Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The agricultural sector plays a valuable role in the South African economy. However, agriculture is embedded in the natural environment. The research problem revolves around the lack of an information management system, capable of integrated agricultural and environmental management to promote sustainable agricultural development on farm level. This study aimed to develop a spatial information management system to aid with integrated agricultural and environmental management. The study area consisted of a seven-farm production unit, Howbill Properties, which provided the necessary agricultural and environmental elements for this study. Spatial data requirements were identified by unpacking the relevant imperatives directing integrated agricultural and environmental management. Data was collected with a recreational outdoor GPS device, digitised from remotely sensed images and obtained from various sources. Spatial data consisted of infrastructure data, such as water pumps, power lines, and fruit orchard boundaries, whereas environmental spatial data consisted of natural resource data, and topographic data. The study further details the process of selecting the necessary components for an enterprise GIS and building the system. PostgreSQL with the PostGIS spatial extension was selected as the spatial database and QGIS was selected as the desktop GIS application. It was found that the prototype integrated spatial information system could be effectively applied to assist integrated agricultural and environmental management. The prototype spatial information system was able to serve the needs of novice to advanced users. However, insufficient spatial data were identified as a limitation, and spatial data should be improved and updated regularly. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Landbou speel „n belangrikke rol in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Landbou is egter vervat in die natuurlike omgewing. Die probleem wentel om die gebrek aan 'n geografiese inligtingstelsel wat in staat is om geïntegreerde landbou- en omgewingsbestuur op plaasvlak te bevorder. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om 'n ruimtelike inligtingsbestuurstelsel te ontwikkel om die voorafgaande probleem aan te spreek. Die studie area bestaan uit 'n sewe-plaas produksie-eenheid, Howbill Properties, wat die nodige landbou- en omgewingselemente vir hierdie studie bevat het. Ruimtelike datavereistes is geïdentifiseer deur die relevante internasionale, nasionale, provinsiale, en mark vereistes wat geïntegreerde landbou en omgewingsbestuur rig, te ondersoek. Data is ingesamel met 'n behulp van „n GPS-toestel, gedigitaliseer van afstandswaarnemingsdata en ingesamel van verskeie bronne. Ruimtelike data het bestaan uit infrastruktuur data, soos water pompe, kraglyne, en vrugte boord grense, terwyl die ruimtelike omgewing data bestaan het uit natuurlike hulpbron data en topografiese data. Verder behandel die studie die proses van hoe die nodige komponente vir 'n ondernemings GIS gekies was en hoe die stelsel ontwikkel was. PostgreSQL met die PostGIS ruimtelike uitbreiding is gekies as die ruimtelike databasis en QGIS is gekies as die GIS program. Daar is gevind dat die prototipe geïntegreerde ruimtelike inligtingstelsel doeltreffend toegepas kan word vir geïntegreerde landbou en omgewingsbestuur. Die prototipe ruimtelike inligtingstelsel was in staat om aan die behoeftes van „n beginner gebruiker sowel as gevorderde gebruikers te voorsien. Daar was ook bevind dat onvoldoende ruimtelike data die stelsel beperk, en dat data sal voordurend verbeter en opgedateer moet word.

In this study, “Women and Cooperatives”, the researcher was interested in finding out whether women cooperatives contributed towards development of women and poverty reduction in Sarah Baartman District Municipality between 2004 and 2014. The study was conducted with three cooperatives situated in Makana Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Municipality and Eastern Cape Province. The cooperatives studied focused on sewing, poultry and agriculture. The study was explorative in nature as it was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of women cooperatives in empowering women, the effectiveness of women cooperatives in reducing poverty and to make recommendations regarding what can be done to address the challenges identified in the study. The qualitative research method was applied when conducting this study. Eight respondents from each cooperative were willing to take part and this led to a total of twenty-four respondents who participated. The questions asked were based on the interview schedule developed by the researcher. The results of the study and the recommendations indicated that more commitment from the government is required and the following key aspects should be taken into account when considering a development program: Infrastructure, Availability of funding, Access to resources, Skills development, Provision of basic services.

