https://journals.hh-publisher.com/index.php/MJAE <p>The Malaysian Journal of Agricultural Economics (MJAE) provides a forum for scholarly works in agricultural economics and agribusiness. Acceptable manuscripts should have a relationship to the economics of agriculture, forestry, fishery, and other natural resources, agribusiness, or rural and community development. Contributions to methodological or applied, in the business, extension, research, and teaching phases of agricultural economics and agribusiness are equally encouraged. Works centered on Malaysia and the South East Asian region receive priority. However, works related to other developing countries are also welcome. </p> HH Publisher en-US MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 2756-8288 https://journals.hh-publisher.com/index.php/MJAE/article/view/1078 <p>This study examines the determinants of income diversification into non-farming sources among rural farmers, focusing on the influence of demographic and socio-economic factors such as age, gender, marital status, educational level, annual income, farming experience, farm size, and ownership status. Using primary data collected from rural households across six local government areas, the data was analysed using descriptive analysis and chi-square analysis. Chi-square (χ²) analysis was applied to assess the strength of association between these demographic factors and various sources of non-farming income source, including wage employment, self-employment, remittances, and income from livestock. Results indicate significant associations between each demographic factor and income diversification sources, with education, marital status, and income level showing the highest levels of influence. The findings reveal that small-scale farmers diversify their income to mitigate risks associated with agriculture and to achieve economic stability, with the most common sources being wage employment outside agriculture (38.5%) and self-employment (37.8%). This study highlights the role of education in expanding non-farm income opportunities while also illustrating the impact of gender, marital status, and land ownership on diversification sources. Based on these results, the study recommends enhanced access to education and vocational training, improved financial services, and policies that secure land tenure to support sustainable income diversification in rural areas. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of rural livelihood strategies, offering policy guidance to promote economic resilience and poverty reduction through non-farm income diversification.</p> Nolila Mohd Nawi Abdurahaman Baba Saje Copyright (c) 2025 MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 2025-07-22 2025-07-22 32 1 10.36877/mjae.a0000598 https://journals.hh-publisher.com/index.php/MJAE/article/view/1099 <p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Chronic food insecurity is one of the problems that has plagued millions of Ethiopians for centuries. To solve this problem, in 2005 the Ethiopian government, in collaboration with development partners, launched a social protection program called the Productive Safety Net Program. This study evaluated the impact of the Productive Safety Net program on household food security in the Konso Zone, Kenna District, Southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from a total of 264 selected households using a multistage sampling procedure. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to assess program impact on household food security. A logit model was used to analyze potential covariate variables that influence household participation in the Productive Safety Net program. The study found that having livestock, credit, and a large amount of cultivated land had a negative impact on people's willingness to participate in the productive safety net program. Conversely, positively influenced by shock experience and agricultural extension. The Propensity Score Matching (PSM) resulted in matching 125 control households with 130 treated households. In other words, matching comparisons based on outcome variables were performed on these households that shared similar pre-intervention characteristics except for participation in the program. According to the PSM results, the program intervention raised the beneficiary families' total income and calorie intake by 277.31 kcal per capita/AE/Day) and 1789.42 ETB, respectively, as compared to non-beneficiaries. This study demonstrated how the program had a considerable impact on household calorie consumption and income. As a result, the focus of the development intervention should be on linking PSNP support with income-generating activities, vocational training, and credit access; designing labor-intensive public works that build sustainable community assets; regularly assessing PSNP's impact on food security and making timely adjustments</p> Eyassu Gachira Yimenu Alelign Ademe Mengistu Kumilachew Alemerie Melesse Copyright (c) 2025 MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 2025-07-09 2025-07-09 32 1 10.36877/mjae.a0000596