
(Springer, 2019) Sileshi, Million; Kadigi, Reuben; Mutabazi, Khamaldin; Sieber, Stefan
Governmental and developmental partners invest substantial resources to reduce land and water degradation in order to upgrade agricultural productivity, thus reducing food insecurity and related vulnerability in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the impact of soil and water conservation on food insecurity outcomes would be a significant step toward improving environmental conditions, while ensuring sustainable and increased agricultural production. Therefore, this article analyzes the impact of adopting soil and water conservation on food insecurity and related vulnerability outcomes of farming households using a sample of 408 households selected using a multi-stage stratified sampling procedure from three districts in eastern Ethiopia. Vulnerability as expected poverty (three-step Feasible General Least Squares) is employed to analyze the vulnerability of sample households in the context of food insecurity. In addition, endogenous switching regressions with propensity score matching methods are combined to obtain consistent impact estimates. The study findings reveal that education and sex of household head, use of irrigation and fertilizer, source of information, and cultivated land are the main factors influencing the adoption of soil and water conservation practices. Moreover, the adoption of soil and water conservation not only positively impacts the per capita food consumption expenditure and net crop value, but it also significantly reduces the probability of farmers being food insecure, vulnerable to food insecurity, as well as being transient and chronically food insecure. Therefore, policymakers and development organizations should consider soil and water conservation as a main strategy to reduce land degradation and improve the livelihoods of the rural farm households.
Profitability of gliricidia-maize system in selected dryland areas of Dodoma region, Tanzania
(MDPI) Swamila, Martha; Philip, Damas; Akyoo, Adam Meshack; Manda, Julius; Mwinuka, Lutengano; Smethurst, Philip J.; Sieber, Stefan; Kimaro, Anthony Anderson
Profitability of gliricidia-maize system in selected dryland areas of Dodoma region, Tanzania
(MDPI, 2021-12) Swamila, Martha; Philip, Damas; Akyoo, Adam Meshack; Manda, Julius; Mwinuka, Lutengano; Smethurst, Philip J.; Sieber, Stefan; Kimaro, Anthony Anderson
Declining soil fertility and climatic extremes are among major problems for agricultural production in most dryland agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa. In response, the agroforestry tech- nology intercropping of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.)) and Maize (Zea mays L.) was developed to complement conventional soil fertility management technologies. However, diversified information on the profitability of Gliricidia-Maize intercropping system in dryland areas is scanty. Using data from the Gliricidia and maize models of the Next Generation version of the Agriculture Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM), this study estimates the profitability of the Gliricidia-Maize system relative to an unfertilized sole maize system. Results show significant heterogeneity in profitability indicators both in absolute and relative economic terms. Aggregated over a 20-year cycle, Gliricidia- Maize intercropping exhibited a higher Net Present Value (NPV = Tsh 19,238,798.43) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR = 4.27) than the unfertilized sole maize system. The NPV and BCR of the latter were Tsh 10,934,669.90 and 3.59, respectively. Moreover, the returns to labour per person day in the Gliricidia-Maize system was 1.5 times those of the unfertilized sole maize system. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the profitability of the Gliricidia-Maize system is more negatively affected by the decrease in output prices than the increase in input prices. A 30% decrease in the former leads to a decrease in NPV and BCR by 38% and 30%, respectively. Despite the higher initial costs of the agroforestry establishment, the 30% increase in input prices affects more disproportionally unfertilized sole maize than the Gliricidia-Maize system in absolute economic terms, i.e., 11.1% versus 8.8% decrease in NPV. In relative economic terms, an equal magnitude of change in input prices exerts the same effect on the unfertilized sole maize and the Gliricidia-maize systems. This result implies that the monetary benefits accrued after the first year of agroforestry establishment offset the initial investment costs. The Gliricidia-Maize intercropping technology therefore is profitable with time, and it can contribute to increased household income and food security. Helping farmers to overcome initial investment costs and manage agroforestry technologies well to generate additional benefits is critical for the successful scaling of the Gliricidia-Maize intercropping technology in dryland areas of Dodoma, Tanzania.
Reckoning the risks and rewards of fertilizer micro-dosing in a sub-humid farming system in Tanzania
(Taylor & Francis) Mwinuka, Lutengano; Mutabazi, Khamaldin Daud; Makindara, Jeremia; Sieber, Stefan
Simulated willingness of farmers to adopt fertilizer micro-dosing and rainwater harvesting technologies in semi-arid and sub-humid farming systems in Tanzania
(Springer) Mwinuka, Lutengano; Mutabazi, Khamaldin Daud; Graef, Frieder; Sieber, Stefan; Makindara, Jeremia; Kimaro, Anthony; Uckert, Götz
Sunflower Value Chain Enhancements for the Rural Economy in Tanzania: A Village Computable General Equilibrium-CGE Approach
(MDPI) Mgeni, Charles Peter; Müller, Klaus; Sieber, Stefan
Tariff impact on industrialization in Tanzania: evidence from Edible oil sub-sector
(Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development) Mgeni, Charles Peter; Müller, Klaus; Sieber, Stefan
The determinants of farmers’ choice of markets for Staple food commodities in Dodoma and Morogoro, Tanzania
(MDPI) Kangile, Rajabu Joseph; Mgeni, Charles Peter; Mpenda, Zena Theopist; Sieber, Stefan
The effect of nitrogen-fertilizer and optimal plant population on the profitability of maize plots in the Wami river sub-basin, Tanzania: a bio economic simulation approach
(Elsevier) Kadigi, Ibrahim L.; Richardson, James W.; Mutabazi, Khamaldin D.; Philip, Damas; Mourice, Sixbert K.; Mbungu, Winfred; Bizimana, Jean-Claude; Sieber, Stefan
The farm income and food security implications of adopting fertilizer micro- Dosing and tied-ridge technologies under semi-arid environments in central Tanzania
(Elservier) Habtemariam, Lemlem Teklegiorgis; Mgeni, Charles Peter; Mutabazi, Khamaldin Daud; Sieber, Stefan
The farm income and food security implications of adopting fertilizer micro- Dosing and tied-ridge technologies under semi-arid environments in central Tanzania
(Elservier, 2019) Habtemariam, Lemlem Teklegiorgis; Mgeni, Charles Peter; Mutabazi, Khamaldin Daud; Sieber, Stefan
Adopting fertilizer input and rainwater harvesting techniques play a significant role in minimizing soil nutrient deficiency and moisture stress impact, both prime causes of low crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyses the extent to which fertilizer micro-dosing (MD) and tied-ridge (TR) technologies can improve smallholder farmers’ food security and farm income. A household survey data along with on-farm trial data collected from semi-arid Tanzania is used for the analysis. The trade-off analysis for multi-dimensional impact assessment model (TOA-MD) is applied for the income and food security impact assessment. The on-farm trial shows a yield increase ranging from 10 to 300 percent for millet, and between 60 and 400 percent for sunflower. The TOA-MD analysis shows that between 52 and 79 percent of farms could be positively influenced to adopt the technologies. The increase in mean net return per farm ranges between 186 and 305 PPP USD. Adoption of the technologies would decrease the percentage of food insecure farmers between 1.8 and 7.1 percent. The study concludes that the technologies have the potential to improve yield and farm income for many farmers. However, these technologies alone would not bring significant change in terms of reducing poverty and food insecurity.