Determinants of participation in beekeeping and its contribution to rural household income: the case of O. R. Tambo Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Ncetani, Nelisiwe
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Beekeepers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sustainable living -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Home economics, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1486 , vital:27299
- Description: This dissertation explores determinants and perceptions to participation in beekeeping by households’ as well as its contribution to household income. This is in a context that smallholder farmers’ participation is reported to be very low, despite several claimed benefits of beekeeping. Moreover, despite receiving substantial endorsements as a resilient climate-smart rural livelihood, off-farm, forest, non-timber diversification strategy; the uptake of beekeeping by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa still remains very low. Against this background, this study used cross-sectional survey data to gauge smallholder farmers’ perceptions and factors that influence their participation in beekeeping using a binary regression model; further, it measured the contribution of beekeeping to rural household income using a linear regression model. Descriptive statistics revealed that majority of the people from the study area have positive perceptions regarding beekeeping. Regression estimates further indicate that beekeeping is mostly conditioned by shared perceptions, institutional and socio-economic factors that are worth targeting to promote the uptake of beekeeping as a livelihood. Public policies that influence the institutional framework (extension, credit and market) in favour of beekeeping are more likely to promote participation in beekeeping activities. Also, more research on the documentation and benefits of beekeeping supported by investments targeting educational campaigns towards promoting positive attitudes and dispelling fears and myths surrounding beekeeping as an enterprise, will also promote the participation of smallholder farmers in beekeeping. Regression estimates for determinants of household income revealed a significant positive contribution of beekeeping to household income, education, gender and age. Promotion of beekeeping may therefore address household income that is worth targeting to address rural poverty. The study therefore concludes that to fully unlock the income potential of beekeeping for smallholder farmers, development agencies need to address several negative perceptions and institutional factors that affect beekeeping participation, while more research is required to quantify the claimed benefits of beekeeping, given their positive potential to promote farmers’ interests in beekeeping.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Factors that influence smallholder farmers maize varietal choice: the case of Mhlontlo Local Municipality Eastern Cape
- Authors: Nkohla, Siviwe
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Agricultural productivity , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture extension work -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/3121 , vital:28263
- Description: In South Africa, maize is grown all over the country under various environments including both dry and irrigated agriculture. The majority of maize farmers are smallholders farming on small pieces of land with low input technologies. Additionally, South Africa`s smallholder maize farmers are characterised by low maize productivity, this is despite of the availability of many improved maize varieties on the market. It is clear that professional maize breeders are continuously developing many superior maize varieties with traits more suitable for the commercial farming sector than the smallholder sector. Against this background, this study used a descriptive statistics approach to find out maize varieties and traits preferred by smallholder farmers. The study also evaluated factors that influence smallholder farmers` maize varietal selection choice using descriptive statistics and multinomial regression. The data used for the empirical analysis was obtained from a survey of 200 smallholder farmers in Mhlontlo Local Municipality, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Production of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (ILVs) and their contribution to household food security: evidence from Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Mayekiso Anele
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Food security , Edible greens , Vegetable gardening -- South Africa , Food -- Preservation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/712 , vital:26490 , Food security , Edible greens , Vegetable gardening -- South Africa , Food -- Preservation
- Description: This study used cross-sectional survey data to estimate farmers` perceptions of, and commonly cultivated ILVs, factors that influence the participation of smallholder famers in the production of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables and its contribution to household food security]. With regard to farmers` perceptions of ILVs, descriptive results reveal that a majority of the people from the study area share positive perceptions with respect to ILVs. Regression estimates for determinants of participation indicate that the production of ILVs is primarily conditioned by shared perceptions and institutional factors rather than the socio-economic attributes of farmers. Public policies that address the institutional framework (extension, credit, market and social networks) in favour of ILVs are more likely to promote production. Also, more research on the documentation and benefits of ILVs, supported by investments targeting educational campaigns towards promoting positive attitudes and dispelling fears and myths surrounding ILVs, will further promote production. With reference to the contribution of ILVs to food security, descriptive results indicate that participation in the production of ILVs leads to a higher HDDS and a lower HFIAS. Regression estimates further revealed that participation positively contributes to a higher HDDS and a lower HFIAS, suggesting that households who participate in the production of ILVs are more likely to be food secure than non-participants. Therefore, participation in the production of ILVs has significant potential to address household food security.
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- Date Issued: 2016