AFRIKAANS: Die 21 ste eeu word deur invloedryke dryfkrragte wat die landboubedryf tot nuwe dimensies dwing gekenmerk. Veranderende omstandighede vereis nuwe vaardighede in bestuur ten einde toenemende uitdagings aan te spreek. Die vermoë van die bestuurder was nog altyd 'n belangrike parameter in landbou. Bestuur se optrede bepaal die sukses of ondergang van enige ondememing, insluitende die boerdery-ondememing. Min studies fokus op die strategiese bestuur van die boerdery-onderneming. Strategiese bestuur is bykans 'n vergete hulpbron. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na strategiese bestuur in die boerdery-onderneming. Die fokus is op die sewe bestuurstake van strategiese bestuur: <ul> 1. Formuleer 'n visie en missie. 2. Stel doelwitte. 3. Analiseer die eksteme omgewing. 4. Analiseer die interne omgewing. 5. Formuleer 'n strategie. 6. Implementering en uitvoering van die strategie. 7. Evalueer die prestasie en inisieer regstellende optrede.<br></ul> Hierdie studie is hoofsaaklik onderneem om ondersoek in te stel na die mate waarin die kommersiele boer sy boerdery-onderneming strategies bestuur. Ondersoek word ook ingestel of die kommersiële boer oor voldoende kennis van strategiese bestuur beskik. Hierdie ondersoekende studie van strategiese bestuur in die boerdery-onderneming word deur 'n omvattende literatuurstudie sowel as 'n empiriese ondersoek gerugsteun. Die literatuur gee ' n oorsig oor die landboubedryf se interne omgewing en eksteme omgewing. Strategiese bestuur kom daama onder die soeklig. Vir die doel van hierdie ondersoek is vraelyste en persoonlike onderhoude in die empiriese studie gebruik. Respondente is persoonlik op die plase besoek. Tydens die voltooiing van die vraelyste het die respondente vrae aangaande strategiese bestuur beantwoord. In die persoonlike onderhoude is konsepte verhelder en die bestuursprobleem is gevolglik beter in die persoonlike onderhoude ondervang. Die opname is onder 70 kommersiële boere in die Loskopskema: Marble Hall-streek gedoen. Bevindings dui daarop dat bestuurders me willens en wetens 'n strategie formuleer me. Die strategie kom inkrementeel tot stand. Boere volg 'n meer informele en minder omvattende rigting in die formulering van 'n strategie. Moontlike oorsake vir 'n meer informele strategie is die onstabiele omgewing van die landboubedryf en 'n tekort aan kennis van strategiese bestuur. Daar word aanbeveel dat strategiese bestuur as 'n riglyn gebruik word om by die veranderende omgewing van die landboubedryf aan te pas. Bestuur van die ondememing moet beter beheer en ontwikkel word ten einde by nuwe strategiese rigtings wat ontstaan aan te pas. Die sukses van 'n onderneming word nie deur die implementering en uitvoering van 'n goeie strategie verseker me. Die verantwoordelikheid berus by die bestuur om by veranderende omstandighede aan te pas. 'n Verdedigende strategie moet ondemeem word om teenspoed die hoof te bied. Die logiese grond vir die gebruik van strategiese bestuur is gevolglik dat dit tot beter prestasie sal lei. ENGLISH: Powerful forces are propelling the agricultural industry toward new dimensions for the 21st Century. Changing circumstances in the agricultural sector require new skills to address these challenges. Managerial ability has always been regarded as an important parameter in agricultural production. Managerial behavior is the determining factor that causes a business, including a farm business, to prosper or fail. Few studies have focused on the strategic management of a farm business. Strategic management is almost a forgotten resource. This study is designed to appraise the background of strategic management in a farm business. The emphasis was placed on seven interrelated managerial tasks of strategic management: <ul> 1. Forming a strategic vision and mission. 2. Setting objectives. 3. Analyse the external environment. 4. Analyse the internal environment. S. Crafting a strategy. 5. Implementing and executing the chosen strategy. 6. Evaluating performance and initiating corrective adjustments.<br></ul> The study's main objective is to examine the degree to which the farm business is using a strategic management process effectively in managing its business. At the same time this study investigates if the commercial farmers have sufficient knowledge of the concept of strategic management. This study is investigative of strategic management and is backed by a comprehensive literature review and empirical study. The literature gives an overview of the internal environment and external environment of agriculture and the field of study strategic management is also introduced. The empirical study consists of a questionnaire and personal interviews. Each of the respondents was subsequently visited, and questionnaires were completed regarding aspects of strategic management. Depth and detail of information was secured by a personal interview. The survey involves 70 commercial farmers in the Loskop scheme: Marble Hall-region. Die results of the research indicate that managers do not follow a deliberate strategy but rather an emergency strategy. Strategic direction is not controlled through setting prior, widely shared intention and monitoring outcomes. A possible reason for this phenomenon is the instability of the agricultural environment and the lack of knowledge of strategic management. Recommendations are made on how managers must seek to provoke around the instability of the environment and pressing challenges by using strategic management as a guideline. Managers have to adopt a form of control and development that enables new strategic direction to emerge. Effective strategy combined with effective strategy execution doesn't guarantee the success of a company. It is the responsibility of a company's management to adjust to unexpectedly tough conditions by undertaking strategic defenses and business approaches that can overcome adversity. The rationale for using strategic management is therefore compelling: the better conceived a company's strategy and the more competently it is executed, the more likely it is that the company will be a standout performer and exhibit enviable business practices. / Dissertation (MCom (Business Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Business Management / unrestricted

