Assessing the Effect of the Shift of Rural Labor towards Non-Agricultural Sectors on Rice Cultivation in the African Environment: Evidence from Sierra Leone
The crop rice is the staple food of most Sierra Leone
with no close substitute. However, its cultivation has been on its last
legs over the years. The decline in the domestic rice cultivation has
had vicious socio-economic implications such as hiking consumer
prices, balance of payment dilemmas with debt burden. The objective
of this study is thus, to assess the effect of the shift of rural labour
towards non-agricultural sectors on rice cultivation. The tools utilized
for analyzing the problem under consideration involved a thorough
descriptive statistics and generalized linear model using OLS
technique. Increased rural population was established positive and
significant in affecting rice cultivation. Fertilizer utilization was
insignificant in rice cultivation. For reducing the shift of rural labor
force towards nonagricultural sectors, the government should make
the agricultural sector very lucrative.
<p>[1] N. Van Nguyen and A. Ferrero, "Meeting the challenges of global rice
production," Paddy and Water Environment, vol. 4, pp. 1-9, 2006.
[2] B. Bouman, et al., "Rice and water," Advances in Agronomy, vol. 92, pp.
187-237, 2007.
[3] S. Khan, et al., "Can irrigation be sustainable?," Agricultural Water
Management, vol. 80, pp. 87-99, 2006.
[4] M. Frei and K. Becker, "Integrated rice fish culture: Coupled
production saves resources," in Natural Resources Forum, 2005, pp.
135-143.
[5] D. Headey, "Rethinking the global food crisis: The role of trade shocks,"
Food Policy, vol. 36, pp. 136-146, 2011.
[6] K. Saito, et al., "Enhancing Rice Productivity in West Africa through
Genetic Improvement," Crop Science, vol. 52, pp. 484-493, 2012.
[7] A. Touré, et al., "Response of lowland rice to agronomic management
under different hydrological regimes in an inland valley of Ivory Coast,"
Field Crops Research, vol. 114, pp. 304-310, 2009.
[8] M. Haile, "Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in
sub-Saharan Africa," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences, vol. 360, pp. 2169-2182, 2005.
[9] Y. Jingzhong, "Left-behind children: the social price of China's
economic boom," Journal of Peasant Studies, vol. 38, pp. 613-650,
2011.
[10] B. A. Miheretu, "Causes and consequences of rural-urban migration: the
case of Woldiya town, North Ethiopia," 2011.
[11] M. Timmer, et al., "EU KLEMS Growth and Productivity Accounts:
Overview November 2007 Release," Groningen: University of
Groningen. Online at www. euklems. net/data/overview_07ii. pdf
(accessed 10th July 2009), 2007.
[12] M. P. Todaro, Urbanization, unemployment, and migration in Africa:
Theory and policy vol. 104: Population Council New York, 1997.
[13] D. Goulet, "What is a just economy in a globalized world?,"
International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 29, pp. 10-25, 2002.
[14] F. Ellis, Agricultural policies in developing countries: Cambridge
University Press, 1992.
[15] L. Sun, et al., "Incorporating Technology Diffusion, Factor Mobility
and Structural Change into Cross ‐Region Growth Regression: An
Application to China*," Journal of Regional Science, vol. 50, pp. 734-
755, 2010.
[16] M. Wen, et al., "Neighborhood effects on health among migrants and
natives in Shanghai, China," Health & Place, vol. 16, p. 452, 2010.
[17] D. Ogunmola, "Socio-Economic Injustice and Cronyism: Warlordism
and Tayloryism in the Sierra Leone Civil War," Journal of Alternative
Perspectives in the Social Sciences, 2009.
[18] J. Negin, et al., "Integrating a broader notion of food security and gender
empowerment into the African Green Revolution," Food Security, vol. 1,
pp. 351-360, 2009.
[19] K. K. Touré and D. Clavel, "Theme 1: Developing a Mixed Knowledge
Innovative System of Technical, Institutional and Traditional
Information for Capacity Building and Empowerment of Multi-
Stakeholders Networks in Rural Africa (Article and Abstract),"
Agricultural Information Worldwide, vol. 3, pp. 65-72, 2010.
[20] A. Salam, "Distortions in Incentives to Production of Major Crops in
Pakistan: 1991–2008," The Journal of International Agricultural Trade
and Development, vol. 5, pp. 185-207, 2009.</p>
<p>[1] N. Van Nguyen and A. Ferrero, "Meeting the challenges of global rice
production," Paddy and Water Environment, vol. 4, pp. 1-9, 2006.
