史瓦帝尼玉米生產原物補助計畫成效及農民滿意度評估

Effectiveness and Farmers’ Satisfaction Assessment of the Maize Input Subsidy Program in Eswatini

賈布里(Dlamini Justice Njabuliso)

指導教授 ： 洪仁杰

國立屏東科技大學/國際學院/熱帶農業暨國際合作系/碩士(2019年)

https://doi.org/10.6346/NPUST201900008

摘要

2014年史瓦帝尼農業部（前身為史瓦濟蘭）執行玉米投入補助計畫（MISP），提供50%補助該國高生產潛能區的玉米農民購買化學肥料和改良種子。為了提高糧食生產與減少主食品價格壓力，此計劃旨在改善關鍵農業投入的途徑，從而增加收入與糧食安全。由於該國玉米產量下降，但其消費量超過了產量。因此，本研究調查在土地沒有增加而每年人口增長呈上升趨勢的情況下，投入補貼計劃對於提高史瓦帝尼玉米產量和生計的成效。小農的資源貧乏，如果沒有外部介入，他們依然貧困且永遠不會使用這些投入並無法作為商業企業參與農業。因此本研究遵循以下目標:調查史瓦帝尼玉米投入補助計劃對玉米生產的影響，找出參與此計劃農民的生產力水平與農民對該計畫各方面的滿意程度，調查在計畫執行期間，受益者與推廣人員所遭遇的挑戰。本研究採用調查研究設計作為資料蒐集手法，透過問卷和訪談的方式蒐集受訪者的資料。研究樣本涵蓋400名受該計畫幫助的農民和30名農業推廣人員。描述性統計應用於數據分析中。結果顯示，玉米產量與玉米投入補貼之間存在正相關關係。施用適量的肥料和雜交種子導致玉米產量顯著增加。本研究發現投入的延遲交貨是農民的主要挑戰。研究結果表明， 若要確保該計畫的有效性，改善肥料與種子分配以及讓農民能夠長期參與仍有相當大的改善空間。

關鍵字

肥料 ； 雜交種子 ； 玉米投入補助計畫 ； 小農

並列摘要

The Maize Input Subsidy Program (MISP), administered since 2014 by the Ministry of Agriculture in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland), provides a 50 per cent subsidy for the purchase of chemical fertilizers and improved seed to maize farmers in high potential maize producing areas of the country. The program aims to improve access to and adoption of critical agricultural inputs in order to boost food production and reduce pressure on prices of food staples, thereby increasing incomes and bolstering food security. Due to the decline of maize production in the country, its’ consumption is over and above what is produced. It was therefore important for this study to investigate the effect of the input subsidy program as one of the leading means of raising maize yields and livelihood in Eswatini and given that land holdings in the country are not increasing while population
growth is on the upward trends on yearly basis. It has been established that smallholder farmers are so resource poor such that without external intervention, they will never get to use these inputs; they will remain poor and will not be able to participate in farming as a commercial enterprise. This study was guided by the following objectives; to investigate the impact of the Maize Input Subsidy program on maize production in Eswatini, to find out the level of productivity of the farmers that participated in the program, to find out the level of farmers satisfaction with regard to various aspects of the program, to investigate the major challenges encountered by the beneficiaries of the program and to investigate challenges encountered by extension officers during the program. A Survey research design was employed as the data gathering technique. The study sample constituted 400 farmers who were supported by the program and 30 agricultural extension officers. The study used questionnaires and interviews to collect data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA were applied in data analysis. The results show that there is a positive relationship between maize output and maize input subsidies. Application of right quantities of fertilizers and use of hybrid seeds led to a significant increase in maize yield and consequently maize production. The study found that late delivery of inputs was among the major challenges encountered by the farmers. The findings show that there is considerable scope for improvement in the distribution of fertilizers and seeds to ensure higher effectiveness of the program and to render farmers’ participation in the program more sustainable.

並列關鍵字

fertilizers ； hybrid seeds ； maize input subsidy program ； smallholder farmers

參考文獻

References

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