Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / South Africa has a two-fold agricultural sector consisting of large-scale, industrialised, commercial farmers, as well as small-scale, resource poor subsistence farmers. One of the aspirations of the post-1994 South African Government is to rectify the imbalances in South African agriculture, where less than 20% of the farmers produce more than 80 % of total national agricultural products. In an attempt to improve supply from previously disadvantaged farmers, a land redistribution programme was launched with the goal of transferring 30% of total agricultural land to black farmers by 2014. However, farmers that are beneficiaries of the land transformation and redistribution programme often struggle to sustain the previous levels of productivity of the land. This is due to inexperience in macro-agriculture as well as a lack of resources. In such cases the beneficiaries revert back to subsistence type farming on previously productive and successful commercial farms. This phenomenon can have a devastating effect on the country’s food security, Gross Domestic Product, unemployment rates and the farmer’s prosperity and development opportunities. By reverting to small-scale farming, access to formal marketing chains is also restricted because of the economies of scales required to sustain a competitive supply to these markets. Urgent strategies are therefore required to improve the competitiveness of farmers who farm on a small scale due to restricted resources and inexperience. In this regard two proven theories to analyse industries for improved competitiveness exist, namely value chain analysis and clustering. Both are investigated in this study in order to determine their suitability for application in the emerging farming sector of South Africa. Value chain analysis has been widely applied to production and manufacturing industries (including agricultural production and agri-food manufacturing) to scrutinise production processes. Valuable insight into an industry’s strong and weak points can be gained by studying various factors. These include the inputs required for the manufacturing of the final product, the steps or processes required in the chain of events, the value added in each step, the contributors in the chain, as well as the linkages between the contributors. Knowledge is also gained regarding chain and process optimisation potential for improved competitiveness. The clustering of small firms to improve their ability to compete in formal markets has received a significant amount of academic interest over the past 100 years. In this regard it is important to determine the factors that influence competitiveness, and to develop strategies to improve the potential of small-scale manufacturing firms to compete with larger scale enterprises. The clustering or grouping of small firms to co-operate with each other and to compete against larger firms – as opposed to competing against each other – has resulted in improved competitiveness for many small firms across the world. A number of common key success factors for improving the competitiveness of smallscale, resource poor farmers are identified in this study through the investigation of a host of case studies. The results from these case studies also provide adequate evidence that the analysis and upgrading of value chains, as well as the promotion of collective action by small farmers, are key components for improving competitiveness and market access. This study focuses on the development of a framework to guide the development of strategies for improving competitiveness amongst small-scale, resource poor farming industries, including a production cost analysis sheet to calculate the competitiveness of farmers in this sub-sector. The Framework is also evaluated for its functionality by looking at the implementation thereof amongst a group of emerging farmers in the Western Cape.

CAPES / O processo de mercantilização, isso é, a crescente orientação das atividades para o mercado, transformou as características da reprodução social dos agricultores familiares, principalmente na sua forma de produzir e obter renda. Sabendo-se que o mercado pode agravar a pobreza rural como, de outro lado, criar novas oportunidades, a reprodução social da agricultura familiar moderna muito decorre pela sua capacidade de adaptação que permite diversificar as suas fontes de renda agrícola e não agrícola. Assim, pergunta-se: quais são as combinações de atividades dos agricultores familiares de Itapejara d’Oeste nos anos 2005 e 2010 que resultaram em maior renda? Para tanto, o objetivo geral da dissertação é analisar as estratégias de renda dos agricultores familiares de Itapejara d’Oeste que lhe permitiram superar a pobreza nos anos 2005 e 2010. Como resultado se identificou nas famílias que pertencem a categoria de alta renda: (1) o aprofundamento do processo de mercantilização; (2) investimentos em tecnologia das unidades de produção familiar, principalmente, naqueles que compuseram a renda no binômio de produção grãos e leite (3) a maior disponibilidade de força de trabalho total e de área de terra; (4) a diversificação da renda total com renda não agrícola na unidade de produção familiar. / The process of commodification, that is, the growing direction of activities for the market, turned the characteristics of social reproduction of family farmers, especially in the way we produce and earn income. Knowing that the market may aggravate rural poverty as, on the other hand, create new opportunities, social reproduction of modern family farming very apparent by its adaptability that allows diversify its sources of farm and non-farm income. So we ask: what are the combinations of activities of family farmers of Itapejara d'Oeste in the years 2005 and 2010 which resulted in higher income? Therefore, the general purpose of this work is to analyze the income strategies of family farmers of Itapejara d'Oeste which enabled it to overcome poverty in the years 2005 and 2010. As a result identified in families that belong to the high income category: (1 ) deepening the commercialization process; (2) investments in technology in family production units, especially in those who composed the income in the production of grains and milk binomial (3) the increased availability of total labor force and land area; (4) the diversification of the total income from non-agricultural income in family production unit.

