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1	Factors affecting sustainability of agricultural projects on poverty alleviation in Gauteng Province, South Africa / Justine Fikile Mokgadi Mokgadi, Justine Fikile January 2012 (has links) Agriculture has been identified by the government of South Africa to play pivotal role in socio-economic emancipation of rural people and those living in common-ages. The government has made commitment to provide agricultural support services in order to increase and promote black entrepreneurs by 5% per annum. Given the socio-economic profile of the South African population and the acknowledgement of the importance of agrarian development in other countries, South Africa started its land reform after democratic government in 1994. Prior 1994, agrarian reform was based on the fact that very few black producers were actively involved in commercial farming. Attempts to correct this disparity through agrarian reform have led to several challenges such as distribution of land without balancing it with capacity-building programmes and have proven to be unsustainable and costly. Major causes of poor performance of farming based on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises is lack of capacity in many aspects of running farming as a business and farmers are usually smallholders, producing crops in mixed inter-cropping, which result in persistent and continuous poor yield in a&' cultural production leading to poor financial returns and increase in pover1y level. Sustainability of agricultural projects are affected by the fact the at smallholder farmers do not have acquired knowledge and required skills needed for good management and proper daily operations of the project at technical level and lack of support ·om the community in buying local products Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GOARD) invested its efforts on poverty alleviation projects on smallholder farmers who have demonstrated their potentials tor agricultural activities and have experienced benefits in the form of government programmes such as CASP (Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme), Agro-Processing Infrastructure, and Letsema among others. The study has identified the constraints that smallholder farmers face in their agricultural activities and made recommendations to policy makers that will assist smallholder farmers based on their level of participation in the agricultural sector which will assist in creating comprehensive, sustainable and appropriate capacity building models and strategies for agribusiness in order to contribute significantly to the eradication of poverty, reduction of unemployment through agriculture and creation of sustainable and market driven agribusiness in Gauteng Province, South Africa. There are six hundred and thirty five agricultural projects in Gauteng Province that are practicing intensive and extensive agriculture for vegetable production and supply the formal and informal markets with their produce. However, during the sample survey, only 160 projects were selected tor the survey to identify factors affecting sustainability of agricultural projects on poverty alleviation. The farmers that participated are located in City of Tshwane (20 farmers). West Rand District (60 farmers). Ekurhuleni District Municipality (25 farmers). Sedibeng (15 farmers) and City of Johannesburg (40 farmers). Data collected was subjected to analysis using SPSS and the regression analysis was used to determine factors affecting sustainability of agricultural projects tor poverty alleviation in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The results show that 40% (the majority) of the sampled farmers were between the age of 50-59 years, while 18% of these farmers never attended school. The results of the study revealed that 65.6% of farmers had a household size of between 4-6 people and generated farm income was less than R200 000 per annum. The linear regression technique reveals a significant determinants of sustainability of agricultural projects for poverty alleviation are attitude (t=-2.71 ): impact (t=5.86): farmer participation (t=2.82). educational level (t=2.16): farming experience (t=-2.84.): farming income (t=2.28): land tenure system (t=-2.58): and land acquisition method (t=-3.98). / Thesis (M.Sc (Agric economics) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2012 Poverty South Africa Sustainability Farmers' participation Land tenure and acquisition method Farming experience
2	An analysis of precision agriculture in the South African summer grain producing areas / Hendriks J. Hendriks, Joseph January 2011 (has links) Both globally and locally, agriculture faces ever increasing challenges such as high input costs, strict environmental laws, decrease in land for cultivation and an increase in demand due to the growing global population. Profitability and sustainability requires more effective production systems. Precision agriculture is identified as such a system and is built upon a system approach that aims to restructure the total system of agriculture towards low input, high efficiency and sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to analyse the state of precision agriculture in the summer grain producing areas of South Africa, specifically the North West and Free State provinces. In order to achieve this, a literature study was conducted. During the literature study the term ‘precision agriculture’ was defined and discussed. The precision agriculture cycle and its components were explained and benefits of precision agriculture were identified. The literature study was concluded with identifying and discussing the most widely used and most beneficial technologies as well as reasons for slow adoption. Findings from the literature study were used to investigate the state of precision agriculture locally. In order to achieve this, a quantitative approach was used and information was collected by means of an empirical study using a questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed to farmers using selling agents of an agricultural company that is well represented in the targeted areas. The data was then statistically analysed. The survey showed that only 52% of summer grain producing farmers in the North West and Free State provinces of South Africa practises precision agriculture as defined in the v literature study. The study also revealed that the majority of precision agriculture farmers are over the age of 40, have more than 16 years of farming experience, are well educated, cultivate more than 1,000 hectares and uses none or little irrigation. The most commonly used precision agriculture technologies were grid soil sampling and yield monitors. The perception among most of the farmers was that precision technologies are not very affordable, not easily available and that it lacks proper testing with regards to efficiency. The group of summer grain–producing farmers that have correctly implemented precision agriculture as per definition stated that the benefits they derived from precision technologies include reduction in input costs, increased outputs and improved management skills. Too high implementation costs and technologies not providing enough benefits were among the main reasons farmers do not implement precision agriculture. It was concluded that a significant effort and amount of work is needed to increase the use of precision agriculture among summer grain–producing farmers in the targeted areas. A consolidated effort from government, agricultural institutions and agricultural companies will be needed to achieve this goal. Implementing precision agriculture as a system will require education (from primary to tertiary institutions) and improved marketing strategies. Only then will precision technologies be able to help meet the future demands placed on the agriculture sector. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012. Precision agriculture Precision farming Precision farmers Sustainable farming Crop management Management strategy Information technology Precision agriculture technologies Crop production Production areas Production method Cultivation Variability Management zones Sensors Monitoring Precision agriculture cycle Information Data analysis Decision making Implementation Evaluation Implementation systems Variable rate technology Outputs Inputs Economic advantages Environmental advantages Adoption Farming experience Perceptions Attitudes Precision agriculture group Non-precision agriculture group Total sample Education Marketing strategies Presisielandbou Presisieboerdery Presisieboere Volhoubare boerdery Gewasbestuur Bestuursstrategie Inligtingstegnologie Presisieboerderytegnologie Gewasproduksie Produksieareas Produksiemetode Verbouing Veranderlikheid Bestuursgebiede Sensors Monitering Presisieboerderysiklus Inligting Data-analise Besluitneming Implementering Evaluering Implementeringsisteme Differensiële tegnologie Uitsette Insette Ekonomiese voordele Omgewingsvoordele Boerdery-ondervinding Persepsies Ingesteldheid Presisieboerderygroep Nie-presisieboerderygroep Totale monster Onderwys Bemarkingstrategie
3	An analysis of precision agriculture in the South African summer grain producing areas / Hendriks J. Hendriks, Joseph January 2011 (has links) Both globally and locally, agriculture faces ever increasing challenges such as high input costs, strict environmental laws, decrease in land for cultivation and an increase in demand due to the growing global population. Profitability and sustainability requires more effective production systems. Precision agriculture is identified as such a system and is built upon a system approach that aims to restructure the total system of agriculture towards low input, high efficiency and sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to analyse the state of precision agriculture in the summer grain producing areas of South Africa, specifically the North West and Free State provinces. In order to achieve this, a literature study was conducted. During the literature study the term ‘precision agriculture’ was defined and discussed. The precision agriculture cycle and its components were explained and benefits of precision agriculture were identified. The literature study was concluded with identifying and discussing the most widely used and most beneficial technologies as well as reasons for slow adoption. Findings from the literature study were used to investigate the state of precision agriculture locally. In order to achieve this, a quantitative approach was used and information was collected by means of an empirical study using a questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed to farmers using selling agents of an agricultural company that is well represented in the targeted areas. The data was then statistically analysed. The survey showed that only 52% of summer grain producing farmers in the North West and Free State provinces of South Africa practises precision agriculture as defined in the v literature study. The study also revealed that the majority of precision agriculture farmers are over the age of 40, have more than 16 years of farming experience, are well educated, cultivate more than 1,000 hectares and uses none or little irrigation. The most commonly used precision agriculture technologies were grid soil sampling and yield monitors. The perception among most of the farmers was that precision technologies are not very affordable, not easily available and that it lacks proper testing with regards to efficiency. The group of summer grain–producing farmers that have correctly implemented precision agriculture as per definition stated that the benefits they derived from precision technologies include reduction in input costs, increased outputs and improved management skills. Too high implementation costs and technologies not providing enough benefits were among the main reasons farmers do not implement precision agriculture. It was concluded that a significant effort and amount of work is needed to increase the use of precision agriculture among summer grain–producing farmers in the targeted areas. A consolidated effort from government, agricultural institutions and agricultural companies will be needed to achieve this goal. Implementing precision agriculture as a system will require education (from primary to tertiary institutions) and improved marketing strategies. Only then will precision technologies be able to help meet the future demands placed on the agriculture sector. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012. Precision agriculture Precision farming Precision farmers Sustainable farming Crop management Management strategy Information technology Precision agriculture technologies Crop production Production areas Production method Cultivation Variability Management zones Sensors Monitoring Precision agriculture cycle Information Data analysis Decision making Implementation Evaluation Implementation systems Variable rate technology Outputs Inputs Economic advantages Environmental advantages Adoption Farming experience Perceptions Attitudes Precision agriculture group Non-precision agriculture group Total sample Education Marketing strategies Presisielandbou Presisieboerdery Presisieboere Volhoubare boerdery Gewasbestuur Bestuursstrategie Inligtingstegnologie Presisieboerderytegnologie Gewasproduksie Produksieareas Produksiemetode Verbouing Veranderlikheid Bestuursgebiede Sensors Monitering Presisieboerderysiklus Inligting Data-analise Besluitneming Implementering Evaluering Implementeringsisteme Differensiële tegnologie Uitsette Insette Ekonomiese voordele Omgewingsvoordele Boerdery-ondervinding Persepsies Ingesteldheid Presisieboerderygroep Nie-presisieboerderygroep Totale monster Onderwys Bemarkingstrategie

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