A rural development project is currently under way in the Amatola Basin, Ciskei. This paper introduces the project and outlines the socio-economic and agricultural conditions current in the area. An overview of present project activities is included. It then attempts to identify a number of potential and actual human and structural constraints operating on the implementation of the project. Such constraints arise out of the existing agricultural system in the project area, as well as out of the state bureaucratic structures operating in Ciskei, and the agency implementing the project itself. One aim is to identify the units involved in dryland cultivation. This is done by tracing ties of cooperation between cultivating households in one Amatola village. It will be shown, in this village at least, that the household does not form the main unit of cultivation. A second aim of this paper is to show that checks on rural development in general should not be sought solely within the area under consideration, but derive to an important degree from outside sources. / Digitised by Rhodes University Library on behalf of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)

Agriculture is a complex cultural institution. This is particularly the case when studying subsistence conditions in a tribal system, because aspects requiring investigation include social, religious, political and economic factors (Dalton, 1967). These factors represent an extremely broad sphere of inquiry and the large number of relevant aspects has been the cause of problems plaguing attempts to develop subsistence agriculture (Grigg, 1973). The purpose of this study is to outline an environmental perception approach to agriculture and explore the contribution that the approach could make to agricultural improvement. As such it represents a pilot study which attempts to introduce behavioural science research into agricultural development. Foster (et all (1965) outline three research foci in this respect; the socio-cultural-psychological system of the recipient people (farmers), the system of the innovating organization, and the interaction of the two. This study deals with the first focus outlined by Foster, and aims to make a statement about the image that two semi-subsistence communities have of their agricultural system. In other words, how their agricultural system appears to them.

Incidences of cooperation in agricultural activity are widespread phenomena in low-income third world communities. Two forms of cooperative labour groupings are identified in Shixini, Transkei . These are the work party and the ploughing company. It is argued that different organisational principles operate in the different cooperative forms. Work parties are based on principles of neighbourhood whi Ie ploughing companies are organised around kinship relationships. Factors which determine the principle of organisation are social values; the wider South African economic system; ecology; reciprocity; the constitution and structure of the household; economic differentiation; and labour demand and supply. The dissertation is divided into five chapters. The first is an overview of the Shixini social, economic and political systems. This chapter discusses the influence of the wider South African politico-economic system on agricultural production; the Shixini!Transkei political context; kinship and its relation to social organisation; and the likely effects of an agricultural 'betterment' scheme on the area. The second chapter is an overview of agricultural production in Shixini. It is found that the most significant determinants of agricultural production is the structure and constitution of the household and the way in which stock is distributed in the community. The third and fourth chapters describe and analyse Xhosa work parties and ploughing companies . Argument is lead as to the reasons for the specific organisational principles operating in each case. The penultimate chapter is an analysis of sacred and secular ritual. It is argued that both ritual forms reveal cooperative principles of organisation. Secular ritual dramatises the organisation of work parties while sacred ritual dramatises kinship relationships and so, the organisation of ploughing companies. / KMBT_363

This dissertation has attempted to investigate the involvement of women in rural areas ofthe Mbashe local municipality. This was investigated to find out if the government foodse curity programs in rural areas have been designed to address the issue of women empowerment in irrigated farming, how involved women are in terms of farm decision making and management. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic parameters, Irrigation and water use information, production information and market and marketing information. A total of 69 structured questionnaires were administered to identify gender roles in irrigated farming with special emphasis to the roles played by women in farm decision making and management in Ngxakaxha Administrative Area of Mbashe local municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Own food production has been found to be the main food acquisition strategy in rural areas; people involved in it farm for their own consumption and then sell the remaining produce. About 80 % of the farmers practise irrigated agriculture with or without the use of a formal irrigation system provided and managed by government departments. Descriptive statistics were generated using the Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS). Subsequently, the data were subjected to inferential analysis using the binomial logistic regression model. The perceptions influencing the predictor variable were defined and tested using the binomial logistic regression model. The statistically significant independent variables, at the level 5% significant level are as follows; area and the number of years in farming. At the 10% significant level; the total number of bags sold and the total amount received (revenue). Basically the area is negatively correlated with irrigation and own production in rural areas. The household head is the one that determines household own production. The number of years involvement in farming determine their experience in farming and the amount of yield he / she will get. Major constraints to sustainable irrigation, as revealed by the analysis, were lack of funding for the projects in terms of an rrigation system, lack of a source of water, lack of new information and workshops. Women were found to be fully involved in irrigated farming nowadays, but training is needed for both men and women in rural areas for their production and irrigation to be sustainable over time. It has been concluded that there are programmes which have been designed and are driven by the women and a number of these programmes are also addressing the issues of gender equality in rural areas.

