Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 15 ISSUE 4
Written by Chigozirim Ndubuisi ONWUSIRIBE, Chinedu Daniel NWOGU

This study evaluated the level of progress in QC adoption of cassava flour based enterprises in Abia State. A random sampling technique was employed in the selection of 90 enterprises from the study area. Descriptive statistics and inferential (probit and Z-test) were used in analyzing the data collected through well structured questionnaires. About 82% of the cassava flour based enterprise’ users adopted quality control measures in the manufacture of their products while 16% did not. The use of photographic aids, use of standard descriptions, system quality assurance and good manufacturing practices constituted 11%, 45%, 22% and 22% respectively of the quality control measures adopted by the enterprises. Level of education, qualified personnel and profit positively influenced the choice of quality control adoption at 1%, 10% and 5% significant levels respectively while cost of operation and government policies negatively influenced the choice of quality control adoption at 1% significant levels respectively. Result of the Z-test analysis reveals that there is a distinct difference between the mean incomes of cassava flour based enterprises who adopted quality control measures and those who did not. This study recommended that the Quality control regulatory bodies should be empowered to enforce the adoption of these measures among relevant enterprises; Government should support the growth of these enterprises by the supply of important machineries and equipment at subsidized rates; A synergy among firms on improving their level of QC utilization is recommended.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 14 ISSUE 3
Written by Mamdouh Abbas HELMY, E. M. KHALIFA, A. M. OKSHA, A. W. ELHADDAD

The proposed approach in the present study is to employ a mirror augmented PV solar panel to track the sun and reflect rays on to the PV panel. Its performance was compared with same PV module without reflector under the same environmental conditions. The mirror augmented solar PV panel tracked sun from East to West along the daytime in Winter 2011 with tilt angle0.523 rad (30 deg) for panel and 0.122 rad (7deg) for mirror which are estimated by experiment. The average energy output values of 1.11 and 0.95 kWh/day were recorded for panel with and without mirror, respectively. The average daily .panel values of 12.6 and 11.02 % were recorded for panel with and without mirror, respectively. The increase percentages in the output of panel and discharge differs with the solar radiation along daytime. The application of mirror is an efficient and an effective way to enhance the performance of solar photovoltaic pumping system with the same panel area.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 17 ISSUE 4
Written by Mohammad Hossein MENHAJ, Mohammad Sadegh ALLAHYARI, Mohammad KAZEMI

Rural guide project (RGP) is the first systemic and comprehensive national effort to spatially organize the villages. It is a major tool for the management of rural development. In this respect, the present study aimed to explore the impact of RGPs on the improvement of rural settlements in Southern Khaveh District of Delfan County, Lorestan Province, Iran. So, we applied comparative-casual methodology so that the villages where an RGP has been implemented were compared to those where no RGP has been implemented in terms of rural house indicators. The main data collection tool was a self-designed questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of academic professors in Guilan Province and the experts of Housing Foundation of Lorestan Province. The reliability of the questionnaire was estimated by Cronbach’s alpha at 0.84. Data were analysed in SPSS19 Software Package by descriptive statistics (tables of frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney U test). The results shows that RGP had a significant impact on the variables of strengthening, material quality, allocation of parking space, building beautifying, bathroom construction, inclusion of commercial space in the building, energy conservation, construction of houses with multiple floors, availability of civil engineers and experts, partitioning of building internal space, building ventilation, hygienic disposal of sewage, and internal space exposure to light. But, its effect was statistically insignificant on the use of novel material, the use of local material, and availability of hygienic drinking water. Also, it was revealed that in villages with an RGP, the highest satisfaction was found to be with the variables of village development, the transformation in village construction status, and the villagers’ comfort and welfare. Also, the least satisfaction was with the variables of employment improvement and more investment on village.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 18 ISSUE 3
Written by Ojimgba ONWUCHEKWA, Onyejiji OGECHI VICTORIA

