SABIIA - Sistema Aberto e Integrado de Informação em Agricultura (Sabiia)

Hough, Ella Christina; Nell, Wilhelm T.; Maine, Ntsikane; Groenewald, Jan A.; van der Rijst, M..

Phosphates (P) are an important nutrient required by every living plant and animal cell, and deficiencies in soils could cause limited crop production, thereby reducing profitability. Phosphates are also a primary nutrient essential for root development and crop production, and are needed in the tissues of a plant where cells rapidly divide and enlarge. Precision agriculture (PA) could assist the farmer in applying the correct amount of P to the part of the field where it is required most. Variable rate technology (VRT) is a potential tool that can help with the development of strategies for phosphate fertilizer management. On-field trials were conducted on a commercial farm in the Western Cape Province; As many as five soil types occur on each field...

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Precision agriculture; Variable-rate phosphate application; Single rate phosphate application; Profitability; Spatial differences; Restricted maximum-likelihood model (RELM); Spatial regression; Best fit model selection; South Africa; Crop Production/Industries.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/96642

A Discriminant Analysis of Factors Associated with The Adoption Of Certified Organic Farming By Smallholder Farmers in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Kisaka-Lwayo, Maggie.

Discriminant analysis was used to identify the characteristics that distinguish between fully-certified organic, partially-certified organic and non-organic farmers in Umbumbulu district, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA) during October- November 2004. 200 farmers interviewed were drawn by purposively selecting the 151 members of the Ezemvelo Farmers’ Organisation (EFO), and by random sampling 49 non-organic farmers in wards neighbouring EFO. Results from the two estimated discriminant functions suggested that farmers with higher household sizes, incomes, input costs per hectare and number of chickens owned, locations further from innovators and less risk aversion were more likely to be certified as organic. Household location should be considered in...

A new methodology for assessing the impact of water-pricing scenarios: case study of small-scale irrigation schemes in South Africa

Palavras-chave: Adoption; Organic; Discriminant Analysis; South Africa; Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Demand and Price Analysis; Farm Management; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Food Security and Poverty; Health Economics and Policy; International Relations/Trade; Labor and Human Capital; Marketing; Productivity Analysis; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/52155

Speelman, Stijn; Frija, Aymen; Farolfi, Stefano; Buysse, Jeroen; D'Haese, Marijke F.C.; D'Haese, Luc.

Worldwide growing water scarcity has increased the call for economic instruments to stimulate rational water use in agriculture. In addition cost-recovery is now widely accepted as a cornerstone of sustainable water management. As a consequence now in developing countries, where currently agricultural water use is often still heavily subsidized, a tendency exists of introducing water-pricing as a policy to achieve more sustainable water use. The exact impact of water pricing policies on irrigation water use or on the farmers’ production system is however mostly unknown. A new two-stage methodology that allows estimating at the farm level the effects of introducing or raising a water price on the agricultural production process and water demand is...

Evaluation of historic, current and future water demand in the Olifants River Catchment, South Africa

Palavras-chave: Water-pricing; Water savings; Irrigation; Data envelopment analysis; South Africa; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/43836

McCartney, Matthew P.; Arranz, Roberto.

Water resource development has played a significant role in the expansion of agriculture and industry in the Olifants River Catchment. However, currently water deficit is one of the major constraints hampering development in the catchment; both the mining and agricultural sectors are producing below optimal levels because of their reliance on insufficient supplies. In this study, the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model was used to evaluate scenarios of historic, current and future water demand in the catchment. For each scenario, the WEAP model was used to simulate demand in five different sectors (rural, urban, mining, commercial forestry and irrigation) over a 70-year period of varying rainfall and hydrology. Levels of assured supply were...

Tipo: Report

Palavras-chave: River basins; Catchment areas; Water resources development; Water demand; Water allocation; Simulation models; Calibrations; Water use; Irrigation water; Domestic water; Ecology; South Africa; Olifants River Catchment; Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Crop Production/Industries; Demand and Price Analysis; Environmental Economics and Policy; Farm Management; Labor and Human Capital; Land Economics/Use; Production Economics; Productivity Analysis; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.

Ano: 2007

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61095

What about the food quality turn in South Africa? Focus on the organic movement development

Vermeulen, Hester; Bienabe, Estelle.

This paper depicts how the general turn from mass consumption toward increased qualitative differentiation of products - the quality turn - manifest in the South African agro-food system. The strong influence of these quality trends on agro-food systems evolution has been widely discussed in Europe and North America. We show that identifying quality related dynamics is bringing an interesting perspective into understanding some of the evolution of the local agro-food system. The discussion is mainly based on the perspective of the organic sector. Most domestic retailers' food quality positioning is in line with consumer trends, being general and price orientated. However, the retail sector has been entering and driving quality related niche markets,...

What Is the Impact of Non-Contributory Pensions on Poverty? Estimates from Brazil and South Africa

Palavras-chave: Quality; Organic food; Retail sector; South Africa; Consumer behaviour; Agribusiness; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety.

