Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Farm development'

Following an increase in the openness of the South Korean economy since the mid-1990s, farm households have experienced a decrease in their real farm incomes. Hence, over the last decade the Korean government has adopted a variety of rural policy measures, which mostly support community enterprises, to increase the non-farm incomes of farm households and to support rural development. The aim of this study is to explore the major impacts of some key rural development policy measures that aim to boost non-farm activities of farm households in South Korea. This research employed a combination of both quantitative and qualitative techniques. First, an exploratory online survey of farmers provided insights into the most helpful rural policy measures across different regions. Then, face-to-face interviews with 14 key informants helped to narrow the focus of the study down to four main policy measures. Finally, face-to-face in-depth interviews with 48 farmers were used to explore the impacts that these measures have had on farm households and the communities to which they belong. Findings from this study reveal that these four policy measures have all succeeded, to varying degrees, in promoting farmers‟ participation in community enterprises. This in turn has led to an increase in household incomes and also to a range of non-financial benefits such as improved skills and better access to social networks. Community enterprises that are supported by rural development policies are argued to be more successful when supported by effective partnership and leadership, along with appropriately designed support services. The support services currently offered by these policy measures are generally found to be less helpful than improvements to physical assets and in some cases they appear not to respond to the needs of the community businesses that they seek to help. Farm households with higher levels of assets are found to benefit more from these measures and access to financial capital is found to be particularly influential in this respect. This study recommends that the design of future rural policies could be improved to increase participation in community enterprises by making them more accessible to households that do not have the financial means to support co-financing and by including a range of measures (e.g. around partnership, capacity building and advice) designed to improve their impact on rural livelihoods.

In recent years, freshwater fish farmers have come under increasing pressure from the Water Authorities to control the quality of their farm effluents. This project aimed to investigate methods of treating aquacultural effluent in an efficient and cost-effective manner, and to incorporate the knowledge gained into an Expert System which could then be used in an advice service to farmers. From the results of this research it was established that sedimentation and the use of low pollution diets are the only cost effective methods of controlling the quality of fish farm effluents. Settlement has been extensively investigated and it was found that the removal of suspended solids in a settlement pond is only likely to be effective if the inlet solids concentration is in excess of 8 mg/litre. The probability of good settlement can be enhanced by keeping the ratio of length/retention time (a form of mean fluid velocity) below 4.0 metres/minute. The removal of BOD requires inlet solids concentrations in excess of 20 mg/litre to be effective, and this is seldom attained on commercial fish farms. Settlement, generally, does not remove appreciable quantities of ammonia from effluents, but algae can absorb ammonia by nutrient uptake under certain conditions. The use of low pollution, high performance diets gives pollutant yields which are low when compared with published figures obtained by many previous workers. Two Expert Systems were constructed, both of which diagnose possible causes of poor effluent quality on fish farms and suggest solutions. The first system uses knowledge gained from a literature review and the second employs the knowledge obtained from this project's experimental work. Consent details for over 100 fish farms were obtained from the public registers kept by the Water Authorities. Large variations in policy from one Authority to the next were found. These data have been compiled in a computer file for ease of comparison.

This research investigates the effectiveness of land reform in Kenya in relation to its stated policy aims of improving farm productivity through case studies of three districts where land reform has been implemented. One was an area with dense population and predominant customary form of land tenure (Kakamega); another one had the most recent land reform programme - group-ranching system (Kajiado); and the third had an early land reform acclaimed as a success within the former 'white highlands (Trans Nzoia). Although many studies on land reform suggest that collateral is one of the common ways of funding agricultural development, this was found to be defective as it does not test the borrower's ability to repay the loan, encourages excessive borrowing, and repayment schedules are often not realistic. For many farmers, the use of land as collateral depended on their ability to process title deeds; financial institutions to lend money; no market distortions/information asymmetry; and absence of cultural restrictions. We have also demonstrated that how land rights are assigned and the land tenure security determines households ability to generate income, their social and economic status, incentives to make investments, and a farmer's ability to access financial markets. Creation of land board committees in Kenya composed of local elders for resolving land disputes was aimed at increasing their (elders) involvement leading to decisions that reflected community wishes. Our findings were that on average, about 70 per cent of such decisions on land disputes were upheld by courts of appeal on technicalities because land boards lack a sufficient basis in law and there was no training programme for the members. Group ownership of land with shared possession and communal decision making on its administration hardly existed in the case study areas but was used to foster unity, address social needs, and provided a mechanism for disbursing inequalities in ability, knowledge and wealth. On gender issues and land tenure, the need for increased tenure security to women was found not be enough for their participation in the land market without access to credit, information, and appropriate technologies. This research has proposed an improved system of managing land reforms based upon an analysis of existing land record system, and formulated an alternative address referencing system.