The effect of some indigenous trees on earthworm activities and physical properties of an ultisol were studied at Umudike, Nigeria. These studies were carried out under some indigenous tree canopies namely: cacao, breadfruit, avocado pear and mango, and were compared with the soils of their open adjacent sites, ten meters away at different soil depths (0-15 cm and 15 – 30 cm). Generally, soils under tree canopies at various soil depths had lower bulk density, higher total porosity, and water stable aggregates than the adjacent sites. Example, the soils under cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) canopy had significantly higher values of total porosity, water stable aggregate and lower values of bulk density than the soils under mango, avocado pear and bread fruit and their adjacent sites. Mango tree gave the least values at various soil depths. Also, soils under tree canopies gave significantly (P = 0.05) higher values of earthworm population and casts than those of their adjacent sites at various soil depths, for instance at 0 – 15cm soil depth, cacao (14.00 and 9.00) gave significantly higher mean values of earthworm population and casts than mango (5.00 and 2.33), breadfruit (9.67 and 6.00) and avocado pear (8.00 and 4.00) per M2, respectively. They were in the following significant decreasing magnitude: cacao > Breadfruit > avocado > mango. Mango gave significantly (P = 0.05) the least mean values of earthworm population and casts’.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 14 ISSUE 4
Written by Tarek FOUDA, Shimaa SALAH

This work was carried to investigate the characterization of orange fruits under using applications of nutrition minerals and one application of growth substance on physical properties of orange fruits at private farm in wadi el-netron, ELbehari governorate, Egypt during winter 2011to predict maturity stage of orange fruits . The physical properties including aspect ratio(AR), Area of flat surface(Af), Area of transverse surface (At), Arithmetic diameter (Da), Density (ρ), Geometric diameter (Dg), surface area (Sa), sphericity, Volume (V) and weight and the results revealed that, the high increasing percentage of orange fruits were considered as follows 9.24, 17.08, 22.65, 9.70, 27.16, 9.70, 20.45, 6.38, 24.07 and 28.84 %

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 18 ISSUE 3
Written by Abiona Grace BOLAJI, Ajayi OLAYEMI

The study determine the effect of welfare scheme on employee’s job satisfaction in Cocoa and Forest Research Institute of Nigeria, Southwest, Nigeria. Three hundred and twenty five employees were selected through simple random sampling techniques with the use of interviewed guide. Data collected were analysed using different statistical tools. Results revealed that the mean age of the employees was 38years, more than half (56.4%) of the employees were male, 32.9% and 52.1% were married. The result also revealed major welfare services as flexibility of work schedule (

Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 18 ISSUE 4
Written by Ojimgba ONWUCHEKWA

The effectiveness of soil amendments in restoring the chemical properties of soils subjected to different intensities of erosion in S.E Nigeria was studied in the field. The experiment was arranged as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design. The main plot treatments were the four erosion levels viz, E1 (slightly eroded with average annual soil loss of 3.28 t/ha/yr), E2 (slightly eroded with average annual soil loss of 3.96 t/ha/yr), E3 (eroded with average annual soil loss of 46 t/ha/yr) and E4 (severely eroded, with average annual soil loss of 147 t/ha/yr). The sub-plot treatments were: control (no amendment), inorganic fertilizer, NPK (F), poultry manure (PM), rice shavings mixed with poultry manure (RS+PM), rice shavings mixed with fertilizer (RS+F) and rice shavings alone (RS). Poultry manure (PM) alone and RS + PM significantly increased the soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, exchangeable bases and cation exchange capacity. Generally, organic residues proved superior to inorganic fertilizers in restoring the chemical properties of the eroded soils. However, PM restored the chemical properties of the eroded (E2) and severely eroded (E3) soils to the level obtained in the very slightly eroded soil (E1).