A região de Capanema já foi polo nacional de produção orgânica, entretanto, enquanto a produção orgânica mantém uma elevada procura, a oferta está em crise hoje em dia. A partir da abordagem da Velha Economia Institucional esta dissertação procura perceber quais são as instituições presentes na produção orgânica de soja, quais mudanças ocorreram e levaram os produtores a uma mudança de comportamento, neste caso,o de abandonar a produção orgânica. Para tanto, procura-se neste trabalho: (1) identificar as diversas etapas históricas da produção de soja orgânica na microrregião de Capanema; (2) diagnosticar as escolhas dos agricultores e os elementos que caracterizam a diminuição da produção de soja orgânica na região; e (3) analisar o papel da associação de produtores na mudança institucional dos produtores orgânicos. Para todos os agricultores dessa região, o reconhecimento como produtores orgânicos foi a reinterpretação de um comportamento técnico que habitualmente manifestavam no não uso que faziam de defensivos e adubos químicos na década de1980. As entrevistas revelam que foram requeridos poucos esforços para se adaptar aos primeiros selos orgânicos, pois, pesava mais na decisão o fator da remuneração. Nesta fase a agricultura orgânica era muito próxima da convencional e trabalhar mais de oito horas na lavoura sob o sol era atividade comum. Entretanto, o desenvolvimento tecnológico da agricultura convencional fez esse comportamento mudar. Os novos pacotes tecnológicos possibilitaram diminuir a penosidade do trabalho agrícola, tornando-o mais fácil e ágil. O que antes era normal passou a ser considerado muito penoso. E a produção orgânica passou a se distanciar do habitual. Essa alteração levou muitos agricultores a abandonar a produção orgânica pela nova convenção tecnológica. Essa mudança de comportamento também se refletiu por uma mudança de percepção de gerações, pois, os agricultores se mantiveram orgânicos enquanto tinham força de trabalho suficiente para manter o hábito. Assim, no momento atual, percebe-se que o principal entrave à produção orgânica é sua menor praticidade e seu maior e inconveniente trabalho. / The region of Capanema-PR was a national reference of organic production. Despite it keeps maintaining a high demand, supply is in crisis today. From the Old Institutional Economics approach, this dissertation seeks to understand what the institutions represent in organic soybean production, which changes occurred, and How they led producers to change their behavior, in this case, leaving the organic production. The aim of this work is: (1) Identify organic soybean production historical stages in the micro region of Capanema; (2) Identify farmers choices and the elements that characterize organic soybean production decrease,and; (3) Analyze the role of farmers associations in the institutional change of soybean organic production. For all farmers assessed, recognition as organic producers was a technical performance reinterpretation, that habitually was manifested in avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers of the1980s.The interviews revealed that little effort was required to adapt to the 1st organic certification labels, once the remuneration factor was the major influence in the decision. In late agriculture, farmers needed to hard work more than eight hours in the fields, however, conventional agriculture technological development allowed this situation to change: new technological packages decreased conventional agriculture hardship, making it easier and faster. What once was considered normal, now is taken as very painful, and the organic production conditions started to distance from the common concept. This change led many farmers to leave organic production looking for the new technological convention. This habit change also reflected in a generation perception change, in which farmers just remained organic while they had sufficient manpower to maintain the production system. Thus, nowadays the major obstacle to organic production is lower practicality and its bigger and inconvenient work.

No description available.

