In this study, an attempt has been made to examine the supply response of beef farmers in Botswana by using the Nerlovian partial adjustment model. The short run price elasticity was 1.511 while the long run elasticity was 1.057. This is a clear sign that price policies in Botswana are effective in obtaining the desired level of output for beef. Moreover, in the future, price increase need to be adopted as a strategy for improved cattle supply. Emphasis should also be given on extension services with a view of promoting cattle farming as a commercial farming. The promotion of cattle farming for commercial purpose should be supported with a strategy by which farmers change their attitude of oxen production to weaner production. The speed of adjustment, however, was relatively very slow at 14% per period. This slow adjustment perhaps tells that Botswana beef farmers, who are predominantly subsistence, may not be having enough capacity (in terms of resources and technology) to immediately increase beef production when economic environment improves in their favour. This situation can be improved if future government intervention is geared towards improvement of current technology of using communal grazing and indigenous breeds. The government also needs to strengthen its extension services to educate the farmers on new technologies of beef production.
The purpose of the study was to analyse the economic efficiency of smallholder dairy farmers in Swaziland. Specifically, the study sought to describe the socio-economic characteristics of dairy farmers in Swaziland. The smallholder farmers are classified into: smallholder farmers, medium-scale farmers, and large-scale dairy farmers. The specific objectives of the study were to: estimate the economic efficiency of smallholder dairy farmers in Swaziland; identify factors affecting the economic efficiency of smallholder dairy farmers; and determine the profitability of the smallholder dairy enterprise. This was a descriptive and quantitative survey and the target population was all smallholder dairy farmers registered with the Swaziland Dairy Board (N = 444). A purposive and random sampling techniques was used to select the respondents (n = 111). Three methods of data analysis were used, namely; descriptive statistics, econometric analysis (Stochastic Profit Frontier Function) and gross margin analysis. The mean level of Economic Efficiency (EE) for the famers was 79.8%. The farm’s location, pasture size, soil fertility, water availability, the farmer’s years of experience in dairy farming, membership to dairy farmers’ association and training on dairy farming are factors that influenced the level of EE for smallholder dairy farmers in Swaziland. The smallholder dairy farmers were economically efficient. The institutional factors, socioeconomic and farm characteristics do affect the level of EE among smallholder dairy farmers. The dairy farming enterprise is a profitable enterprise.
Indigenous crops, through their high nutritional value and hardy attributes, offer potential trade opportunities for rural farmers. There is a niche market that can be explored for these indigenous crops particularly with the growing demand for high nutritional value food in the country. These crops are mostly produced by rural households or gathered from the wild by rural farmers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify potential markets for African leafy vegetables (ALVs) by farmers in Limpopo Province. Sixty households producing ALVs were selected with the composition of 54 women and six men, with this selection done using a purposive sampling procedure. Of the total production, 50–60% of the produce was sold in the informal market. It was evident that local rural markets constituted a greater portion of the total market at 73% and 20% allocated to hawkers in town. As a result, urban and periurban consumers present potential buyers since these areas are populated with the middle-class population which is susceptible to changing consumption trends. Because of this potential, supermarkets and township hawkers are proposed as the potential channel for ALVs targeting the identified population. Thus, it is suggested that, in order to create a synergy between economic improvement of rural farmers and trending consumer demands, the Department of Agriculture in Limpopo Province creates a conducive environment through which ALV farmers can be connected with supermarkets and township marketers.
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