[2] B. Bouman, et al., "Rice and water," Advances in Agronomy, vol. 92, pp.
187-237, 2007.
[3] S. Khan, et al., "Can irrigation be sustainable?," Agricultural Water
Management, vol. 80, pp. 87-99, 2006.
[4] M. Frei and K. Becker, "Integrated rice fish culture: Coupled
production saves resources," in Natural Resources Forum, 2005, pp.
135-143.
[5] D. Headey, "Rethinking the global food crisis: The role of trade shocks,"
Food Policy, vol. 36, pp. 136-146, 2011.
[6] K. Saito, et al., "Enhancing Rice Productivity in West Africa through
Genetic Improvement," Crop Science, vol. 52, pp. 484-493, 2012.
[7] A. Touré, et al., "Response of lowland rice to agronomic management
under different hydrological regimes in an inland valley of Ivory Coast,"
Field Crops Research, vol. 114, pp. 304-310, 2009.
[8] M. Haile, "Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in
sub-Saharan Africa," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences, vol. 360, pp. 2169-2182, 2005.
[9] Y. Jingzhong, "Left-behind children: the social price of China's
economic boom," Journal of Peasant Studies, vol. 38, pp. 613-650,
2011.
[10] B. A. Miheretu, "Causes and consequences of rural-urban migration: the
case of Woldiya town, North Ethiopia," 2011.
[11] M. Timmer, et al., "EU KLEMS Growth and Productivity Accounts:
Overview November 2007 Release," Groningen: University of
Groningen. Online at www. euklems. net/data/overview_07ii. pdf
(accessed 10th July 2009), 2007.
[12] M. P. Todaro, Urbanization, unemployment, and migration in Africa:
Theory and policy vol. 104: Population Council New York, 1997.
[13] D. Goulet, "What is a just economy in a globalized world?,"
International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 29, pp. 10-25, 2002.
[14] F. Ellis, Agricultural policies in developing countries: Cambridge
University Press, 1992.
[15] L. Sun, et al., "Incorporating Technology Diffusion, Factor Mobility
and Structural Change into Cross ‐Region Growth Regression: An
Application to China*," Journal of Regional Science, vol. 50, pp. 734-
755, 2010.
[16] M. Wen, et al., "Neighborhood effects on health among migrants and
natives in Shanghai, China," Health & Place, vol. 16, p. 452, 2010.
[17] D. Ogunmola, "Socio-Economic Injustice and Cronyism: Warlordism
and Tayloryism in the Sierra Leone Civil War," Journal of Alternative
Perspectives in the Social Sciences, 2009.
[18] J. Negin, et al., "Integrating a broader notion of food security and gender
empowerment into the African Green Revolution," Food Security, vol. 1,
pp. 351-360, 2009.
[19] K. K. Touré and D. Clavel, "Theme 1: Developing a Mixed Knowledge
Innovative System of Technical, Institutional and Traditional
Information for Capacity Building and Empowerment of Multi-
Stakeholders Networks in Rural Africa (Article and Abstract),"
Agricultural Information Worldwide, vol. 3, pp. 65-72, 2010.
[20] A. Salam, "Distortions in Incentives to Production of Major Crops in
Pakistan: 1991–2008," The Journal of International Agricultural Trade
and Development, vol. 5, pp. 185-207, 2009.</p>
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:49858", author = "Alhaji M. H Conteh and Xiangbin Yan and Alfred V Gborie", title = "Assessing the Effect of the Shift of Rural Labor towards Non-Agricultural Sectors on Rice Cultivation in the African Environment: Evidence from Sierra Leone", abstract = "The crop rice is the staple food of most Sierra Leone
with no close substitute. However, its cultivation has been on its last
legs over the years. The decline in the domestic rice cultivation has
had vicious socio-economic implications such as hiking consumer
prices, balance of payment dilemmas with debt burden. The objective
of this study is thus, to assess the effect of the shift of rural labour
towards non-agricultural sectors on rice cultivation. The tools utilized
for analyzing the problem under consideration involved a thorough
descriptive statistics and generalized linear model using OLS
technique. Increased rural population was established positive and
significant in affecting rice cultivation. Fertilizer utilization was
insignificant in rice cultivation. For reducing the shift of rural labor
force towards nonagricultural sectors, the government should make
the agricultural sector very lucrative.
", keywords = "Regression Model, Rice Cultivation, Rural
Migration, Sierra Leone.", volume = "7", number = "8", pages = "2205-6", }