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 18 ISSUE 1
Written by Similoluwa ADEWOLE, Akinwunmi OMEYE

The study examined the effects of finance on cassava value chain actors in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria. Primary data was collected through the aid of structured questionnaire and interview format. Ninety four respondents were interviewed from the study area, consisting of farmers, processors and marketers of cassava and cassava products. Descriptive, financial and regression analysis was carried out on the data collected. Results showed that the majority of the respondents were aged between 36 and 45 years and were married. It also revealed that men are more involved in cassava cultivation and processing while women are more involved in marketing of cassava products. Findings also revealed that cassava value chain actors had some formal education. Fifty Nine (59%) percent of respondents interviewed had no access to formal credit at all while 41% have access to formal credit for cassava farming. Also, 86% of respondents interviewed farmed cassava with their own capital alone while 14% respondents farm using credit from various sources. Inadequate access to credit, high interest rate and fragmentation of farm holdings accounted for this. It also revealed that 45% have access to credit through micro finance banks, 32.5% through farmers union and 22.5% through “aajo” (Daily contribution). The regression result indicated an R² value of 0.988 for farmers, 0.959 for marketers and 0.967 for processors. It was revealed that the major factors that influence the level of profitability of the respondents in the study area are age, level of education, years of experience, access to capital while source of capital and technology used by processor increased the level of profitability.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 16 ISSUE 3
Written by Joseph ONWUMERE, Chinonso Henry ENE

This study is a comparative analysis of the effects of pre and post-consolidation policy in Nigerian banks on agribusiness sector performance which covered 1995-2014 periods. Secondary data from CBN annual reports and statement of accounts, CBN bulletin and National Bureau of Statistics were used for the study. The data were analyzed by the use of t-students distribution. This paper used agribusiness output, number of agribusiness entrepreneurs that accessed the credits, government credit allocation to agribusiness and value of banks' credit allocation to agribusiness as indices to determine agribusiness sector performance by comparing the pre-mergers and acquisition consolidation policy with the post-merger and acquisition consolidation policy for the period under review. Findings shown that the purposes for credit allocation among agribusiness sub-sectors in the pre and post-merger and acquisition consolidation policy in the Nigerian banking institutions were mainly for the production of crop, livestock, fishery, mixed farming and others. In the post-merger and acquisition consolidation policy era, number of agribusiness farmers that accessed the credit through Agricultural Credit Guaranteed Scheme Fund (ACGSF), government credit to agribusiness enterprises, value of banks' credit to agribusiness, agribusiness output was higher than the pre-merger and acquisition consolidation era of Nigerian banking institutions. The study concluded that consolidation policy in the Nigerian banking institutions influenced the agribusiness sector performance. It was recommended that efforts must be made by the Central Bank of Nigeria to see that such policy is sustained.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 16 ISSUE 3
Written by Onwuchekwa Raphael IHEKE, Hannah CHIKEZIE

This study analyzed the effect of tenancy status on productivity of rice farmers in Bende Local Government Area of Abia state, Nigeria. Specifically, it identified the method of land ownership/pattern, analyzed the productivity levels of the rice farmers, examined the effects of tenancy status on the productivity of rice farmers and identified the perceived constraints faced by the rice farmers. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used in selecting 60 respondents used for the study. Data collection was by use structured questionnaire administered to the respondents and data analysis was use of such statistical tools as frequency tables, percentages, means, t-test and multiple regression analysis. The result showed that majority (71.67%) of the rice farmers in the in the study area rented land for their farming activities and that 53.33% of the respondents had a productivity range of 2.1 – 3.0, with a mean productivity of 2.2. The result showed that the productivity of owner occupier farmers were significantly higher than that of their counterparts. The significant variable influencing the productivity of the farmers were age of the farmer, farming experience, labour, capital, tenancy status, farm size, planting materials and fertilizer and agrochemicals. The major constraints faced by the rice farmers were inadequate capital, high cost of inputs, poor extension/advisory series, pest attack, and limited and high cost of lan

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