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Determinats of market participation and profitability for smallholder nguni livestock farmers : implications for food security and livelihoods in the Limpopo ProvinceNkadimeng, Mapule Valencia January 2019 (has links)
Thesis (M.Sc. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Livestock production is the most important sub-sector in agriculture in South Africa. It contributes a very large proportion to the agricultural gross domestic product. It has been identified as the sub-sector that has potential in improving food security and livelihoods of the rural people. The current study analyses the determinants of market participation and profitability of IDC Nguni smallholder farmers in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The aim of the study was to contribute to the body of knowledge that exist in the study area, particularly of Limpopo Province livestock marketing by analysing determinants of market participation and profitability.
The primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. All IDC Nguni Project beneficiaries (62 famers)were included in the survey. Descriptive data were analysed using Version 23 of SPSS. The logistic regression was used to analyse market participation data, multiple regression was used for profitability data and livelihood model for assessing the contribution of the project to livelihoods. The models were analysed using Stata 14.
The results revealed that 59% of the respondents participated in the market and 41% of respondents did not participate. The study revealed that 54% of the respondents indicate that market access was easy and only 38% of respondents indicated that market access was not easy and 8% of respondents revealed that they do not know how the market access was because they were not yet selling. Seventy percent of the farmers perceived their livelihoods being improved after joining IDC Nguni Cattle Project whereas 23% of the farmers perceived their livelihood not improve after joining IDC Nguni Cattle Project. Gross margin computation showed that 52% of the farmers made gross margins ranging between R2 000 and R481 200 during the 2015 production/marketing season. The overall gross margins showed that 46% of the farmers made loss ranging from R7 300 to R170 500 during the 2015 marketing season, and 2% of the smallholder farmers were operating break-even point. The average gross margin for Community Property Associations was R6 031 while for individual farmers it was R16 082. The decision making process, for example to sell
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livestock, may be complex in the CPAs and hence a higher gross margin results for individual farmers than for CPAs. Thirty-six percent of CPAs made a loss, while 49% of individual farmers also made loss during 2015.
The results of logistic regression showed that marital status, education level, loan repayment, price of an animal and household income were all significant factors (at various probability levels and with different signs), influencing market participation in the study area. A multiple regression model revealed that empirically the herd size, farm size and distance travelled to the market were significant at various probability levels and with different signs influencing profitability in the study area. Livelihood model results revealed that recent increase in farm income and farm size were all significant at different probability levels and with different signs influencing smallholder farmers' livelihood improvement in the Limpopo Province.
The study identified some challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Limpopo Province. The major ones were inadequate access of market information, high transactional costs, poor conditions of the animals and poor access to markets.
Policy makers should come up with policies that support the smallholder farmers with formal training, seminars and workshops to improve profitability of the farmers. Basic training of production and marketing may enable the smallholder farmer to increase profits. Other recommendations were formation of farmers' organisations, access to financial resources and private-public collaboration to establish central selling points. / Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation (DST-NRF) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Food Security and National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC)
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Regeneration potential of selected medicinal plants used to treat human and livestock diseases in Limpopo Province of South AfricaOjelade, Babatube Solomon 16 May 2018 (has links)
MSCAGR ( Plant Production) / Many high valued tree species of medicinal significance in the Limpopo Province,
South Africa exhibit seed dormancy, and also contain aromatic oils which inhibit
rooting of their stem cuttings. These plant species are under pressure due to human
over-exploitation. The main objective of this study was to investigate effects of
rooting hormones on the rooting ability that will help in domesticating some of the
selected high valued medicinal plants, Elaeodendron transvaalense (bushveld
saffron), Brackenridgea zanguebarica (yellow peeling plane), and Warburgia
salutaris (pepper-bark tree). Stem cuttings of these plant species were prepared and
treated with various concentrations (500, 1000 and 2000 ppm) of IBA, IAA and NAA
in different growth media (Natural soil, farm soil and hygromix) at a nursery house.
180 experimental units were sown and arranged in Randomized Complete Block
Design (RCBD), each treatment replicated five times and then monitored for a period
of three months. Data were only obtained from Brackenridgea zanguebarica as other
species dried up two weeks after sprouting. The two variables measured from the
experiments were sprouted stems and number of leaves. The data obtained were
subjected to analysis of variance and least significant difference (LSD) at 5%
probability level was used to compare treatment using STATISTICA software
analysis package. The hormone, hormone concentration, growth media and their
interactions had effect on sprouted stems and number of leaves produced on
Brackenridgea zanguebarica cuttings, with no record of rooting ability. IBA (500 ppm
and 1000 ppm) and control (without rooting hormone) showed high significant results
with natural soil and farm soil in terms of leaf production compared to the hygromix,
which is significantly lower from others. IBA at the various concentrations (500, 1000
and 2000 ppm) and the control gave the highest percentage sprouted stem on both
natural soil and farm soil as compared with other hormones at the same / NRF
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Chemical composition, ruminal degradability and in vitro digestibility of dry matter and crude protein of dichrostachys cinerea and bauhinia thonningii leaves.Mahwasane, Mulalo Birgit 18 May 2018 (has links)
MSCAGR (Animal Science) / Department of Animal Science / Forage and browse legumes play an important role in sustaining livestock in small holder
farming systems in the tropics, mainly as a result of their contribution to economic and
environmental sustainability of livestock production. The study was conducted to determine the
chemical composition, ruminal degradability and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (DM) and
crude protein (CP) of Dichrostachys cinerea and Bauhinia thonningii leaves. The browse tree
leaves were harvested in the wild in Shayandima, Limpopo province. The leaves were collected,
oven-dried, milled to pass through a 1.0 mm sieve and analysed for chemical composition in the
Animal Science Nutrition Laboratory, at the University of Venda. The browse tree leaves were
analysed for DM nitrogen, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF).
Approximately 5 g of leaf sample milled to pass through through a 1 mm sieve were placed in
nylon bags (external dimension: 6 × 12 cm, pore size of 41 μm) and incubated in duplicates for
0, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours periods in the rumen of three cannulated Bonsmara
steers. The residues were then analysed for DM and nitrogen. Parameters to describe the
dynamics of ruminal degradability of DM and CP were obtained by fitting the data on the
exponential equation P = a + b (1 - e-ct) using NEWAY computer program, where “a” is the rapid
degradable fraction, “b” is the slow degradable fraction and “c” is the outflow rate. The in vitro
DM and CP degradability of rumen undegradable residue collected after 24 and 48 hour
incubation was determined by sequential in vitro digestion in pepsin (abomasal) and pancreatin
(small intestine) solutions. DM and CP content differed significantly (P ˂ 0.05). D. cinerea
leaves had higher levels of DM and CP content than B. thonningii leaves. DM and CP
disappearance increased (P < 0.01) as the incubation period increased. There was no
difference (P > 0.05) in soluble fraction ‘a’ and ‘b’ of DM of the two species. The CP
components for both fraction ‘a’ and ‘b’ differed significantly (P < 0.01) for CP among the two
species. There was significant difference (P < 0.01) in post-ruminal digestibility among the two
species. CP digestibility of B. thonningii and D. cinerea leaves was reduced (P < 0.01). In
conclusion, B. thonningii and D. cinerea leaves showed significant difference based on their
fermentation kinetics and in vitro digestibility, suggesting a good nutritional quality which can be
used as protein source for ruminants in dry season and supplement to low-quality diets. / NRF
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