Social-Economic Factors Influencing Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Productivity among Smallholders Growers in Tanzania-Case of Same District

Type Journal Article - Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development
Title Social-Economic Factors Influencing Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Productivity among Smallholders Growers in Tanzania-Case of Same District
Author(s)
Volume 8
Issue 8
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2017
Page numbers 12-29
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the social economic factors influencing ginger productivity among smallholders
growers. A cross sectional research design was adopted; the sample size of 251 respondents was obtained
through purposive and non-purposive sampling techniques. The study used both quantitative and qualitative
methods for data analysis. Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel software were used to
analyze the data. The data revealed that the factors included in the model explain the variation obtained in ginger
yield with determination coefficients R2 (adjusted) indicates that 78.3% of the variation in ginger yield obtained
by farmers is explained by the variable included in the estimated model. Generally It can thus be concluded that
farmer’s education level, the use of fertilizer, land size under ginger production and frequency of contacting
extension services had significant contribution to ginger farming and hence productivity. It is recommended that
to expand extension services to ensure that smallholder ginger farmers have access to high-yielding ginger seed
varieties and improved farm inputs, storage and marketing facilities and encourage ginger farmers to increase
land under cultivation. Smallholder farmers own small parcels of land but still cultivate only small portions of it.
Smallholder farmers need to be assisted to expand the area under cultivation. This may help transform the
current farming system from smallholder farming to larger scale. Hence, it is important to create public
awareness on the potential for the ginger crop to contribute to the household income by using labor saving
technologies and improved varieties.

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