No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the sources of stress, support systems, coping strategies and psychological well-being of adolescents in a rural area, and to use this information to develop a coping and life skills programme. While all families face stressor events and crises, some are more likely than others to experience a series of challenges that threaten their functioning. Rural families often face a greater variety of stressor events on a more continues basis than do families in metropolitan areas (Dyk, 2003). Rural families do not have as many resources and services available lo address their problems as do urban families (Deavers & Hoppe, 2001). Farm schools suffer from a variety of shortages. Many schools suffer from a pressing shortage of space and educational aids and in most cases there is only one teacher for every 50 learners (Van Kleist, 2002). Some of the learners have to walk more than 1Okm to school everyday because of the lack of transport. Most schools lack proper sanitation and electricity. Recreational and cultural activities are curtailed through shortages of equipment and suitable locations. Education in life skills may contribute to the enhancement of life quality, The development of constructive coping strategies protects mental health and enhances bio psycho- social well-being in times of high stress. Previously it was assumed that each individual acquired these skills as part of growing up. Alas, the truth is that many people do not cope with life and never learned these skills. These skills should therefore be taught in a direct and systematic way, rather than being left to be learnt incidentally. The qualitative research design was based on a sample of 56 male and female adolescents between 1 2 and 16 years of age. The adolescents were from four farm schools situated in the Potchefstroom area. Sixteen learners were randomly selected for semi-structured interviews to obtain basic information for the pilot study. Approximately 37 learners took part in the programme. The learners attended Grades 4-7. The deve1opment of the programme was done in five phases. During phase one semi structured interviews were held with some of the learners. During phase two the interviews were evaluated thematically, The data was then organized into conceptual categories and was then analyzed. During phase three the programme was developed according to the themes derived from phase two. In phase four the programme was presented at the schools as a trial test. During phase five the programme underwent some changes according to the findings in phase four. The development of the programme went well, however presenting the programme was a more demanding task. Almost none of the participants could properly speak or understand Afrikaans or English. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

It is common to find farm schools some distance from the villages where learners reside, and in most cases these do not look good from the outside and are normally not given as much support as they should get. There are many challenges facing educators who are teaching learners in farm schools. Some of the problems emanate from home, including the socia-economic status and parental involvement. Other problems are as a result of the environmental conditions, including a lack of basic services like water, electricity and others. The education system is believed to be failing farm school learners in a way when it comes to issues like a lack of teaching or learning aids, a lack of a referral system, a lack in high schools, a lack of funding, managing and controlling the feeding scheme. At times some additional problems are caused by the learners themselves, including latecoming, absenteeism, a high drop-out rate, teenage pregnancy and vandalism. The bad road conditions and the fact that learners have to walk long distances to school, also impact negatively on the learners. Educators in farm schools feel that they are over-burdened in their task of teaching because of issues like multi-grade classes, too much administration, and lack of support from the department and the parents, as well as financial constraints. The above factors cause much frustration in the teaching profession and educators become drained and experience serious fatigue, which impacts negatively on their work. The aim of this study is to investigate the general perceptions of educators about the health status of farm schools. To attain this aim, the study had following specific objective: To determine the perceptions of educators about the health status of farm schools. A qualitative research design was considered to be the most appropriate for gaining in depth insight into the educators' perceptions about the health status of farm schools. Data was collected through phenomenological semi-structured interviews and direct observations. This data was then organised into categories and subcategories, and direct quotations were presented verbatim. Research findings were compared to the relevant literature to identify existing information and possible differences, and the findings were then recorded The study showed that there are many barriers in farm schools that hinder the smooth running the of school, in other words the learning and teaching. It is necessary to eliminate these barriers where possible, and to minimise and control the barriers that can be detrimental to the health status of farm schools. Findings from this research were classified according to the following main categories: • Difficult working conditions experienced by educators in the classroom. • Poor socio-economic status of learners. • Lack of support to learners from outside the school. • Dissatisfaction with the Department of Education's management. Lack of transport and bad road conditions on the way to school. • The adverse effect of the status quo on educators. • Learners’ negative attitude. • Struggles with helper mothers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Farmers in Western Canada are continually assessing where to invest their next dollar. In considering a farm expansion and the machinery assets they need to match their current farm size or a possible expansion. This study attempts to find the optimal farm size by creating a farm budget model that maximizes profit over a range of different farm sizes. As farm size increases there is more risk that inclement weather will lengthen the time needed for crop operations. Previous studies have shown that both seeding and harvest operations have optimum time windows in which they should occur for best yield results. The results of this research showed that net mean profit was maximized around a 9,000 acre grain farm. For farm sizes above 9,000 acres losses associated with lack of field operation time could not be compensated by cropping additional acres.