Includes bibliographical references.
This thesis investigates the transportation of wind turbines in an emerging wind energy market with a focus on South Africa. The research goal is to understand how the transport and the wind energy sectors interact; as well as how turbine transportation can unfold as a barrier to wind farm development in South Africa. Turbine transportation was found to be a key part of the wind farm development process which has been hampered in South Africa by poor planning, the design of the renewable energy procurement program and low cooperation amongst industry participants. Barriers to wind farm development include a shortage of logistics equipment such as cranes and trailers, a shortage of skilled drivers and crane operators and several embedded bottlenecks in the abnormal load transportation process. These factors combined have resulted in a cost premium of 5 - 10% for the turbine transportation process in South Africa as compared to the cost in larger established wind energy markets. The study additionally finds that the wind energy industry could benefit from better coordination of transport projects through industry bodies such as SAWEA, as the transport system is unlikely to be altered in order to accommodate the needs of the wind energy industry.

Flavobacterium psychrophilum (Fp), the aetiological agent of rainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS) and bacterial cold-water disease (BCWD), is responsible for significant mortalities and economic losses in the salmonid aquaculture industry worldwide. Currently, there is no effective commercial vaccine against RTFS available, and the treatment of the disease depends on the oral administration of a wide range of anti-microbial compounds, some of which have proven ineffective. With unsuccessful disinfection procedures, possibilities of antibiotic resistance developing and no commercial vaccine available, there is an increased need to rapidly detect Fp and reduce mortalities in the industry by improving control measures in the farm system. The aim of this thesis was to investigate possible sources of Fp in a rainbow trout fry farm system and to use this data to develop strategies to reduce the prevalence of the pathogen with this farming system. Novel assays to detect Fp (loop-mediated isothermal amplification; LAMP), quantify Fp (quantitative PCR; qPCR) and to detect the fishes’ host response to Fp (Luminex™) were developed, and then used alongside bacterial culture and nested PCR to determine the prevalence of Fp on a commercial fish farm. Four batches of eggs from 3 different geographic sources were collected on arrival at the farm and tested for the prevalence of Fp. Fry from these batches were monitored as they grew and were moved to different sites at the farm. Kidney, spleen and blood were collected at 3 different life stages from the fry, until they were sold for ongrowing by the farm. Water samples from the inlet, outlet and fry tanks were collected at each sampling point. PCR analysis and bacteriology were the two main methods selected for screening the eggs and fry tissue for Fp. All sources of eggs were found to be positive for Fp with prevalences ranging from 1.1 % - 1.9 % and there was a significant increase in prevalence over time for all 4 batches of eggs ranging from 19.8 % - 34.6 % by the final life stage sampled. There was also a substantial difference in the numbers