An assessment of the factors affecting farm record keeping among small scale farmers in Zambia's Chibombo District

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Date
2012
Authors
Mulanda, Stephen M.
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Publisher
University of Zambia
Abstract
Record keeping is an important practice in the farm of business and the farm business is not an exception. Proper record keeping on the farm can help bring rationalization and increase profits.This research was aimed at assessing the factors affecting farm record keeping; to do this a probit model was used to determine the significance of each of the independent variables. This was done in STATA. A number of descriptive statistics was also generated to describe the characteristics of the target population.A cross section research design was used, i.e. data was collected at one point in time in Chibombo district of the central province of Zambia. The research found out that farm record keeping is dependent on; Farming experience (p=0.000), farming experience was found to be positively related to record keeping, this implies that, the more experience a farmer has the more likely it is that a farmer will keep records.Farm size (p=0.000),Farm size was found to be directly related to record keeping; the larger the farm size the more likely it is that the farmer will keep records. Crop income (p=0.003), Crop income was found to be directly related to record keeping; the larger the crop the more likely it is that the farmer will keep records; marital status of the household head (p=0.081),Marital status of the household head was found to be negatively associated to farm record keeping; compared to single parent headed married household heads were more likely to keep records, this sums up because married household head may need to keep records as production decisions in the household are not made independently .Education level of the household head {p=0.068),The influence of education on record keeping was found to be positive, this was as expected, as more educated household heads are able to read, write and comprehend the importance of record keeping in the farm business and hence are more likely to keep records. Age of the household head (p=0.070). It also showed that farm record keeping does not depend on the receipt of government subsidies and on total household assets. The study therefore recommends that the level of education of the farmers should be improved, this enables farmers to read and write, government also should encourage the youth to engage in agricultural production as young people in this research have been found to be more likely to keep records.Finding ways of increasing the income of farmers is one important variable that can help increase record keeping among small scale farmers. The government can do so by encouraging farmers to sell their products, i.e. developing a proper marketing system.Finally this research recommends that regular training should be conducted in order to improve record keeping practice in the long run, this will enable farmers appreciate the importance of record keeping in bringing rationalization and improving profits in the farm business.
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Student Project Report
Keywords
Farm Management-Zambia , Agriculture-Accounting
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