Orientador: Maura Seiko Tsutsui Esperancini / Coorientador: Glauber José de Castro Gava / Banca: Marcelo de Almeida Silva / Banca: Silvia Angélica Domingues de Carvalho / Banca: Oriel Tiago Kölln / Banca: Izabel Cristina Takitane / Resumo: Apesar do método de plantio semimecanizado ou mecanizado por esparrame de cana-tolete ainda ser o mais realizado no país, ao longo dos últimos anos surgiram novas tecnologias de propagação de mudas que demandam diferentes operações de plantio. Uma delas é o sistema de mudas pré-brotadas. Para que este sistema seja adotado, é necessário que os custos sejam inferiores aos sistemas atualmente em vigor no setor. O sistema de mudas pré-brotadas permite a redução do consumo de mudas, que cai de 20 t ha-1 no plantio mecanizado para 2 t ha-1 no sistema de mudas pré-brotadas, mas implica em maiores investimentos em infraestrutura e organização da produção. Cada um dos sistemas de plantio apresenta diferentes custos para a formação das mudas e diferentes custos operacionais de plantio em área comercial. O objetivo deste trabalho é comparar o custo de quatro sistemas de plantio desde a produção da muda até o plantio comercial. O estudo foi conduzido na Unidade de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (UPD) de Jaú/SP, da Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA) Polo Centro-Oeste. As informações de preços utilizados para a formação dos custos dos viveiros e dos sistemas de plantio tem como base o mês de julho/2016. Foi necessário o levantamento em diversas fontes de dados para identificar os coeficientes técnicos de cada sistema, desde a obtenção da muda até a operação de plantio. Os resultados dos custos dos sistemas foram organizados em dois grupos diferentes: 1) custo de formação de... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Although the semi-mechanized or mechanized planting method for sugar cane spread is still the most accomplished in the country, in the last years new seed propagation technologies have appeared that demand different planting operations. One of these is the system of pre-pre-sprouted seedlings. For this system to be adopted, it is necessary that the costs are lower than the systems currently in force in the sector. The system of pre-sprouted seedlings allows the reduction of seedlings consumption, which falls from 20 t ha-1 in mechanized planting to 2 t ha-1 in the pre-sprouted seedlings system, but implies greater investments in infrastructure and organization of production. Each of the planting systems presents different costs for the formation of seedlings and different operational costs of planting in commercial area. The objective of this work is to compare the cost of four planting systems from seedling production to commercial planting. The study was conducted at the Research and Development Unit (UPD) of Jaú / SP, of the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency (APTA) in the Central-West Pole. The price information used for the costing of nurseries and planting systems is based on July / 2016. It was necessary to survey several data sources to identify the technical coefficients of each system, from obtaining the seedling to the planting operation. The cost results of the systems were organized into two different groups: 1) nursery formation cost and cost of planting operation in semimechanized and mechanized systems (with planter or distributor) in commercial area and, 2) cost of training of pre-sprouted seedlings in the nursery, greenhouse and operational cost of planting pre-sprouted seedlings in commercial area. From the results obtained, when analyzing the nursery formation cycle and the commercial plantation, the planting system of pre-sprouted seedlings was the one that ... / Doutor

This study investigates the impact of urban agriculture in the city of East London as well as the possibility of adopting agricultural urbanism as an urban farming model to bolster food security. The study goes further to understand the role that could be played by University of Fort Hare and Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in capacitating small scale urban farmers in the city of East London. Unemployment and food insecurity are the key challenges that are affecting many families in South Africa, including urban dwellers. The main objective of this study therefore is to investigate the contributions of urban farming in securing food security and livelihoods in East London. This study adopted a mixed methods research approach, where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to harvest data. Statistical analysis (descriptive) was then used to analyse quantitative data. Thematic approach used to analyse qualitative data. The study shows that urban farming plays an important role in the livelihoods of urban dwellers. However, the sector still faces various challenges such as lack of recognition by authorities. The study also revealed that the city of East London has potential to establish agricultural urbanism as it has most of the essential aspects that are necessary to establish it. The study recommends strengthening of the partnership between University of Fort Hare, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and small scale urban farmers in East London.

