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2. Analyzing the delivery of public agricultural extension services to rural households during Covid-19: A case study of Idutywa, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mzuyanda, C. (author), Luvhengo, U. (author), Jiba, P. (author), Khobai, H. (author), and Letsoalo, S.S. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-11-02
- Published:
- South Africa: South African Society for Agricultural Extension
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12724
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol, 50, N.1
- Notes:
- 16 pages, This study analysed the delivery of public agricultural extension services to the rural households of Idutywa, Eastern Cape. Primary data were collected from 75 participants. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Results revealed that there is generally a lack of access to extension services by households in the study area. Above all, the findings showed that access to agricultural extension services is influenced by limited movements, cellphone data, household size, and a limited number of farmers for training. Based on the control and treated variables, the Average Treatment Effect Treated from Kernel, Nearest Neighbours, and Radius matching methods were found to be negative which means that if farmers did not receive the program during the pandemic, the performance and yields were going to be very poor and low. The study recommends that extension officers should be empowered with modern tools to deliver need-based agricultural extension services in the future.
3. Assessment of socio-economic characteristics that determine farmers’ access to agricultural extension services in Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Loki, O. (author), Aliber, A. (author), and Sikweli, M.M. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-04-26
- Published:
- South Africa: Academy of Science of South Africa
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12352
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Issue 49(1)
- Notes:
- 12 pages., The study reported on in this paper investigated smallholder farmers’ access to extension services. The study sought to distinguish the varying degrees of access to services of smallholder farmers engaged in different production systems, that is, home gardening, field cropping, and livestock production. The study was conducted in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, specifically in two communities, namely Ngcabasa and Phathikhala villages. Research activities included a survey of 100 farmers as well as focus group discussions. Employing logistic regression analysis, the study aimed to understand what influences whether or not a smallholder farmer accesses extension. The study also used various types of comparative statistics (T-test) to assess the implications of access to extension support, for instance for production and farm income. The main findings of the study were that 68% of the farming households interviewed in Ngcabasa and 71% of those in Phathikhala had access to extension services. Farmers who had access to extension had more farm income in both enterprises compared to those who had no access to extension services. From the regression analysis, farmers who were more likely to receive extension support appeared to be those who were older, those with less education, and those farming with livestock.
4. Public extension agents' need for new competencies: evidence from a climate variability study in Limpopo Province, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Afful, D.B. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01-01
- Published:
- South Africa: SciELO
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12472
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol 44 (2)
- Notes:
- 11 pages, Changes occurring in the Extension environment include that of climate. Reduced and sporadic rainfall is among the effects of climate change and variability with consequent negative effects on food production. Smallholder agriculture in most developing countries world-wide, including South Africa, is largely rain-fed. Extension agents, therefore, need to constantly improve their capabilities to remain useful to farming communities. The purpose of the paper is to determine Extension agents' climate variability coping competencies required to effectively support smallholder crop farmers' production. The study adopted a multi-stage random sampling approach to site and respondents' selection. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data in 2014 from smallholder crop farmers in four municipalities of Limpopo province. Information was also collected from Extension managers and field-level extension agents of the Limpopo Department of Agriculture by means of questionnaires. The most popular climate variability coping strategy promoted by most extension agents was conservation agriculture. Small yield differences between Extension service-recipients and non-recipients indicate that Extension support has minimal effect on farmers' production. Agents need new competencies regarding correct application conservation agriculture. The study recommends the involvement of extension agents, scientists and farmers in adaptive trials for effective implementation of conservation agricultural practices to improve crop yields.