This study was carried out to determine alternative approaches used by resource-limited farmers to enhance fertility and in the treatment of reproduction ailments of goats in Mount Frere area, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Furthermore, information on farmer perceptions pertaining to these practices was also gathered. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine materials used by resource-limited farmers to enhance fertility and treat reproductive ailments. The survey revealed 10 plant species that were commonly used for reproductive health in goats. Elephantorrhizza elephantina (37.1%) and Rhoicissus tomentosa (25.7%) were the most frequently cited plant species. Elephantorrhiza elephantina and R. tomentosa recorded the highest Fidelity Level (FL) values of 92.86% and 75% respectively, for their use in the treatment of reproductive ailments and these were the plants on which further studies were conducted. The study also revealed that farmers had different perceptions on the effectiveness of the traditional medicines. An in-vivo assessment was done to determine efficacy of E. elephantina and R. tomentosa using serum estradiol and progesterone profiles. The highest (P<0.05) serum estradiol and progesterone concentration was observed in animals administered with aqueous extracts of E. elephantina and R. tomentosa mixture while the least (P<0.05) concentrations were observed in the negative control group. Does administered with a mixture of aqueous E. elephantina and R. tomentosa extract had the highest (P<0.05) body weight (65 kg) as well as body condition scores, while the negative control which were administered with distilled water had the least body weights (54 kg) and body condition scores. Does that were administered with a mixture of E.elephantina and R. tomentosa were all pregnant with twins (100%), confirmed by a doppler ultrasound scan.

Thesis (MSc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The study focused on the market participation of the smallholder sunflower farmers of Sekhukhune District in Limpopo Province of South Africa. A total of 100 smallholder sunflower farmers of Sekhukhune were randomly selected for the study. Data was gathered through the use of structured questionnaires with open-ended questions. The data was analysed using the Logistic Regression model on SPSS 26.0 (statistical package for social sciences). The probability of the smallholder sunflower farmers participating in markets was determined significantly by gender of household head, farm size, level of education, marketing experience, distance to the market, ownership of vehicle and stakeholder availability. Recommendations were made with regard to that of training, monitoring, funding, Government support, access to production land and the involvement of organizations with the smallholder sunflower farmers. Training should be provided for the smallholder sunflower farmers because farmers are always faced with new technology and market changes, there should be a budget that is put aside for the funding of the smallholder farmers, monitoring programs should be implemented in order to monitor the progress of the smallholder farmers, increased access to production land for farming, government support through financial and input support, smallholder farmers should get involved with organizations that can help them with training and funding, and the government should implement policies that are commodity based. Key words: smallholder farmers, market participation, Logistic Regression Model, sunflower, Limpopo province

Bibliography: leaves 204-212. / This thesis analyses agrarian development in the Natal Midlands during the 1940s and 1950s. Based predominantly on archival and primary sources, it seeks to provide some empirical evidence in an area where such information is sorely lacking. The first chapter briefly analyses the national agricultural economy in the 1940s before turning to the Natal Midlands. The importance of urban factors in fuelling the post-war boom is examined, as is the way in which different groups of farmers reacted to these developments. The second chapter discusses the position of farm workers. The system of labour tenancy is considered and stress is laid on the various tensions within the system which became prominent at this time. The use of the courts and the police in helping farmers control their workers, informal methods of control and labourers' resistance are also examined. The next chapter discusses the severe farm labour shortage and shows how it emerged from the tensions within labour tenancy and the increasing urban opportunities seized by farm workers. Attention is also paid to the farm labour policies of the pre-apartheid state and these are compared with the policies demanded by organised agriculture. The final chapter examines these processes during the 1950s. The effect of the slowdown in agricultural growth is discussed as is the limited success of the apartheid state's farm labour policies. It is suggested that the key to understanding the state's lack of success lies in differentiating between different categories of farmers. The agricultural crisis in the late 1950s and its effects are also analysed. Finally, it is suggested that the key determinants of agrarian development are accumulation and struggle rather than state policies.

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