https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/348 2026-04-22T17:09:00Z https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/4030 Title: Impact of agricultural biotechnology on banana production by small scale farmers: the case Murara area in Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe Authors: Mandirahwe, Cephas Abstract: Agricultural biotechnology is gaining momentum in shaping production globally. It ranges from molecular diagnostics, vaccine technology, genetic modification and tissue culture. The study, however, focused on one aspect of agro-biotechnology, that is, the impact of tissue culture in banana plantlets on Banana productivity. The study contributes to the international debate on biotechnology and small scale farming. It argues that agricultural biotechnology, especially the use of tissue cultured banana plantlets has successfully improved small scale banana farming as evidenced by increases in Banana production in Murara area of Mutasa District. The study used both convenience sampling, to carry out interviews with small scale banana producers, and purposive sampling to obtain data from key informants such as extension officers and traditional leaders. The study also used observations and focus group discussions with banana producers so as to comprehend the impact of biotechnology on banana production as well as on farmers’ livelihoods. The study has revealed that the introduction of tissue cultured banana plantlets has phenomenally improved banana farming in Murara area of Mutasa District and by extension, the lives of small scale banana producers. This is seen through increased access to basic needs such as income, health, food, and education. Additionally, it has resulted in women’s empowerment as shown by women’s dominance in banana farming. Since the adoption of agricultural biotechnology, the land under cultivation has expanded and so has banana production. By overcoming the vulnerability of banana farming under traditional ways, the adoption of agricultural biotechnologies has thus promoted the small scale banana production sector. However, the study revealed weaknesses such as lack of value addition to maximize the benefits emanating from biotechnology and thus recommends that this, among other interventions, be also made central in Murara area. 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z Mandirahwe, Cephas https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/4016 Title: An analysis of the impact of gender based violence against men in Mutare District. case of Burma Valley Ward 27. Authors: Gudyanga, Tendai Julia Abstract: This study focused on GBV against men which is something that is rarely talked. The worst part of GBV against men is that, when it does get talked about, discussion is almost always limited to the abuse that men do to women. A lot of people are of the idea that violence is not something that women do, and when the men who have been victims of women try to speak out they frequently encounter negative reactions like mockery and name calling to actual accusations like it is their own fault that they were abused. It is worse when those reactions come from the people of the law who are supposed to be protecting the same people. In addition, there is no excuse for any human rights body to deny GBV against men or to attack any man for discussing and sharing their experiences of it. 2019-12-01T00:00:00Z Gudyanga, Tendai Julia https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/4005 Title: Towards green energy societies ; prospects and challenges of solar energy driven development in Zimbabwe. Authors: Mutisi, Zodwa Abstract: Solar energy is gaining momentum because of myriad challenges the world is facing as a result of climate change. Globally various efforts have been muted to ameliorate the effects of climate change among them, the ongoing international engagements under the banner of United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Various outcomes of these engagements include among other outcomes, the embrace of renewable energy to both address the bedeviling energy challenges and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Globally, parties to the UNFCCC have committed to nationally determined contributions (NDCs) which, in many countries have been rooted in addressing the ways nations drive their development especially in the energy sector. The research is premised in the qualitative paradigm with the interest to understand the prospects, development, embrace, and challenges of solar energy in Zimbabwe. It employs an exploratory qualitative research design which draws data from oral interviews in order to fully understand the development and transition from conventional energy driven development towards solar energy driven development in Zimbabwe. The focus of the study is on the main players in the solar energy sector which include solar energy companies in Harare, Ministry of Energy and Power Development (MEPD), Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) and other supporting institutional formations which influence the sector. The research established that, the transition from fossils driven development to renewable energy is spreading rapidly given the challenges conventional sources of energy are facing. In Zimbabwe, solar energy is becoming more indispensable in extending access to electricity energy to about 68% of the population residing in rural areas. Off grid solar energy initiatives are poised to transform the energy situation of the rural majority of the Zimbabwean population. In the same vein, the research also established that the renewable energy sector in Zimbabwe is still littered with structural impediments despite concerted efforts by the responsible institutional formations to make it navigable and lucrative. The research ends by recommending that though solar is highly promising, various structural formations should be put in place to cushion consumers from poor technologies and rogue players in the solar energy sector in order to make the transition sustainable. 2019-11-01T00:00:00Z Mutisi, Zodwa https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/3993 Title: The efefctiveness of banana smalholder contract farming on poverty alleviation in Mutasa District Authors: Musakwa, George Abstract: This study sought to assess effectiveness of banana smallholder contract farming on poverty alleviation in Mutasa district. The study interrogated the type of contract arrangements between smallholders and the contractor in Mutasa district, the impact of banana contract farming on poverty alleviation, the challenges faced by smallholder farmers through contract farming in attempting to reduce household poverty in the area under study and the sustainability of contract farming in Mutasa district. The study was a mixed research and it employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The researcher has used the following data collection tools, questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion. The researcher found out that the type of banana contract was the all-in-one which provides transport, technical advice, market and inputs to the contracted farmers. Banana contract farming has yielded positive results in terms of improving the lifestyle of the smallholder farmers in Mutasa district. The study revealed that contracted smallholder farmers’ households have managed to be food secure as they were able to purchase basic foods with the money they got after selling their bananas. Household income among the contracted farmers have been improved positively as many contracted farmers have managed to invest in productive asserts like livestock, grinding mill, scotch carts among others and this contributed much to poverty eradication. However, there were some challenges faced by the small holder farmers like high transport cost from there field to the collection point, poor road network from the community to the main tarred road, unstable prices of bananas. The researcher also recommended that the government should be active in smallholder contract farming to effect measurement of poverty alleviation. Government should improve road networks, enforce good agricultural policies that protect both the contractor and contracted smallholder farmers and monitoring the implementation of contract farming. 2017-11-01T00:00:00Z Musakwa, George