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / Recent changes in South Africa have exerted a lot of pressure on the government to redress the past injustices on the land redistribution among its citizens. The community of Hoedspruit is not excluded from the above challenges, hence the study on the effect of management of land tenure in Hoedspruit. The management of land tenure in Hoedspruit was fraught with challenges such as lack of clarity on policies, managerial skills, resources, institutional support, inadequate training programmes, lack of financial support, alternative strategy, monitoring and evaluation. This study also seeks to investigate the factors that hinder the effective management of land tenure. Data was obtained by means of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. These were used to have a deeper understanding of the challenges that were encountered by the new land owners in the area of the study. The main findings of the study confirmed that there were challenges associated with the management of land tenure. Lack of financial support and relevant training were regarded as the main problems that hinder the management of land tenure in Hoedspruit. In conclusion, the study also suggested some strategies and recommendations that can enhance the effective management of land tenure in Hoedspruit.

Includes bibliography. / This is an exploratory study which investigates changes introduced by management on farms in Elgin and explores the perceptions of some of those involved in the changes. The initiatives and activities of the Rural Foundation for Community Development (Rural Foundation) and its involvement in these changes forms a crucial part of the exploration. Three questions direct the study. 1. What are the changes that have been introduced? 2. Why were they introduced? 3. What is the social meaning of the changes? The study is based on a case study of four farms. Documentary material was collected from a variety of sources including the Rural Foundation, the South African Government, as well as other agencies operating in the field. Interviews with various actors were conducted, including management and a selection of workers on each of the four farms, Rural Foundation officials as well as other actors connected to the developments on the farms. The study is informed by historical materialist theory and draws from certain labour process theories. Important for the study was the discussion raised in these theories around the effect that workers' motivation has on their productivity. The study is located in the context of the national historical development of capitalist agriculture since the Second World War. More specifically it is situated locally in terms of changes that occurred on Elgin farms more generally prior to the 1980's as well as the present general circumstances in the area. Three fields of change are identified on the four farms: (i) training of workers, (ii) new incentives and pay structures, and (iii) community development. It is asserted that these changes are measures introduced by management in an attempt to, firstly, decrease production costs by employing greater numbers of women and migrant workers and paying them less. Secondly, they are aimed at increasing the productivity of workers through measures designed to improve the 'quality' and stability of workers and to develop a new authority structure on the farms. Four trends are thus identified as occurring on the farms: 1. Increasing use of women and migrant workers. 2. An improvement in workers' living conditions and standards. 3. An increasing emphasis on improving workers' productivity. 4. A shift in the emphasis on control towards developing workers' consent.