Ano: 2007

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7865

Barrientos, Armando.

This paper considers the impact of cash transfer programmes for the old in Brazil and South Africa on poverty among households with older people. Using datasets collected specifically for the purpose, the paper constructs conditional and unconditional estimates of the poverty reduction capacity of these programmes. The paper finds that non-contributory pensions have a measurable and significant impact upon poverty reduction and poverty prevention in the two countries studied.

Power, Politics, and Performance: Community Participation in South African Public Works Programs

Palavras-chave: Poverty; Pensions; South Africa; Brazil; Food Security and Poverty; H55; I32; I38; J14.

Ano: 2003

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/30556

Adato, Michelle; Hoddinott, John; Haddad, Lawrence James.

Community-driven development is indelible in the development landscape. It is increasingly visible in the policy design of many governments, nongovernmental organizations, and multilateral institutions and features in important debates involving democracy, governance, institutions, and decentralization. As this research report points out, this has philosophical and instrumentalist underpinnings, with participation as both means and end. Participatory or community-driven development is advocated on the basis that, among other advantages, it can reduce information problems for development planners and beneficiaries, increase the resources available to poor people, and strengthen the capacity for collective action among poor and other marginalized societal...

Tipo: Report

Palavras-chave: Public works; South Africa; Community development; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Public Economics.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/37887

Marriage, Schooling, and Excess Mortality in Prime-Age Adults: Evidence from South Africa

Yamauchi, Futoshi.

The institution of marriage plays some role in determining one’s risk of exposure to HIV. Since the transmission of HIV in the population is mainly through sexual activity, avoiding infection depends on risk-avoiding behavior. Consistently, empirical results show that excess mortality is concentrated in not-yet married adults aged 20-39 among both men and women. Therefore, the choice of when and who to marry appears to be related to risk of exposure. The objective of this paper is to determine the effect that schooling has on HIV/AIDS excess mortality, using panel data from South Africa. This paper tests the hypothesis that schooling affects when and who one marries and thus impacts the risk of mortality from HIV/AIDS. The effect could be negative or...

Economic analysis of water supply cost structure in the Middle Olifants sub-basin of South Africa

Palavras-chave: Marriage; Schooling; Excess mortality; HIV/AIDS; South Africa; Labor and Human Capital.

Ano: 2007

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42423

Tsegai, Daniel W.; Linz, Teresa; Kloos, Julia.

Using data gathered from the National Treasury of South Africa, we examine the structure of water supply costs and tariffs of Water Service Authorities (WSAs) in the Middle Olifants sub-basin of South Africa. Using the translog cost function method, the marginal cost of water supply and economies of scale are estimated. Comparison of tariffs and marginal costs show that the estimated marginal cost is higher than the actual tariff paid by consumers. This implies that WSAs in the Middle Olifants are not charging enough to recover the costs of the water services. Thus, among other things, pricing of water at its marginal cost would partly assist in solving the cost recovery problem. Raised tariffs would in turn contribute to improved efficiency of water use....

PROSPECTS FOR RURAL GROWTH? MEASURING GROWTH LINKAGES IN A SOUTH AFRICAN SMALLHOLDER FARMING AREA

Palavras-chave: Translog cost function; Water supply; Water Service Authority; Middle Olifants; South Africa; Environmental Economics and Policy.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/49926

Simphiwe, N..

This paper addresses the possible impact of rising smallholder incomes on local non-agricultural development in a case study area located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It determines how increased rural incomes are spent on a mix of goods and services, and debates the implications of these spending patterns for growth in rural areas through the alleviation of demand constraints. These results make it possible to identify areas of intervention necessary for sustaining growth originating from stimulus to tradable agriculture from economic reforms. This paper thus contributes to an emerging literature on the possible impact of promoting smallholder agriculture in South Africa on rural livelihoods.

A Dynamic Risk Optimization Model for Evaluating Profitable and Feasible Water Management Plans

Palavras-chave: Rural; Growth linkages; Multipliers; Smallholder; South Africa; Africa; Community/Rural/Urban Development.

Ano: 2001

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/18027

Grove, Bennie; Oosthuizen, L.K.; Backeberg, G.R..

Currently the South African government is advocating the cultivation of high valued crops and more efficient use of available water resources through the adoption o f more efficient irrigation technology and irrigation scheduling. A requirement of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) is the compilation of water management plans. The main objective of this paper is to develop a multiperiod mathematical risk programming model able of assisting water user associations with the compilation of water management plans that are both profitable and feasible. Special care was taken to represent canal capacities and irrigation system application rates in the model. Risk simulation procedures are used to generate an appropriately correlated inter- and...

After the negotiations: assessing the impact of free trade agreements in Southern Africa

Palavras-chave: Dynamic Linear Programming; Risk; Irrigation; Feasibility; South Africa; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; C6; Q15; Q12.