The democratic government in South Africa has brought about several policies which were initiated for rural development, and one of the government’s strategies was to involve the agricultural sector. Farmer Support Programmes (FSPs) were developed to assist small-scale farmers to become commercial farmers. The study looked at the participation of small scale farmers in the planning and implementation of the FSPs in the Amahlathi Local Municipality. 108 small scale farmers were selected using a non-random purposive probability and twelve farmers’ organisations. Semi-structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool and method respectively. The data analysis used was a descriptive analysis and a thematic analysis. The results revealed that the farmers have a positive perception towards the support programmes being helpful in their farming needs. The positive perception was especially on the extension and advisory services, dipping and vaccination programme, and the supply and funding of inputs and assets. However, the results revealed that there was no significant difference between gender and the perception of the farmers when a chi square test of association was performed. The results also revealed that the farmers and farmers’ organisations were not involved in the planning of the programmes by the government. It is therefore recommended that for the success of the FSP and for economic growth in the rural areas, the government has to avoid using a top-down approach when developing these programmes, and instead consult the farmers and the farmers’ organisations to know the specific needs of the farmers in their farming practices.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-10T14:23:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-08-03. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-12-10T14:29:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000853655.pdf: 905055 bytes, checksum: 1594f77b78a671c6692f63e065039a16 (MD5) / Portugal, em 1911, encontrava-se em meio a uma turbulenta mudança política. O recém-instalado governo republicano se pretendeu democrático, defensor do sufrágio universal e solucionador da crise do trabalho no país. Porém, algumas práticas não foram condizentes com a teoria. O reflexo disso veio na Assembleia Nacional Constituinte de 1911. Acreditamos que, ao analisar a instituição que legislava sobre os rumos da República, se deveriam encontrar debates que incluíssem a camada profissional majoritária do país: os trabalhadores rurais. Sublinhamos que esperar uma postura mais incisiva, por parte dos políticos, para com as causas do campo não é anacronismo. Autores como Leon Poinsard, Basílio Teles, José Picão e outros contemporâneos já apontavam o melhor aproveitamento destas classes como chave para a economia nacional, já que eram a principal fonte de exportação do país, além de base para outras indústrias. É sobre esta questão que se debruça o presente trabalho / Portugal, in 1911, was in the midst of a turbulent political change. The newly installed Republican government was intended to be democratic, supporter of universal suffrage and solver of the labor crisis in the country. However, some practices were not consistent with the theory. The reflections came in the National Constituent Assembly of 1911. We believe that by analyzing the institution that legislated on the directions of Republic, it should be founded discussions that included the country‟s majoriarian professional class: rural workers. We stress that expect a stronger stance, on the part of politicians, to the causes of that class is not anachronism. Authors like Leon Poinsard, Basílio Teles, José Picão and other contemporaries, already indicated the best use of these classes as the key to the national economy, since they were the main source of export country, as well as basis for other industries. It is on this issue that focuses this work.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-20T17:10:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-04-09. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-20T17:26:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000844552.pdf: 1580841 bytes, checksum: 9f5c047a511d7210ac86cb8a4379c7f9 (MD5) / O trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito de doses de fertilizante NPK aplicados via solo no desenvolvimento de diferentes cultivares de abacaxizeiro. O trabalho foi realizado na Estância Primavera, localizada no Distrito de Rio Verde, Município de Bauru-SP, em área comercial de produção de abacaxi. Empregou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com 12 tratamentos e quatro repetições. As cultivares de abacaxi MD-2 Gold, Smooth Cayenne, Pérola e IAC-Fantástico, foram dispostas na parcela (60 plantas parcela-1) e as três doses de NPK da fórmula 20-05-20 (70; 140 e 210 g planta-1), nas subparcelas (20 plantas subparcela-1). Foram avaliados os efeitos dos tratamentos no crescimento da planta, no teor e acumulo de nutrientes na biomassa vegetal e nos frutos de abacaxizeiro, diagnose foliar, nas características biométricas qualitativas e quantitativas da produção e análise econômica. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância pelo teste F a 5% de probabilidade. Os resultados que diferiram estatisticamente foram submetidos ao teste de Tukey à 5% de probabilidade. A aplicação de doses superiores a recomendada não promoveu incremento no crescimento das plantas de abacaxizeiro. A dose recomendada de 70 g planta-1 de 20-05-20 em função da análise de solo proporcionaram uma nutrição adequada em todos os cultivares de abacaxizeiro para macro e micronutrientes, como também contribuiu de forma positiva para a produção e qualidade de frutos de abacaxi. Em todos os cultivares de abacaxi envolvidos neste estudo tiveram índice de lucratividade superior a 50% com a utilização da dose de NPK recomendada. / The study aimed to study the effect of NPK fertilizer rates applied to the soil in the development of different cultivars of pineapple. The study was conducted in Estância Primavera, located in the Rio Verde district in the city of Bauru, SP, in a commercial area of pineapple production. The design we used a randomized block in a split plot design with 12 treatments and four replications. The pineapple cultivars MD2 Gold, Smooth Cayenne, Perola and IAC-Fantastico, were placed in the plot (60 plants plot- 1) and three doses of NPK formula 20-05-20 (70, 140 and 210 g plant-1 ) the subplots ( 20 plants subplot-1). The effects of the treatments on plant growth, the content and accumulation of nutrients in the plant biomass and fruit of pineapple, leaf analysis, the qualitative and quantitative biometric characteristics of production and economic analysis. The data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance by F test at 5% probability. The results that differed statistically were submitted to the Tukey test at 5% probability. The application of doses higher than recommended did not promote increase in plant growth of pineapple. The recommended dose of 70 g plant-1 20-05-20 according to the soil analysis provided adequate nutrition in all pineapple cultivars for macro and micronutrients, but also contributed positively to the production and quality of fruit pineapple. In all pineapple varieties were involved in this study profitability index greater than 50% using the recommended dose of NPK

Orientador: Aloisio Costa Sampaio / Banca: Aparecida Conceição Boliani / Banca: Rosemary Marques de A. Bertani / Banca: Marco Antonio Tecchio / Banca: Sarita Leonel / Resumo: O trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito de doses de fertilizante NPK aplicados via solo no desenvolvimento de diferentes cultivares de abacaxizeiro. O trabalho foi realizado na Estância Primavera, localizada no Distrito de Rio Verde, Município de Bauru-SP, em área comercial de produção de abacaxi. Empregou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com 12 tratamentos e quatro repetições. As cultivares de abacaxi MD-2 Gold, Smooth Cayenne, Pérola e IAC-Fantástico, foram dispostas na parcela (60 plantas parcela-1) e as três doses de NPK da fórmula 20-05-20 (70; 140 e 210 g planta-1), nas subparcelas (20 plantas subparcela-1). Foram avaliados os efeitos dos tratamentos no crescimento da planta, no teor e acumulo de nutrientes na biomassa vegetal e nos frutos de abacaxizeiro, diagnose foliar, nas características biométricas qualitativas e quantitativas da produção e análise econômica. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância pelo teste F a 5% de probabilidade. Os resultados que diferiram estatisticamente foram submetidos ao teste de Tukey à 5% de probabilidade. A aplicação de doses superiores a recomendada não promoveu incremento no crescimento das plantas de abacaxizeiro. A dose recomendada de 70 g planta-1 de 20-05-20 em função da análise de solo proporcionaram uma nutrição adequada em todos os cultivares de abacaxizeiro para macro e micronutrientes, como também contribuiu de forma positiva para a produção e qualidade de frutos de abacaxi. Em todos os cultivares de abacaxi envolvidos neste estudo tiveram índice de lucratividade superior a 50% com a utilização da dose de NPK recomendada. / Abstract: The study aimed to study the effect of NPK fertilizer rates applied to the soil in the development of different cultivars of pineapple. The study was conducted in Estância Primavera, located in the Rio Verde district in the city of Bauru, SP, in a commercial area of pineapple production. The design we used a randomized block in a split plot design with 12 treatments and four replications. The pineapple cultivars MD2 Gold, Smooth Cayenne, Perola and IAC-Fantastico, were placed in the plot (60 plants plot- 1) and three doses of NPK formula 20-05-20 (70, 140 and 210 g plant-1 ) the subplots ( 20 plants subplot-1). The effects of the treatments on plant growth, the content and accumulation of nutrients in the plant biomass and fruit of pineapple, leaf analysis, the qualitative and quantitative biometric characteristics of production and economic analysis. The data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance by F test at 5% probability. The results that differed statistically were submitted to the Tukey test at 5% probability. The application of doses higher than recommended did not promote increase in plant growth of pineapple. The recommended dose of 70 g plant-1 20-05-20 according to the soil analysis provided adequate nutrition in all pineapple cultivars for macro and micronutrients, but also contributed positively to the production and quality of fruit pineapple. In all pineapple varieties were involved in this study profitability index greater than 50% using the recommended dose of NPK / Doutor