Smallholder farmers in low-income countries face a number of challenges in animal production. Animal husbandry carries great potential in reducing poverty, hunger and gender inequality, but at the same time infectious diseases are prominent threats to farmers? livelihoods and their animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the socioeconomic impact of infectious animal diseases on Smallholder farmers in low-income countries, using African swine fever (ASF) in Uganda as an example. The study was conducted in two parts. The first part of the study was questionnaire-based and performed in Gulu district, northern Uganda.

In Kenya, many families subsist on agriculture and of the country's around 40 million residents 70% work in the agricultural sector. 50 % of the country's gross domestic production (GDP) comes from farming, and thus the country is largely dependent on income from this sector. Kenya's population has tripled in recent decades, which have led to that food availability is a growing problem. To ensure food security, it is important that the return from crops increases. The aim of this study is to evaluate what impact the use of fertilizers and improved seeds has for farmer?s economic situation and income generation.

Not available until 7 October 2015.

The objective of this study was to investigate the attitude towards African swine fever (ASF) primarily among smallholder pig farmers but also among other actors along the pork value chain in Gulu district, Uganda. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate the specific challenges facing both farmers and other members of the pork value chain using participatory epidemiology (PE). ASF is a feared viral disease of pigs associated with high mortality, which is endemic in many parts of Africa. The recent history of Gulu district in Northern Uganda can be described as turbulent and the human population has suffered during decades of war and civil unrest. Pig keeping is considered a potential opportunity for business as well as a way of providing more animal protein in the diet. However, this is threatened by ASF as farmers can lose entire herds due to the disease. This study can confirm some previously known factors and risk activities such as the free range system of pigs and movement of pigs and pork during ongoing outbreaks, which make disease control difficult.

Sudan has always showed great potential in the poultry industry, but it has not been until now that this potential has blossomed and is growing quickly. As large agribusinesses1are taking over the market shares within the urban areas, smallholders2 have been put out of business. They are not able to compete with mass production and lack financial assets to improve their production techniques. Contract farming is defined as initiatives from agro industrial companies to secure access to smallholder produce and has in developing countries become a way of allowing the poor to participate in a larger market (Farrington, 1999). The aim with this study was to investigate the suitability of implementing the contract farming concept within the poultry industry in Sudan today. The study is a qualitative field study and the authors have conducted qualitative interviews with respondents involved in the poultry industry in Sudan.

Kenya is considered to be a developing country. This means that basic needs such as nutrition are not met for an extended period of time (www, Sida 1, 2012). Approximately half of the population is living under the poverty line (www, CIA 1, 2012). Agriculture is the largest sector in the country, employing 75% of the population. These are thereby directly dependent on the sufficiency of outputs received.

Between 1750 and 1850 the population of Sweden doubled. The increase was very unequally distributed among the different social groups of the rural population. The number of peasants grew very little, while the numbers of the landless (crofters, bordars etc.) more than quadrupled. This study examines whether Christer Winberg's thesis of the landless growth can be applied to Björklinge parish in Uppland. Winberg believes that it was mainly children of tenant farmers who became landless.

On the first January 2009 the official animal welfare control were transferred from the municipalities to the County Administrative board. With this transition, some changes occurred for those who work as animal welfare inspectors. The aim for this study was to examine farmers' view on the transition between the municipalities and County Administrative board, in order to compare the two authorities. I have also studied the farmers view about animal welfare inspectors' knowledge, both theoretical and practical. The questionnaire also included questions about farmers' view on animal welfare legislation.