Ano: 2006

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/25554

Lewis, Jeffrey D.; Robinson, Sherman; Thierfelder, Karen.

"September 1999." "MERRISA, Macro Economic Reforms and Regional Integration in Southern Africa"--Series t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-28). Published as: Lewis, Jeffrey D.; Robinson, Sherman; Thierfelder, Karen. 2003. Free trade agreements and the SADC economies. Journal of African Economies 12(2): 156-206.

Importance of Sustainability on Agriculture in Southern Africa

Palavras-chave: Trade policy -- Africa.; Free trade.; South Africa; International Relations/Trade.

Ano: 1999

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/97532

Louw, Andre; Ndanga, Leah Z.B..

This paper seeks to describe and discuss the impact that climate changes, and other challenges in terms of sustainability, have had on Africa and particularly on South Africa. It seeks to discuss the extent to which these changes directly and indirectly impact agriculture and the measures that are currently underway, with particular reference to South Africa, as well as suggest other strategies that could be implemented to attenuate the effects of climate change, thereby advancing the global shift towards sustainability. The paper discusses environmental and other changes that have taken place in Africa and asserts that the continent is in a particularly difficult situation in light of the debate on sustainability versus productivity. The fact that most of...

Improving water use efficiency under worsening scarcity: Evidence from the Middle Olifants sub-basin in South Africa

Palavras-chave: Sustainability; Agriculture; South Africa; Climate change; Environmental Economics and Policy; Farm Management.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/96810

Walter, Teresa; Kloos, Julia; Tsegai, Daniel W..

With the political changes in South Africa in the early 1990s, the South African government introduced a reform process in the entire water sector with the goal of a more enhanced and equitable water management system. This paper analyzes existing water allocation situations and applies a nonlinear optimization model to investigate the optimal intra- and inter-regional allocations in the Middle Olifants sub-basin of South Africa. Results show higher benefit from inter-regional water allocation. Reducing water supply levels to conform to the sustainable water supply policy, it can be shown that although water supply is reduced by approximately 50%, total benefits from water are only reduced by 5% and 11% for inter- and intra-regional allocation regimes...

Impediments to Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Scale Maize Milling Enterprises in South Africa

Palavras-chave: Water allocation; IWRM; Olifants basin; South Africa; Africa; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/97035

Orefi, Abu.

The maize milling industry is highly characterised by continuous growth in maize milling and retailing margins in real terms (Traub and Jayne, 2004) despite the benefits and opportunities brought about by the deregulation of the South African maize market in 1997. This may be indicative of the inability of small and medium-scale maize milling enterprises (SMSMMEs) to emerge and compete with large-scale maize millers. This paper examines the constraints faced by SMSMMEs in South Africa. Data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Millers were asked to identify the various challenges facing their enterprises. Some key constraints identified were; high transport costs, high maize prices, brand name establishment and government policies...

Agricultural land tax and farm-level resource use and output supply response

Palavras-chave: Enterprises; Maize; Milling; South Africa; Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Demand and Price Analysis; Farm Management; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Food Security and Poverty; International Relations/Trade; Marketing; Productivity Analysis; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/52123

Olubode-Awosola, Femi.

This study develops and uses a programming model for farm-level resource use and output supply response to estimate the effects of agricultural land tax in South Africa: A case study of Free State, a region of extremely large commercial farms that gained their size and economic heft during the apartheid years of aggressive subsidies, favorable tax treatment, lucrative state grants and gifts, and all manner of financial assistance. The results indicate that changes in land use and output supply are marginal. The highest effects are observed on irrigated farming. Relevant policy responses raised by the findings are discussed.

THE COST OF MEETING EQUITY: OPPORTUNITY COST OF IRRIGATION IN THE FISH-SUNDAYS SCHEME OF SOUTH AFRICA

Palavras-chave: Agricultural land tax; Farm-level; Resource use; Output supply; Land reform; South Africa; Case study; Programming model; Agricultural and Food Policy; Farm Management; Food Security and Poverty; Land Economics/Use; Political Economy; Research Methods/ Statistical Methods; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Risk and Uncertainty.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/51664

Hoag, Dana L.; Conradie, Beatrice.

In this paper the incremental values of water are calculated for irrigators in the Fish-Sundays Scheme of South Africa's Eastern Cape province. The socio-political pressure for redistribution of agricultural resources provided the imperative for this study. The model of the Fish-Sundays Scheme reflects a survey of 50 000ha of fodder and citrus production. It explicitly models the water demand on sixteen typical farms, for five irrigation technologies, six crops and four livestock activities. The existing allocation generates an average value of R0.0423/m3/year, which increases to R0.0681/m3/year if farmer-to-farmer trading is allowed given existing infrastructure. Unrestricted trade raises the average value to R0.0719/m3/year. The marginal cost of...

A MODEL OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS TO THE EQUINE BREEDING INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Palavras-chave: Water value; Irrigation; Linear programming; South Africa; Eastern Cape; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q15; Q12.

Ano: 2003

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/25832