of fry samples positive for Fp depending on whether nested PCR or bacterial culture were used, as well as the organ (kidney or spleen) tested. This highlighted the importance of sampling both organs rather than just the one. Nested PCR was more sensitive than culture with 13 % of the fry samples reported as Fp positive, by sampling both the kidney and spleen collectively, while only 5 % were Fp positive by bacteriology. The levels of Fp in all samples could not be quantified by qPCR due to limits in the sensitivity of the assay. For those samples that were quantified at the levels of Fp detected by qPCR ranged from 3.38 x 104 well-1 - 2.07 x 106 well-1 genome copies in egg samples; from 3.38 x 103 well-1 – 3.07 x 107 well-1 genome copies well-1 in tissue samples (spleen or kidney), and from 7.89 x 103 – 7.22 x 104 genome copies well-1 in water samples. The sensitivity of the standard curve was limited to 103 copies well-1 and following optimisation of the assay the annealing temperature was decreased by 1˚C to 62°C to reduce the cross-reactivity to negligible levels, though this reduced the sensitivity of the assay even further to 104 copies well-1. The detection limits by qPCR obtained by spiking samples with known amounts of Fp were 192 CFU mg-1 from egg samples, 184 CFU mg-1 from fry tissue samples, and 220 CFU ml-1 from water samples,. The sensitivity of the LAMP assay determined by spiking egg, kidney, spleen and water samples was 18 CFU mg-1, 22 CFU mg-1, 25 CFU mg-1 and 16 CFU ml-1, respectively. The latter was similar to, though not as sensitive as nested PCR. Nested PCR limits determined by spiking egg, kidney, spleen and water samples were 14 CFU mg-1, 11 CFU mg-1, 13 CFU mg-1 and 11 CFU ml-1. No cross-reactivity was found with any bacteria including other Flavobacterium species with nested PCR but cross-reactivity with other Flavobacterium species were found with both qPCR (1.51 % with Flavobacterium aquatile and 0.30 % with Flavobacterium johnsoniae) and LAMP. The LAMP assay showed slight cross-reactivity with Flavobacterium columnare and Flavobacterium branchiophilum. A novel Luminex™ assay was also developed and optimised, using microspheres coated with Fp, to detect antibodies to Fp in the serum of the fry. The Luminex™ allowed small volumes of serum from individual fry to be used to evaluate antibody response as an indirect method to determine exposure to and infection by Fp. A large number of fry from all 4 batches (88% - 94%) of eggs were found to contain anti-Fp antibodies though it still remains to be determined whether the antibodies were specific to Fp. From the work carried out in this study, it can be concluded that whether eggs are carrying Fp inside and/or on their surface, it should be possible to reduce the prevalence of Fp in farm systems by regularly screening the broodstock, eggs and fry. Supply of Fp-free eggs and milt is essential to reduce the reservoir of Fp on farms. Both the qPCR and LAMP assay require further optimisation but they do offer potential for the future screening of Fp at farm sites and in the laboratory. Future control measures for RFTS should include the screening of broodstock and eggs by sensitive methods so that Fp-free seed can be supplied to farms. This, alongside effective disinfection procedures, rigorous husbandry practices and future vaccine development will all be required to manage this very significant fish disease.

