Impact of the Limpopo Province Strategic Team (LIMPA) grain advancement project on farmer's production in the Limpopo province, South Africa (original) (raw)
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MSc Agric: Agricultural Extension
2016
This dissertation describes a study undertaken in Limpopo Province and is based on the GPAP project which was created under the auspices of LIMPAST through an established working partnership of ARC-GCI and LDA extension services. The study aimed at analysing the impact of the Grain Production Advancement Project on farmers' production efficiency; and to determine factors that could have possibly affected the implementation of improved maize cultivars and essential maize production practices at farmer level. In essence, two important phenomena of the study are addressed: train-the-trainer, and also train the farmer. Through the GPAP project, farmer groups were formed and capacitated. Extension officers seconded to the project were also capacitated to implement the project through On-farm trials, Demonstrations and Farmer Field Schools.
Maize production in Ghana is characterized by very low technological input which translates to lower yields. Informal training organized at the instance of the Millennium Development Authority for Farmer Based Organizations and facilitated by the Crops Research Institute impacted positively on yield. This study examined the extent to which two FBOs in the Akwapim South Municipality of the Eastern Region adopted improved agricultural practices prior to and after the training. Significantly high (58%) of farmers were in the old age bracket (>45) years. Farmers had considerable experience with 56% having engaged in the farming business for over twenty years. As low as 8.5% of farmers used improved maize varieties and practiced row planting. Only 13% applied fertilizers however, all farmers sowed seed on time and treated seed against soil pests before sowing. None of the farmers was aware that 9 kg seed maize was required for one acre of field. Average yield of maize increased significantly (10.9 bags/acre) when farmers adopted good agricultural practices taught them using a "starter pack" inputs supplied to them after the training compared with (1.5 bags/acre) realized prior to the training.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2016
Farmers' goals in complementarity with natural, physical and financial assets are crucial for efficient production and productivity especially for rural development and economic growth. Goals can be defined as aspirations for which a person has decided to undertake for improved well-being. This article examined correlates of farmers' production efficiency, and their goals and other farmer/farm characteristics. The study was carried out at Qamata and Tyefu irrigation scheme in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, respectively. The study involved about 108 of farmers who were interviewed as source of primary data. This article assumes that farmers' goals have a greater impact on their production efficiency. The principal component analysis was employed to establish generalized perceived farmers' goals. Established principal component coefficients were regressed with generated production efficiency scores. A stochastic production frontier analysis was employed to generate the efficiency scores. Generated perceived principal component of farmers' goals included selfexpression (Farm status), business (profit) related goals, social (internal and external network and rules) related goals and independence goals (self-reliance). On average, smallholder farmers were technically inefficient in maize production with a score of about 44%. Farm and farmers' characteristics found to be significantly related to technical efficiency included household size (at 5% level of significance), years spent in school (at 5% level of significance), access to training on agronomy (at 5% level), crop incomes (at 5% level), and government social grants (at 1% level of significance). The perceived farmers' goal found to have a positive and significant impact on technical efficiency was farm status at 10% level, while farmers' goal related to business (profit maximization) had a negative relationship with technical efficiency at 5% level of significance. This study recommends that all stakeholders in smallholder agricultural sector should participate in planning and implementing policies that match farmers' goals and aspiration, and farmers' improved formal education and access to farm loans, without changing the existing technology.
2020
The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is an agricultural and development agenda aimed at reducing hunger and poverty amongst the ECOWAS nations. Maize is an emphasis crop being promoted by the WAAPP, Republic of Guinea. The WAAPP was therefore investigated for Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) effectiveness among maize farmers in Mamou, Republic of Guinea. A total of 176 beneficiary maize farmers were selected through a three-stage sampling procedure, and information was obtained using a well-structured interview schedule. Data were analysed using mean, t–test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) at α0.05. Subsidy on fertilizer, supply of improved maize seeds, training on pest management and fertiliser application were the most accessed project deliverables. The context-input, process and product phases of the project objective hierarchy were rated effective, with average yield of 1.37 tonnes/ha among beneficiaries, compared to the national av...
ADRRI JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SCIENCES, 2021
Maize seeds differ according to varieties. The traditional maize varieties well known as landrace are seeds that are domesticated with special traits derived from development and adaptation over time. These seeds retain a distinct identity and lack formal crop improvement. Improved maize variety seeds are well known for their desired attributes of being drought-tolerant, disease-tolerant and yielding optimal output. This study was therefore conducted to examine some factors influencing varietal choice amongst smallholder maize farmers in Mogalakwena Municipality of Limpopo province, South Africa. Data was analysed using the descriptive statistics and Multinomial Logistic Regression Model. The results of the study highlighted that 64% of the respondents had formal education. It was also found that 75% of the farmers had no extension contact, meanwhile, it is believed that extension services have a crucial impact and would play an important role in disseminating information related to agricultural practice. The most grown maize variety was the landrace variety constituting 59.5% with about 80% of the farmers traveling an average of 42 kilometres to access available market. The result of Multinomial Logistic Regression Model revealed that educational level (p<0.00), farm size (p<0.05), yield (p<0.00), extension contact (p<0.01) and knowledge of maize varieties (p<0.00) influenced varietal choice among the farmers. Based on the study outcomes, it is recommended that enhancing capacity building of famers through education and improvement in extension service delivery will not only improve better adoption but also engender access to useful information on maize varierties.
Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research
Aims: Maize is of great significance in the national food security of South Africa. Maize production levels in South Africa continue to decline, further deteriorating the situation of increased food insecurity, unemployment and increased poverty levels in the face of increasing population. This paper investigated fundamental variables influencing maize yield in the South African major maize producing regions. Study Design: A multi-stage stratified sampling method was employed to select maize producing farmers in the major maize producing provinces, namely Mpumalanga, Free State and North West provinces of South Africa. Furthermore, three districts were selected from which maize farmers were then selected. Methodology: Using linear multiple regression for a sample of 202 maize farmers, maize yield as a dependent variable was regressed against land size, fertilizer usage, labour, herbicides and seeds as independent variables. The paper employed the Cobb-Douglas production function to ...
Agriculture & Food Security, 2018
Background: Whether or not maize farmers are technically efficient determines their choice of productivity improvement strategy and very important for achieving the sustainable development goals on no poverty and zero hunger. This study examined technical efficiency and its determinants of Ghana’s maize farmers. Analysis of the determinants is crucial to devising strategies aimed at improving technical efficiencies of the farmers as well as ensuring no poverty and zero hunger. Methods: The study used cross-sectional data collected from 576 maize farmers in the four main agro-ecological zones of Ghana with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and the stochastic frontier production function were the methods of analysis used. Results: The results showed that the mean technical efficiency estimate for maize farmers in Ghana was 58.1%. They also revealed that an increase in educational level, maize farming experience, extension contact as well as uses of fertilizer and improved seeds would increase the technical efficiency of maize producers in Ghana. Similarly, male Ghanaian maize farmers were more technically efficient than female farmers. Furthermore, membership of a farmer association will increase their technical efficiencies. Finally, an increase in farm size and land fragmentation will decrease technical efficiency of the maize farmers. Conclusion: Efficiency improvement programmes by stakeholders in the maize industry could target literate maize farmers since education enhances the managerial and technical skills of farmers and also increase farmers’ ability to utilize existing technologies. Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) could also liaise with Ministry of Education to provide maize farmers with no formal education with special training prior to introducing new efficiency enhancing programmes to them. MOFA should analyse the problems extension officers face in the discharge of their duties to pave the way for the provision of appropriate incentives to extension officers by stakeholders in the maize industry.
2012
This paper investigates the determinants of efficiency among small-scale maize producers in GaMothiba of the Limpopo province in South Africa. Primary data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires from 120 maize farm households obtained in a purposive sampling procedure. Cobb-Douglas production function was used to analyse the technical efficiency. The results of the estimation showed that there were significant positive relationships between farm size and fertilizer with technical efficiency. The results of the study also revealed that there was a significant negative relationship between cost of tractor hours (the proxy for capital) and technical efficiency. The study further revealed that small-scale maize producers in Ga-Mothiba are experiencing decreasing returns to scale indicating that small-scale farmers are experiencing technical inefficiency in maize production. Therefore, the study generally suggests that government should adopt the strategy of onfarm t...
Asian Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry, 2022
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important source of staple food in Kenya. Research innovations and physical inputs, and the capacity of farmers to use them are major ingredients for crop productivity enhancement. This study evaluated agricultural extension training and formal education as elements of farmers' capacity to use innovations and inputs. The study was conducted in a rural setup of North Rift in Kenya. Data were gathered by use of interview schedules through crosssectional survey from 502 households sampled purposively and by simple random sampling. Welch's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to test for differences between means. 42.8% of the participants reported that they had not received agricultural extension training, 57.2% had. 65.2% had up to primary level education, 34.8% had secondary and above. Formal education up to primary was regarded as basic. Results indicated that fertilizer-use rates and maize yields differed significantly between groups 'who had received Extension training' and those who 'had not been trained'; t (482.785) =-9.228, P = .000 and t (496.513) =-7.095, P = .000, respectively. Regarding formal education, fertilizer-use rates and maize yields differed significantly between 'basic education' category and 'higher than basic'; t (332.28) =-5.699, P = .000 and t (290.29) =-5.438, P = .000 respectively. The alternative Mann-Whitney U test showed similar results. Effect sizes as measured by Eta-squared (ƞ 2) ranged from .06 (medium) to .1445 (large). It is concluded that Agricultural extension training had a highly significant influence on maize productivity. Formal education showed a positive impact on fertilizer-use adoption and maize productivity. This study