Page 50 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES: THEORY AND PRACTICE, V.81, # 2, 2024, pp. 30-59

This implies women play a critical role in agricultural production in Cameroon. This
is consistent with the findings of Tambi et al (2017) who revealed that rural
households headed by women with physical capital and farm financial management
skills empowerment were more likely to be more productive and food secure. This is
also in line with the Nyako (2013) who revealed that the gains against hunger in
developing countries within 1970–1995 years were due to the improvement of
women’s situation within the society during that period. Sharaunga et al (2016) also
ascertains that, to achieve agricultural development, empowerment which enhances
human capital should be added to the investment in production techniques and
technology because information and knowledge are prerequisites for farmers to adopt
technology, access input, change ways of doing things and market their produce. The
effect of agricultural financing which is positive and insignificant in the 2SLS, has a
positive and significant effect on agricultural production at 10% level of significance
in the control function model. A unit increase in agricultural financing will lead to a
45% increase in crop yield. This finding corroborates with Agnes et al (1995). This is
also in line with expectation as agricultural finance from the both governmental and
nongovernmental organisations is expected to boost the resources required as inputs
to improve on crop yield and also reduce the working capital constraints to adopting
new inputs for the farm.

In the relation to socioeconomic status, it is observed that households that are non-
poor have a negative effect on agricultural production. This is insignificant with the
2SLS and significant at 10% with the control function model which demonstrates that
non poor households will decrease agricultural production by 56%. The finding is
similar to Budlender (2010). This also confirms with a priori expectations since the
socio economic status shows the relative standards of living of various household and
as such reveal that the poor who have less access to basic necessities will be mostly
involved in agriculture rather than the wealthy with better living standards and access
to the basic necessities of life. In relation to formal agricultural training, the results of
both models reveal that training which may be agricultural workshops; on the field
training; and training by agricultural organisations, have a significant and positive
effect on agricultural production in Cameroon. This is in line with a priori expectations
as this training includes skills to improve productivity, increase adaptability to deal
with change and crisis, and facilitate the diversification of livelihoods to manage risks.
The training in new sets of skills which can be applied to farming is therefore an
important source of support to agricultural development.

50