Skill Gap Analyses of the Farmers and Agricultural Development Technicians on Indigenous Poultry Production in Nkonkobe Municipality Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Yusuf, Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan; Lategan, F. S.; Masika, P.J.

doi:10.1080/09766898.2014.11884709

Cited by 2 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The implication here is that, if an effective intervention is to be designed then it would have to emphasise more practical applicability over and above the theoretical elements of climate change and CSA for agricultural production. Findings by Yusuf, Lategan and Masika (2014) confirmed that an effort toward capacity development of Agricultural Development Technicians on scavenging chicken production needs to be made with special focus on practical training. Majority of respondents had little understanding of how best to apply the CSA approach in practice, to assist farmers curb the effects of climate change (Fig.…”

Section: 4mentioning

confidence: 73%

An assessment of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices skills amongst extension practitioners in South Africa

Maka¹,

Ngotho²,

Walker³

et al. 2021

S Afr. Jnl. Agric. Ext.

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One of the roles of extension services is to link farmers to the developers of technological solutions (research outputs). Extension officers act as facilitators and assist farmers in their decision-making and technology adaptation. With the changing climate threatening production resources, extension officers need to encourage farmers to adopt various climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. The paper seeks to reflect on a study by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to assess their skills and knowledge about climate change and CSA. The study aimed to conduct a skills audit on CSA and related concepts. Through a stratified sampling method, all extension practitioners (EPs) registered with South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) were included in the survey. The survey, administered through a user-friendly tool (online google forms), was developed to investigate: familiarity with, and current skills in climate-smart agriculture and collect biographic information, field of responsibility (e.g. cropping, livestock and mixed farming). Both quantitative and qualitative data was sourced through the survey tool to draw generalized conclusion and perceptions of how best to improve the capabilities of EPs on CSA. The results of the survey showed that EPs had a theoretical understanding of climate change and CSA. Generally, EPs across all positions, education levels, age categories and experience could identify the correct definition and cause of climate change, despite the fact that the majority had not received any CSA training. On the contrary, the majority of respondents had little understanding of how best to apply the CSA approach in practice, to assist farmers curb the effects of climate change. A CSA training programme was developed to establish a strong theoretical base, together with an understanding of the challenges presented by climate change and climate variability to sustainable agriculture in South Africa.

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Section: 4mentioning

confidence: 73%

An assessment of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices skills amongst extension practitioners in South Africa

Maka¹,

Ngotho²,

Walker³

et al. 2021

S Afr. Jnl. Agric. Ext.

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“…It is therefore crucial for relevant stakeholders to collaborate on the planning and implementation of training interventions to assist local farmers in improving their SC production systems. Research by several authors indicates the willingness of farmers to upscale SC production; however, the majority are constrained by poor knowledge, skills and access to technologies that could support their transition to commercial-scale production [2,16,66]. The research findings of Yusuf et al [16] in the study area showed that a deficiency in production knowledge and skills affected SCFs' upscaling plans.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Low knowledge and skills capacity regarding improved SC production has played a major part in limiting the production efficiency of producers [15]. A 2014 knowledge and skills gap and training needs assessment by Yusuf, Lategan and Masika [16] of SC farmers in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality (then known as Nkonkobe Local Municipality), Eastern Cape Province, revealed that many farmers lacked comprehensive technical knowledge and the skills necessary for efficient SC management. Moreover, the research revealed a lack of capacity development interventions by the extension service and other related institutions for SC producers in the municipality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In simple terms, training aims to educate farmers to enable them to acquire new knowledge, skills and zeal to improve production efficiencies [17,18]. Yusuf et al [16] observed that many studies had shown that training and capacity building of SC farmers was important in helping them grow their production capacities. Strengthening their knowledge base is especially significant.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on Yusuf et al's [16] research findings, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension (DoAE&E), University of Fort Hare (UFH) in conjunction with the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR), Eastern Cape Province (ECP) South Africa, collaborated on the design and implementation of a two-week training programme on improved practices in indigenous chicken farming for poultry farmers in the municipality. The training was offered to representatives of 16 villages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Training Offered to Smallholder Scavenging Chicken Farmers in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Yusuf¹,

Popoola²

2022

Sustainability

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Smallholder scavenging chicken farmers (SCFs) are constantly faced with the challenge of improving productivity. One profound challenge is that many SCFs lack comprehensive knowledge and the skills necessary for operating an efficient production system. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the training offered to SCFs in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality (RMLM) on the best approach to improve scavenging chicken production. The data obtained was analysed quantitatively to assess differences in the management practices of the trained farmers before training (BT) and after training (AT). A paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to conduct the study’s analysis. The results showed that the average flock size of the birds significantly increased post-training. There was a significant increase in the farmers’ use of supplementary feeding, local feedstuffs, artificial brooding and care of chicks, amongst other practices. These results indicate a marked improvement in their management practices post-training. Therefore, building the capacities of SCFs through training significantly improves their knowledge and skillsets. Periodic training of SCFs is recommended to keep them abreast of evolving management practices in SC production, as continual improvement in related competencies is important for enhancing local and national economic development.

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Skill Gap Analyses of the Farmers and Agricultural Development Technicians on Indigenous Poultry Production in Nkonkobe Municipality Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

An assessment of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices skills amongst extension practitioners in South Africa

An assessment of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices skills amongst extension practitioners in South Africa

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Training Offered to Smallholder Scavenging Chicken Farmers in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

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