5. The future of agricultural extension in South Africa: lessons from within and outside the African continent
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mangheni, M.N.K. (author), Mollel, N.M. (author), Norman, D.W. (author), Paradza, P.C. (author), and Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, KS; Agricultural Extension and Education, Sokoine University, Tanzania; Agricultural and Education, Makerere University, Uganda; Field Ministries, World Vision International, Zimbabwe
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 1994
- Published:
- South Africa: South African Society for Agricultural Extension, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 100 Document Number: C08422
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 23 : 1-20
- Notes:
- James F. Evans Collection, The current wind of change sweeping across in South Africa provides a unique opportunity for the new unified agricultural extension system in the country to be set up to address the needs of not only large (i.e., commercialized) farmers but also those of the numerous small (i.e., usually less commercialized) farmers, in a way that is effective, equitable and efficient. This article reviews experiences with agricultural extension during the last few decades both inside and outside Africa. Based on this review lessons are extracted that will be important to take into account in designing the appropriate agricultural extension system for South Africa. It is important for an effective agricultural extension service to have effective, interactive linkages with the other "actors" in the agricultural development process (i.e., not only farmers, but also researchers and planners). Some specific suggestions are given on how the unified agricultural extension system might be organized and implemented in the South African situation. While recognized that it is not necessarily the ideal solution, it is proposed that public agricultural extension funds should be primarily concentrated on the smaller less commercialized farmers, while the larger farmers should be primarily catered for by the private sector. (original)
6. Towards an appropriate extension approach for agricultural and rural development in South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Duvel, G.H. (author)
- Format:
- Abstract
- Publication Date:
- 2000
- Published:
- South Africa
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 174 Document Number: C29675
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 29
- Notes:
- Via African Journals Online.
7. Towards an efficient post Covid-19 ict based extension service delivery model for the sugar industry of eSwatini
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dlamini, M.M. (author), Worth, S.H. (author), and Ajayi, O.A. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-12-09
- Published:
- South Africa: South African Society for Agricultural Extension
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12730
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 49, N. 3
- Notes:
- 15 pages, This study presents a designed ICT based extension service delivery system for the sugar industry of Eswatini. The model is an improvement of the current system and it presents a delivery system that is void of many limitations. This model emanates from findings of a survey which involved all smallholder sugarcane farmers (N=172) and their extension officers (N=17). The survey investigated how information and knowledge are currently managed within the sugar industry. Basically, the model revolves around the use of mobile phones to relay information among the sugar industry stakeholders in a timely, more organised, productive and cost-effective ways, without contravention of the COVID-19 pandemic protocols. Sugarcane stakeholders can now be able to exchange information using the model without having to meet physically, which is what most of the traditional approaches required. The exchange of information can be in a form of voiced, pre-recorded information in the form of texts, audio, or audio visuals. This would go a long way in enhancing smallholder farmer’s productivity as it has the potential of empowering more rural sugarcane farmers with crucial information for improved productivity. The model has the potential to sustain itself as the participation of the stakeholders is promoted.
8. Why do agricultural co-operatives fail to attract youth and create rural employment? Evidence from a case study of Zanokhanyo in Butterworth, Eastern Cape
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Zantsi, S. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-05-25
- Published:
- South Africa: Academy of Science of South Africa
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 203 Document Number: D12308
- Journal Title:
- South African Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Vol. 49 No. 1 (2021)
- Notes:
- 15 pages., In the National Development Plan, cooperatives and agriculture development are identified as possible solutions for addressing rural poverty and unemployment, especially among the youth. However, according to most research/literature, agricultural cooperatives fail for many reasons, including but not limited to lack of capital, incompetent management and organizational deficiencies. This study applied a qualitative analysis to the qualitative data using a case study of Zanokhanyo Food Security Cooperative (ZFSC) in Ndabakazi, Butterworth. Interviews with the project members, ex-members, extension officers and youth were conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire administered in IsiXhosa. According to the results, lack of intensive production resulting in very low incomes is one of the reasons why projects such as ZFSC fail to attract young people and provide employment for rural people. Agricultural extension advisory services play a very limited role because of their generalist approach; they lack depth of knowledge about diverse agricultural subject areas. This study recommends that agricultural extension and the farmers’ support system be improved by employing or outsourcing specialists to cater to the needs of agricultural cooperatives in order to improve the productivity and income of agricultural cooperatives.