Thesis (MPhil (Agricultural Economics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The Dorper Sheep species are exclusively bred for the dry arid conditions of some parts of South Africa. This species adapts easily and a prime lamb with great characteristics can be produced. There are two very important controlable factors regarding Dorper sheep farming namely herd management and cultivation. Herd management involves feeding, mating, mating methods and the handling of animals and their products. A few good objectives of herd management are the short breeding interval, low deaths and high performance rating. Genetic improvement can be achieved by using good rams, the selection of ewe-lambs as forthcoming breeding ewes, culling of uneconomic producers and the application of good breeding practices to improve meat production and reproduction. In this study a comparison is made between the management practices (herd management and cultivation) of Dorper farmers in 1990 and the management practices of Dorper farmers in 2004. For this aim the research of J.J. Ackermann (1990) was used. In 2004 questionnaires were send to Dorper farmers throughout South-Africa to get more information about their management practices. The conclusion of the study was that there was an increase in tertiary qualification of Dorper farmers from 1990 to 2004 and that more farmers used modern practices instead of the old traditional methods.

Despite the continuing perceived economic centrality of agriculture in Intsika Yethu local municipality, rural households engage and pursue diverse non-farm livelihood activities to cope with diverse challenges and risks such as drought. This study assessed the importance of existing livelihood strategies adopted by the different rural households in Intsika Yethu; the link between households’ ownership and access to different ‘assets’; factors determining households’ ability to adopt certain livelihood strategies in the area. A survey of 120 households in six administrative areas and informal discussions with key informants were used to collect demographic data, data on socio-economic activities and factors determining the choice of livelihood strategies of the households in Intsika Yethu. The research findings indicated that only about 10% of the interviewed households relied solely on on-farm livelihood strategy only. Credit, remittances, market distance, affiliating to cooperatives, education and household size have a potential of influencing households to shift from on-farm livelihood strategy to other livelihood strategies. The government may need to promote programs and awareness on how households can diversify their livelihood strategies as a way of coping with economic constraints in the area.

A total of 120 structured questionnaires were administered to analyse marketing channels used by smallholder crop farmers, at Abaqulusi Municipality, Vryheid and KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa. Research methodology consisted of research design, sample frame, sampling procedure, data collection and data analysis which were used in the study. Descriptive statistics analysis was used, where frequencies and percentages of the variables were indicated. Variables which were measured included demographic socio-economic profile of survey household heads where age, marital status, educational level, occupation other than farming, land ownership, household size and gender of the household heads.The results show that the statistically significant variables (gender, household size) at 5% level positively affect smallholder crop farmers’ access to market information, expertise on grades and standards, availability of contractual agreements, existence of extensive social capital, availability of good market infrastructure, group participation and reliance on tradition. These findings suggest that an adjustment in each one of the significant variables can significantly influence the probability of participation in either formal or informal marketing, and hence their marketing channels. In the light of the foregoing research findings, several policy options were suggested. These include encouraging collective action, promotion of contract farming, ensuring the availability of market information to all farmers, encouraging value addition and investment in rural infrastructure.

