Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2006. / "August, 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-30). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-85). Also available via the Internet.

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Thesis (MSc. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / There are few plant species commercialised significantly globally and food requirements are mainly met by only few species. However, there is an enormous number of under-utilised species that play a vital role in the livelihood of rural households. These species are referred to as indigenous crops. Indigenous crops are adaptable to local agro-ecological conditions even where there is unreliable rainfall, which is the case in many parts of the country, require a minimum production management, mature early, and are easy to harvest and preserve and require less capital investments. Despite all these, in South Africa indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) were not commercialised and most researchers did not pay much attention to do research on possibilities of commercialising these crops. Thus this study investigated the economic potential of commercialising indigenous leafy vegetables in the rural South African context in general and in the study area in particular. The objectives of the study were (1) to identify the socio-economic characteristics of ILVs producers in rural areas of Capricorn district, (2), to investigate constraints faced by farmers in commercialising ILVs in rural areas of Capricorn district, (3), to determine the productivity of indigenous leafy vegetables in rural areas of Capricorn district, and (4), to assess different types of marketing channels of ILVs in rural areas of Capricorn district. The study used Stochastic Frontier Production Function to determine the productivity and to assess the socio-economic characteristics of producers of Indigenous Leafy Vegetables. Bubble chart was used to assess the marketing channels whilst consumer data was captured into a statistical package. The results indicated that there are several significant socio-economic factors that affect ILV production and there are also factors which constraint farmers from commercialising ILVs. Productivity of ILVs in the study area varied a lot among farmers; some farmers had a high productivity but most farmers had a low productivity. The results indicated that out of the factors included in the analysis significant production factors were; amount of labour used, cost of hiring tractor service and land devoted to ILVs and inefficiency factors were; gender, age, household size, farming experience, farm size, v hired labour, primary occupation and land ownership. ILV farmers had no formal marketing channels; they sold their product direct to consumers or through hawkers. Therefore, the study recommends the integration of science/modern technology and indigenous knowledge, to improve the productivity of ILVs. Since farmers were not technically efficient, therefore it is important to run workshops that will help them improve their production and marketing skills and how to market their products. Or create booklets that have information on how to efficiently produce ILVs. There should also be awareness campaign on the benefit of ILVs in both rural and urban communities. The study also recommends a multi-disciplinary approach in developing the crop; more stakeholders should be involved so as to make the crop appealing. Finally the study recommends the commercialisation of these crops due to the fact that they have the potential and are demanded in most parts of South Africa.

The purpose of this research is to describe the management of the fresh produce marketing system in retail supermarket chains and to assess the marketing opportunities for specialty produce therein. Results provide new growers with knowledge of the retail industry necessary to establish good relationships with retailers. A selective sample of 17 retail supermarket chains in the Virginia area were identified for inclusion in the study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the person most responsible for produce merchandising within each chain. Interviewees were asked to discuss management positions and operations and produce procurement and merchandising practices. Results of the interviews provided for a generalization of management structures within supermarket chains. Distribution of strategic responsibilities within the different structures are described. Product movement is found to be the primary criterion used to measure the success of a produce item. Firm image is found to be important in explaining a firm's space allocation and other merchandising decisions. Full service supermarket chains carry the greatest variety of produce, but may be less likely to work with small growers. A core of 40 specialty items are carried by two-thirds of the chains in the study. Items that can be grown in Virginia are identified. Results suggest that marketing niches exist for innovative growers who are willing to place special emphasis on high quality and service to retailers. Most direct relationships between growers and retailers are initiated by growers. An algorithm for produce market identification is presented. / Master of Science

Marketing cooperatives play an important role in agricultural activities. Institutional support for cooperatives is based on the idea that, collectively, farmers can achieve benefits than, individually would be difficult to obtain. Head lettuce in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia is marketed and distributed by a central selling agency which is organized as a producer cooperative. Members of the cooperative are subject to regulations, in the form of market quota allocations which control the quantity of head lettuce they can sell through their cooperative. This study describes and analyses the market structure of the head lettuce industry in British Columbia to ascertain and quantify the source of benefits to producers from cooperative marketing within a regulated marketing environment. A model of the industry is constructed to characterize the market for head lettuce in B.C. The parameters which affect consumer demand and farm supply are estimated with econometric equations. A feature of supply is that current production decisions are influenced by the producer's market quota allocation which, in turn, is determined by the producer’s past sales. The market quotas are believed to have constrained supply response and this is borne out by the empirical results which indicates a highly inelastic supply curve. The demand for head lettuce is also estimated to be inelastic. This result is not surprising since head lettuce is regarded as a basic commodity by consumers. The estimated supply and demand elasticities are used to derive linear supply and demand curves at the cooperative and wholesale levels. These are used with the observed 1990 price and quantity levels to calibrate a model of the B.C. head lettuce industry. A counterfactual model is then formulated to simulate a market with no controls on output. Given an inelastic wholesale demand, the simulation results indicate that for very small increases in cooperative output, large decreases in price occur. Consequently total revenues decline at every alternative assumption of supply increase. This result supports the hypothesis that output restrictions by the cooperative have the potential to increase members' output prices. It is concluded that while the market quotas have in the past provided positive benefits to cooperative members, the quotas may now be hindering the process of adjustment to the loss of tariff protection and changing market conditions by making producers less price responsive.

This study focused on the technical and institutional constraints faced by the vegetable co-operatives with regard to the impact on productivity. Vegetable co-operatives have no access to markets due to their poor performance on productivity and poor quality produce resulting to low prices for the produce such that they cannot compete in a market economy. In this study, the data was drawn from a sample of thirty vegetable co-operatives in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) of the Eastern Cape; obtained through focus group discussions and interviews from each cooperative. The objectives of the study are to measure the productivity of vegetable co-operatives using Total factor productivity analysis (TFP) and profitability of vegetable co-operative using Gross Margin (GM). Followed by the descriptive statistics in identifying and assessing the socio-economic characteristics as well as coping strategies adopted by vegetable co-operatives in BCMM where percentages, means and tables are used looking at the highest frequency. The results show that the vegetable co-operatives in the BCMM are not productive and profitable due to major constraints experienced by co-operatives such as lack of market, information, trainings and business skills, capital, infrastructural facilities, effective extension services that all leads to poor produce quality. Co-operative is said to be profitable and viable if total revenue is greater than the total variable cost which makes the gross margin positive. In this case, the total gross margin is negative. The results showed that the production costs, maintenance (tractor hire, generator hire and servicing) and electricity costs were the major costs incurred in the production of vegetable by the co-operatives.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document Copyright 2000, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Bediako, A 2000, A study of fruit and vegetable vendors in the central region of the Eastern Cape Province, MInst Agrar dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-04302007-120638/ > / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted