- Title
- The role of farmer organisations in smallholder cabbage in value-chain development in Ndakana Village, Stutterheim, Eastern Cape province, South Africa
- Creator
- Labase, Tshifhiwa Noluthando.
- Subject
- Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Subject
- Agriculture, Cooperative -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Date
- 2015-06
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28999
- Identifier
- vital:76447
- Description
- The South African agricultural sector dualistic in nature, where a large commercial and smallholder sectors co-exist. The commercial sector is well resourced while the small holder sector is characterised by being resource poor, having very short value chains, lacking access to markets and low productivity. Smallholder farmers sell their produce at farm gate with minimal value addition. These have implications on household income and overall livelihoods of farmers. In an attempt to overcome some of the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, several farmer support organisations have been established by the South African government. Despite these initiatives poverty in the Eastern Cape remains wide spread and deep. Over the years high value agricultural markets have become more sophisticated and regulated making it increasingly difficult for smallholder farmers to participate in lucrative value chains. The study was carried out in Ndakana Location in Stutterheim, which is under Amahlathi Local Municipality. The study intended to assess the role of farmer organisations in value chain development of cabbage smallholder farmers in this area. The research was conducted through interviews using questionnaires to collect primary data. Econometric formulas were used to calculate Gross Marketing Margin to gain information on cabbage value chains as well as examining relative performance of individual and organised farmers. Cobb Douglas model was used to determine factors that influence relative performance of individual and smallholder farmers. Results for individual farmers indicated that, five variables were found to be significant farming experience, access to technical support, area planted, labour and quantity of fertiliser. All the variables had positive values, implying an increase in these variables is more likely to cause an increase in output. Results for organised farmers indicated that five variables were also found to be significant labour, area planted, farm experience, quantity of fertiliser and price of fertiliser. Labour had a negative value meaning an increase in labour will lead to an increase in output at a decreasing rate. Price of fertiliser also had a negative value meaning a decrease in price of fertiliser will lead to an increase in the amount of fertiliser used. The rest of the variables had positive values, implying an increase in these variables will most likely cause an increase in output.
- Description
- Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2015
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (xii, 129 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science and Agriculture
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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UFH Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | M Sc Agric (Agric Eco) LABASE.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |