- Title
- Technical constraints to smallholder agriculture: case study of Nkonkobe Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Creator
- Pote, Peter Paul Takawira
- Subject
- Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Farms -- South Africa -- Technology
- Subject
- Agricultural productivity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Date
- 2008
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier
- vital:11193
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/84
- Identifier
- Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Farms -- South Africa -- Technology
- Identifier
- Agricultural productivity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Identifier
- Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description
- Using data drawn from a sample of 80 farmers in the Kat River valley, this thesis presents the results of an assessment of the technical constraints affecting smallholder development and their implications for market access. A review of the relevant literature on the smallholder farm sector, technical change and technical constraints affecting smallholder farmers along with an overview of the agricultural marketing environment in South Africa has been presented. A critical review of the theoretical framework for consideration of technical change in agricultural development, with particular attention to the induced innovation model was undertaken. General information on the institutional set up was obtained by open-ended interviews of community leaders and focus groups. These interviews supplemented information obtained through literature study and document analysis. The other method of data collection employed was the single-visit household survey using structured questionnaires. The demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the surveyed farmers are described in this study. The selection process of the variables influencing market access was done by employing correlation and logistic regression analyses. Correlation analysis was conducted to ascertain the relationship among variables to find out the extent to which they mirror theory or intuition regarding their causation to constraints influencing market access. The logistic model was employed in the step-wise manner using each of key production inputs as response variables sequentially. On the basis of a binary logistic model, it can be concluded that the farmers still operate under a number of technical constraints. The most influential constraints are information, asset ownership, value of agricultural production and extension assistance. The study reflects the previous findings in South Africa that the legacy of apartheid continues to negatively impact on its agricultural economy. Key words: Technical Constraints, Technical Change,Market Access, Smallholder Farmers, Agricultural Development, Induced Innovation Model, Kat River Valley, Correlation analysis, Theoretical framework and Binary Logistic Model
- Format
- xiv, 150 leaves; 30 cm
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science & Agriculture
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
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