The goal of this study was to determine the nature and factors influencing smallholder farmers in their adoption decision-making regarding the use of soil conservation practices introduced by extension practitioners in South Africa, using the case of farming at Qamata Irrigation Scheme, Eastern Cape. Using a central argument (thesis statement), the study argued that an adequate understanding and definition of smallholder farmers’ adoption decision-making process is very crucial to solving the problem of soil erosion/ degradation problem amongst smallholder farmers. Adopting the case study research design, information from 70 crop farmers (in a farmer focus group interviews) form the basis of the study. Basic models of analysis were the multiple, probit and logit, as well as the binary logistic regression analyses. According to the empirical results, perception was found very relevant in adoption decision-making, interacting positively and significantly with eight of the seventeen adoption variables chosen for the study. The indication therefore is that age (p<0.050), education (p<0.0030), and marriage (p<0.036), have more potentials to improve farmers’ perception. Similarly, higher farmer incomes (from crops [p<0.017], off-farm [p<0.038] and overall [p<0.011] income) also have a likelihood to improve farmers’ perception regarding soil conservation, for improved adoption. Further indication is that farmers who are aware (p<0.015) of the soil practices introduced by extension are also those who participate in their use (p<0.041). Employing the binary logistic, probit and logit regression models, results suggest that the nature of adoption decision-making processes of smallholder farmers is complex (not straight), being influenced by multiple factors. While age (p<0.099), gender (p<0.031), total income (p<0.081) impacted positively significant on smallholder farmers’ adoption decision-making, marital status (p<0.025), sources of land (p<0.063), length of continuously farming on same piece of land (p<0.013), and level of crop production (p<0.002) impacted negatively. The indication therefore was that older farmers preferred their own practices to the recommended practices by extension, which is in line with literature. Also as expected, more females preferred their own practices to extension recommended, while more males preferred the recommended practices. Similarly, marriage, land ownership, farming continuously on a spot for a long period, as well as increase in the level of crop production, all had a propensity to influence farmers toward the adoption of extension recommended practices as against farmers’ practices. Further results indicate, that farmers’ education (p<0.032), household size (p<0.37), and income (off-farm [p<0.036] and total [p<0.004]), measures used to measure farmers’ livelihood standards in the study, were positively significant in association with adoption. The indication was that, adoption decision-making is potentially capable of improving education level of farmers; increase the size of household, thus providing easy family labour; and as well improve level of income for the farmer. Based on the foregoing, the suggestion therefore is that any technology intervention programme that will succeed must begin with a clear understanding and analysis of farmers’ adoption process. This is better achieved when the adoption process is seen as a four-stage process, where the farmer first forms a view about the innovation (perception stage), and then decides whether or not to use it (adoption stage), as well as how much of the innovation to adopt (level of adoption stage), and finally how much is this innovation going to affect my livelihood (impact of adoption stage). Also, due to the particular relevance of perception in the adoption decision-making process, technology disseminators (extension), researchers and policy makers alike must never conclude on the rejection of any technology, not until factors determining perception of individuals have been well studied. The notion here is that, even at the confirmation stage of the adoption process of an individual adopter, when a rejection is confirmed, for an example, analysing factors of the adopter’s perception at play at the particular time of the innovation in question, could go a long way to redirecting the course of the adoption process of the said individual.

The study was conducted in four rural communities of the Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The objective of the study was to determine the contribution of beef cattle farming to the income of communal households in Chief Luthuli Municipality. Data were analysed descriptively. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the factors that affect the contribution of beef cattle to income in the study area. It was found that beef cattle farming in the communal areas studied were practiced equally by women (50%) and men (50%). Over 50.5% of respondents were over 51 years old and 9.5% of youth participated in beef cattle farming. The literacy rate among respondents in the study area was 55%, including Grade 11 or below, Grade 12 and post matric education. Approximately 48% of the respondents relied on pension income, while 28.5% reported that the main source of income in their households came from a combination of beef cattle production and pension. 60.5% of the respondents were found to have more than 20 years of beef cattle farming experience, while 36.5% have between one and twelve years’ experience. The majority of the respondents (80%) grazed their cattle on the mountainside, 14.5% said they used communal grazing and 5.5% grazed their animals in their backyard. It was also found that 50% of respondents maintained up to ten head of cattle and the other 50% had more than ten cattle in their herds. Of the households that sold their beef cattle, 77% earned R 10,000 or less per annum while 23% earned between R 11,000 and R 60,000 per annum. Beef cattle farming were therefore found to constitute 19% of household income in the communal areas in Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality. The independent variables which collectively have a statistically significant influence on the income from beef cattle production at 5% level of significance were: number of beef cattle (t = 16.8, P < 0.000) and age at mortality (t = -2.59, P< 0.010). The number of beef cattle has a positive and statistically significant effect and mortality age a negative effect. It was concluded that the 19% contribution to household income coming from beef cattle farming in the study area was to be expected in light of the fact more than half (50.5%) of the respondents were older than 51 years old and 48% of respondents relied on pensions as a source of income. The danger is that because beef cattle farming in the study area have been marginalised as an agricultural activity, the rural poor are decreasingly engaging in beef cattle production as a source of income. / Agriculture / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

