Browsing by Author "Sitima, Florence W."

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Dynamics and Trends of National Food Reserve Agency Maize Price and Local Maize Market Price: Empirical Evidence from Sumbawanga Market
(Tanzania Institute of Accountancy, 2023-06) Sitima, Florence W.; Mduma, John K.
The general objective of this study is to analyse spatial maize price transmission and market integration in Tanzania with Rukwa Region as the case study. Thus, the study intended to assess dynamics and trends of National Food Reserve Agency maize price and local market maize price between Sumbawanga (the surplus market) and other selected deficit markets from 2008-2017. Monthly maize price data came from the National Bureau of Statistics and National Food Reserve Agency purchase books price records in Rukwa Region. The Vector Autoregressive (VAR) Model, granger causality and impulse response methods were used. Results indicated that National Food Reserve Agency’s price granger caused local market maize price per ton and not otherwise. Impulse Response Functions indicated that the National Food Reserve price per ton had positive transitory and permanent impact on local maize market price per ton. The government should set enough money for more and timely National Food Reserve Agency grain reserves purchase; remove export bans; and improve communication, transport, marketing and storage facilities in surplus areas.
Socio-Economic Determinants for Maize Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption of Purdue Improved Crop Storage in Mbozi District, Tanzania
(TIA, 2019-06) Akyoo, Elimeleck P.; Sitima, Florence W.
Post-harvest handling technologies like Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags are so effective in reducing post-harvest losses and improve food security. Despite the potential of PICS bags in reducing post-harvest losses, the adoption of PICS bags is still low and a good fraction of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) farmers continue to practice their traditional methods. The current study aimed at exploring socio-economic determinants of maize smallholder farmers’ adoption of PICS bags in Mbozi District. The data on which the paper is based were collected from four villages of Mbozi District using a mixed research approach. A cross-sectional research design was adopted whereby data were collected at once. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire with 120 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling. Qualitative data were collected using Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and Key Informants Interviews (KIIs) and analysed using content analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS), whereby descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, standard deviation, and percentages were determined. In addition, a binary logistic regression model was used to determine association of some key socio-economic factors and adoption of Purdue Crop Storage (PICS) bags., The results from the logistic regression show that, gender of the household head, education of the household head, maize farming experience of the household head, access of the household to credit, and access of the household head to training on PICS were found to be important predictors of household adoption of PICS (p < 0.05). Therefore, the paper recommends that, the Local Government and other stakeholders should train smallholder farmers on PICS and creates awareness in order to help to increase understanding of PICS bags among more maize farmers. There is a need for more advocacy initiatives by stakeholders on subsidizing the costs of PICS bags in order to improve the adoption of PICS bags by farmers.