Sveaverken is a company who manufactures products and equipment for the modern farm enterprise within grain, pork and horse businesses. A large share of Sveaverken's turnover depends on the role as a subcontractor for Delaval within the areas ventilation, manure handling and feeding systems. Sveaverken wants to investigate the possibility to increase sales by establishing new sales channels, for example e-commerce This thesis is an analysis of the Swedish farmers use of internet, attitudes towards e-commerce and Sveaverken's interest within this area. There is also a minor economic analysis of the cost of establishing the e-commerce site. The study focuses on farmers who are potential customers to Sveaverken within Sweden. To examine the farmers opinions about internet and e-commerce a questionnaire was developed and sent out in November 2006, to 500 farmers of which 45% answered. The results show that the average age of the farmers was 42,5 years.

Changes in the environment are affecting the world market, and pressures from several stakeholders? are forcing different enterprises to adjust to the current situation. Farmers? difficult working conditions and environmental impacts of the conventional cotton production in India have been highlighted. The small-scale production that is characterising India?s cotton farmers implies an insufficient competition power.

Deregulation on the market for agricultural products leads to a more globalised market with increasing price fluctuations. This, in turn, places the farmer in positions influenced by new risks but also improved opportunities. The farmers are faced by uncertainty in terms of financial outcome. To be able to utilise these new market conditions it becomes increasingly important for farmers to continuously follow the price trend, and to develop strategies how to manage the risks exposed by a volatile market. Farmers with different conditions perceive risk in different ways. Hence, their risk management behaviour will vary.

The bank market for farmers in Sweden is dominated by Swedbank and Landshypotek. One of the most aggressive challengers is Länsförsäkringar Bank, which in 2009 had seven per cent of the Swedish bank market for farmers, but 57 per cent of all new lending. This paper deals with the problem of new banks to break into the bank market where farmers are slow in terms of change in their attitudes and loyal to their banks. The study has been carried out in cooperation with Länsförsäkringar Gävleborg which is a new actor in the banking market and thus eager to take part in the outcome of the study. This essay thus seeks to examine the attitudes farmers have against bank switching and the factors that influence their choice of bank.

Intercropping involving trees is called agroforestry and makes it possible to get higher production for every area unit. The trees can function as food, fodder, fuel, medicine; prevent mark erosion and much more. Agroforestry can also be combined with animal husbandry. The aim of this study was to document the animal production systems used by rural small-scale farmers maintaining ruminants and using agroforestry in the northern province of Rwanda. The farmers using agroforestry is expected to have higher milk yield than average due to homegrown protein. The method used during the study was semi-structural interviews with booth open and closed questions. In order to get in contact with farmers that matched the criteria; small-scaled rural farmers with ruminants and using agroforestry, the ?Vi Agroforestry Programme? (Vi-Life) in Kigali were contacted and the staff worked as supervisors, translators and contact with the farmers throughout the study. During the study nine individual farmers, two cooperatives breeding sheep and one group interview were conducted.

The EU market is being deregulated, which sees Swedish farmers that have traditionally been governed by different support systems being forced to adapt to a free market system and having to deal with the concept of supply and demand. The farming sector has during the past several years experienced harder conditions and the deregulation of the market has directly affected farmers. The need for entrepreneurs and that way of thinking has been identified (McElwee, 2006). Swedish farmers are neither familiar with a free market or being required to think in an entrepreneurial manner, does this therefore implicate that Swedish farmers are not entrepreneurs?LRF is a national farmers? organization in Sweden and functions as a support for Swedish farmers.

Different techniques for precision agriculture have been available during the last decade. Some of them are more widely used than others. The main purpose of this thesis was to investigate the different attitudes to precision agriculture that exists among farmers and advisors in Sweden. Eight advisors and sixteen farmers were asked for their opinion of a number of specific techniques for precision agriculture, such as yield-mapping, precision liming, the Yara Nitrogen Sensor and site-specific fertilization with phosphorous and potassium. They were also asked to describe the way in which the counselling in Swedish agriculture is used and also about it's importance for the adaptation of new techniques. The high costs are mentioned to be one of the most important reasons why precision agriculture hasn't been more widely spread. Several farmers refer to their farms as too small to bear the costs that come with the techniques. The individual interest for technique among the potential users plays an important role.