It is common to find farm schools some distance from the villages where learners reside, and in most cases these do not look good from the outside and are normally not given as much support as they should get. There are many challenges facing educators who are teaching learners in farm schools. Some of the problems emanate from home, including the socia-economic status and parental involvement. Other problems are as a result of the environmental conditions, including a lack of basic services like water, electricity and others. The education system is believed to be failing farm school learners in a way when it comes to issues like a lack of teaching or learning aids, a lack of a referral system, a lack in high schools, a lack of funding, managing and controlling the feeding scheme. At times some additional problems are caused by the learners themselves, including latecoming, absenteeism, a high drop-out rate, teenage pregnancy and vandalism. The bad road conditions and the fact that learners have to walk long distances to school, also impact negatively on the learners. Educators in farm schools feel that they are over-burdened in their task of teaching because of issues like multi-grade classes, too much administration, and lack of support from the department and the parents, as well as financial constraints. The above factors cause much frustration in the teaching profession and educators become drained and experience serious fatigue, which impacts negatively on their work. The aim of this study is to investigate the general perceptions of educators about the health status of farm schools. To attain this aim, the study had following specific objective: To determine the perceptions of educators about the health status of farm schools. A qualitative research design was considered to be the most appropriate for gaining in depth insight into the educators' perceptions about the health status of farm schools. Data was collected through phenomenological semi-structured interviews and direct observations. This data was then organised into categories and subcategories, and direct quotations were presented verbatim. Research findings were compared to the relevant literature to identify existing information and possible differences, and the findings were then recorded The study showed that there are many barriers in farm schools that hinder the smooth running the of school, in other words the learning and teaching. It is necessary to eliminate these barriers where possible, and to minimise and control the barriers that can be detrimental to the health status of farm schools. Findings from this research were classified according to the following main categories: • Difficult working conditions experienced by educators in the classroom. • Poor socio-economic status of learners. • Lack of support to learners from outside the school. • Dissatisfaction with the Department of Education's management. Lack of transport and bad road conditions on the way to school. • The adverse effect of the status quo on educators. • Learners’ negative attitude. • Struggles with helper mothers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

No description available.

The principal objectives of this study are to identify the production factors that influence cocoa productivity at the smallholder's level and to examine resource allocation and technical efficiency in cocoa production. Cross-sectional data collected from 260 cocoa smallholders were used for the study. Both the average production function estimated by the Ordinary Least Squares techniques and the frontier production function estimated by the Linear Programming methodology were employed in the analysis. The results indicated that the input factors which had a significant impact on the production of cocoa were land size, labour, living capital, farm implements and fertilisers. Among the management proxies, only farmer's age, extension contact, farmer's education and the practice of keeping farm records and accounts were important. The data presented in this study 1end support to the hypothesis that the cocoa smallholders were highly inefficient allocatively. Inputs comprising land, fertilisers, and farm implements were underused while labour and living capital were overused. Technical inefficiencies were also present in the study area. The study revealed that a large proportion of the farmers have output levels below their potential. Output could be increased between 18 to 52 per cent if all the least efficient farmers attained those levels of technical efficiency that were achieved by the best farmers in the sample. The variations in technical efficiency in this area were explained by differences in land size, farmer's educational level, their age and the practice of keeping farm records and accounts. This study emphasises the need that increasing efforts must be directed at the least efficient farmers through better and effective management practices and better organization of farm activity without major new investments, at least in the short-run.

No description available.

The amount and frequency of use of pesticides in vegetable farming have been shown to be high in the five farming areas in Al-Ain, UAE. The mean usage of all pesticides was high (6.81 g/m2) while the usage of organophosphorus pesticides (2.11 g/m2) was higher compared to the usage of all the other types of pesticides. A number of pesticides banned from use in the developed countries are still used in vegetable farming. The depletion of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity among farmworkers was positively correlated with the length (p<0.01), frequency(p<0.05) and the use of pesticides (p<0.0001) and inversely correlated with the use of personal protective equipment (p<0.05) and personal hygiene practice (p<0.05). The morbidity profile among farmworkers was positively correlated with the use of pesticides on the farms (p<0.0001) and the non-use of personal protection (p<0.05). The mean concentrations of all pesticide residues (1.19±0.09 mg/kg) and the organophosphorus pesticide residues (1.23±0.22 mg/kg) in the locally grown vegetables exceeded the respective MRLs by 4 and 6 times respectively. The mean concentrations for all pesticides and for organophosphorus pesticide residues in twelve of the thirteen vegetable commodities also exceeded the corresponding MRLs. The mean dietary intakes of all pesticide residues, as a percentage of ADI, were 14% and 17% respectively for the ethnic and farming populations, while corresponding values for organophosphorus pesticides were 37% and 45% respectively. However, the dietary intakes of pesticide residues exceeded the ADI for mixtures for the ethnic (137%) and the farming populations (163%). A review of congenital malformations among ethnic and immigrant non-farming populations has suggested an interplay of genetic, dietary and environmental factors. Methods are proposed to reduce the environmental exposure and the dietary intake of pesticide residues and these include the establishment of a pesticide register, the training of the farmworkers in the proper use of pesticides, the use of protective measures, alternate methods of farming, the proper processing of vegetables prior to consumption and a comprehensive risk assessment of reproductive and genetic toxicity of organophosphorus pesticides.