M.A. / The modern day approach towards community development is to facilitate a community-driven and self-sustaining development process. Development is a process by which the members of a society increase their personal and institutional capacities, mobilise and manage resources, produce sustainable and justly distribute improvements in their quality of life consistent with their aspirations. The reasons why farm workers in commercial agricultural communities are becoming involved in their own development; what motivates them; and the capacities they need to remain involved; are some of the areas that this study addresses. This study focuses on the labour-extensive and labour-intensive farming communities in the Boland/Swartland regions of the Western Cape Province. A purposeful non-probability sample was taken from five labourextensive and five labour-intensive commercial farming communities within a fifty kilometre radius of Wellington. Focus groups as method were used to interview the specifically selected respondents. Qualitative data was collected according to a participatory research method and a visualization technique was utilized to record the data. Some of the important results of this study indicate that the commercial farmer has to take an interest as an important resource and partner in the development of the farm worker's communties. The farmworker's communities are seeking support from the new democratic structures, the Transitional Rural Councils, to assist them with their development efforts. The process of developing ownership and taking responsability for one's own development, needs to be strengthened by including the farmworkers in the decision-taking process on farms regarding community development through structures like farm-forums or farm-committees.

Thesis (M.A. Agricultural Management (Agricultural Extension)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / This study was designed to examine the perceptions of subsistence farmers about the use of the extension communication channels to receive farm management information including climate variability in relation to their innovation decision process. A survey approach was used in this study and by means of stratified sampling, 85 farmers were selected from 372 respondents from Mankweng and 251 from Tshebela service centres in Polokwane Local Municipality for interviews considering gender and their proportions in each service centre. Data were collected from individual respondents by means of personal interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was tested among similar farmers in a village near the University of Limpopo. The data were subjected to both descriptive and inferential analyses using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. The findings around the research questions and the hypothesis test showed that all respondents received farm management information including climate variability through all 10 communication channels investigated. Furthermore, it was indicated that group discussion was the only channel through which most respondents received information most of the time. The study findings also revealed that of all the channels investigated, slightly more than half of the respondents preferred group discussions and of those who preferred group discussions, almost half of them preferred it as the first choice. The hypothesis test further showed that the farmer characteristics that positively influence farmers‟ use of group communication channels were farming experience, farmer association membership and affordability group channels. In other words, a farmer who has more farming experience and belongs to a farmers‟ association is more likely to choose group channels for receiving farm management information including climate variability. The hypothesis test also indicated that the strongest predictor of reporting preference of group channels of communication channels was seeking innovation for a farm management problem in relation to climate variability. Finally, the study found that time was the most serious constraint farmers face in assessing or receiving farm management information including climate variability. ix In view of the fact that most respondents will have group discussions as their first choice, the use of this channel should be timed to allow respondents to attend. Extension agents therefore, have to discuss the timing of such meetings with participants to arrive at times suitable to most participants. Extension agents also need to realise that a subsistence farmer who is looking for information for a farm management problem including climate variability is more likely to seek it through the television. / ARC