An assessment of the impact of animal traction on rural household food security: a case of Damane rural community of Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Manzana, Sihle
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Animal traction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11208 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016162 , Animal traction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This dissertation assesses the impact of animal traction on rural household food security. Since rural communities do not have sufficient agricultural capital to purchase improved agricultural technologies for better crop production, and often lack knowledge and skills to apply improved technologies low-cost alternatives must be sought. For these reasons, animal traction has been seen by researchers as an affordable, easy-to-use, sustainable and appropriate operation for crops production in rural areas. Animal traction has been long used and it continues to be used in rural areas to improve food insecurities. But the system confronts a number of constraints that impede the development of its full potential and these should be addressed in order to reap the full benefits of agricultural restructuring in the rural areas. A study was carried out in Damane rural village under Ntsika Yethu Municipality in the Eastern Cape where animal traction is very popular. A total of 80 small-scale farmers were interviewed by means of structured questionnaires to collect data from adopters and non-adopters of animal traction. A wide range of analytical techniques were employed to assess the impact of animal traction on household food production. Descriptive statistics was employed for analyses of demographic, agricultural production process of the surveyed households and challenges encountered by households. Multiple Linear Regression was applied to determine the factors affecting animal traction use and the extent to which they contribute to gross farm production. The results of the multiple linear regressions showed that animal traction played a significant role in the total output of all the crops produced last season. The results of the t- tests showed that animal traction was the most effective technology compared to the simple hand-tools such as fork, fork spade and hoes. The binary logistic regression was employed to test the probability that resource poor households would adopt animal traction technology. It is therefore recommended that government should support animal traction users by providing all the necessary resources for development of animal in rural South Africa.
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The economics of Bt maize/yieldgard production: case of smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Mandikiana, Brian Washington
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Corn -- Planting , Corn -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corn -- South Africa -- Economic conditions , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Bacillus thuringiensis , Bacillus (Bacteria) , Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11167 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/326 , Corn -- Planting , Corn -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corn -- South Africa -- Economic conditions , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Bacillus thuringiensis , Bacillus (Bacteria) , Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Maize is the staple food for most South Africans. This implies that any damage to the maize crop will affect food security of many South Africans. Although Eastern Cape Province is not a traditionally maize producing area, smallholder farmers in the province produce it mostly for subsistence purposes and some sell the surplus on the local market or use it to secure other good through barter trading. In South Africa, insect-resistant Bt maize/yieldgard has been used commercially for approximately 10 years now. Available impact studies on Bt maize reveal that, this technology is beneficial not only to farmers but consumers of maize products as well. Welfare gains as well as positive effects for human health are realised by both groups. Due to the costs and effectiveness associated with traditional and conventional maize stem borer control methods, Bt technology has the potential to be part of the solution. This thesis has attempted to investigate the economic viability of planting Bt maize seeds under smallholder farming conditions and identify factors as well as perceptions relating to attributes of Bt maize and to analyze the relationships between those perceptions and choices regarding use of Bt technology. Data was collected from 90 households who were selected using purposive sampling through the use of the snowball method. To collect data, a questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews. Gross margin analysis revealed that Bt maize is a more profitable option as compared to conventional maize seeds. Furthermore, econometric analyses, through use of the binomial regression model revealed that perceptions could be used to distinguish between users and non-users of Bt maize seed in the Eastern Cape Province. Results of inferential analysis indicate that the statistically significant variables at 5% level are gene erosion, quality and nutrition of products and food labels for Bt maize products perceptions. On the other hand, low expenses, seed market availability and farmers’ knowledge perceptions were significant at 10%. These findings suggest that an adjustment in each one of the significant variables can significantly influence the probability of Bt maize adoption. In view of the research findings, several policy proposals are suggested to support policy formulation. Key words: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize, yieldgard, smallholder farmers, perceptions, Flagstaff, gross margin analysis, binomial logistic regression model, Eastern Cape Province.
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