Wind is a fast growing energy resource and the demand for clean energy is increasing with growing interests from media, governmental institutions and the public (EWEA, 2004). The increased interest towards the wind energy market has led to a more competitive environment where it is crucial for a project developer to select projects most likely to succeed, in terms of profitability, among alternatives on the market. To enable such selection, an evaluation process is often applied. Furthermore, traditional evaluation processes are often performed at completion of a project where an early indication of a project’s potential profitability is often missing (Samset & Christensen, 2015). At the early phase of a wind energy project the multiple factors influencing the project’s outcome are often conflicting and contain high level of uncertainty and the evaluation process becomes complex (Kumar et al., 2017). In addition, these factors are difficult to quantify and to determine their relative weight of importance (Çolak & Kaya, 2017). This thesis aims to problematise the early project phase by contributing with a practical tool for evaluating wind energy projects at this phase. In addition, the thesis aims to contribute with an identification and monetarily quantification of the important factors to assess when doing so. The thesis is conducted as a case study at a company developing wind energy projects in Sweden. Due to the multiple factors that influencing a project’s outcome, MCDM (multi-criteria decisionmaking) analysis is used as the research process to create the tool. Findings from this study show that key factors that are possible to quantify at an early phase are conditions for civil works, grid conditions, wind resource and electricity price area. In general, their relative importance, measured in relative increase of IRR, is wind resource, electricity price area, grid conditions and civil works in the descending order. This study has four contributions, three theoretical and one practical. Firstly, the study confirms MCDM as a suitable analysis to use, when creating an evaluation model for wind energy projects. Secondly, the study confirms most of the important factors mentioned in the literature to assess when evaluating a wind energy project. However, this study contributes with insights that only conditions for civil works, grid conditions, wind resource and electricity price area can be quantified for the purpose of creating an evaluation tool at an early phase. Thirdly, previous studies have focused less on determining the relative weight of importance of the relevant key factors and this study contributes by quantifying and determining which of these key factors that are of relevance in an evaluation. Lastly, this study contributes practically by creating an evaluation tool suggested to be used by the case company to compare different projects on the market and form investment decisions based on financial data. Furthermore, the tool facilitates an equal evaluation process for all projects, thus leading to a more standardised decision-making process where the case company can focus their resources on the projects most likely to succeed.
Vind är en snabbväxande energiresurs där efterfrågan efter grön energi ökar från media, statliga myndigheter och allmänheten. Det ständigt ökande intresset av vindenergi har lett till en allt mer konkurrenskraftig marknad där det är viktigt för en projektutvecklare att välja de projekt som är mest troliga att bli lönsamma bland de tillgängliga projekten på marknaden. Dessa urval sker oftast genom en projektutvärderingsprocess. Dock sker merparten av de traditionella projektutvärderingarna i slutet av ett projekt där en tidig indikation rörande ett projektet lönsamhet oftast saknas (Samset & Christensen, 2015). Anledningen till detta är att vindkraftsprojekt består av flera motsägande faktorer med en hög osäkerhet som påverkar ett projekts resultat, vilket leder till en komplex utvärderingsprocess i ett tidigt skede (Kumar et al., 2017). Dessutom är dessa faktorer svåra att kvantifiera vilket gör det svårt att vidare bestämma deras relation i förhållande till varandra (Çolak & Kaya, 2017). Detta examensarbete ämnar därför till att problematisera den komplexa utvärderingsprocessen i ett tidigt skedde genom att skapa ett praktiskt verktyg för en simplifierad utvärderingsprocess av vindkraftsprojekt. Detta examensarbete är utformat som en fallstudie på ett företag i Sverige som utvecklar vindkraftsprojekt. På grund av antalet faktorer som påverkar projektens lönsamhet används MCDM-analys som forskningsprocess för att skapa verktyget. Resultat från denna studie visar att de nyckelfaktorer som är möjliga att kvantifiera i det tidiga skede är: infrastruktur, nätanslutning, vindresurs och elprisområde. Resultaten visar även att faktorernas påverkan, mätt i relativ ökning av IRR, är i fallande ordning: vindresurs, elprisområde, nätanslutning och infrastruktur och att dessa, i fallande ordning, är relevanta att utvärdera. Denna studie har totalt fyra bidrag, varav tre teoretiska och ett praktiskt bidrag. Det första bidraget är en konfirmation av att MCDM är en lämplig analysmetod vid skapandet av utvärderingsverktyget. Det andra bidraget är en konfirmation av de faktorer som nämns i litteraturen som viktiga vid en utvärderingsprocess i ett tidigt skede. Dock är endast faktorerna infrastruktur, nätanslutning, vindresurs och elprisområde möjliga att kvantifiera i detta skede. Det tredje bidraget är kunskap gällande faktorernas förhållande till varandra och vilka som är relevanta att utvärdera. Det praktiska bidraget är utvärderingsverktyget där företaget rekommenderas att använda det för att jämföra olika projekt på marknaden och fatta välinformerade beslut baserat på finansiell data. Dessutom bidrar verktyget med en likvärdig utvärderingsprocess för alla projekt vilket leder till en mer standardiserad beslutsprocess där företaget kan fokusera sina resurser på de projekt som är mest troliga att bli lönsamma.

Natural resource use planning in a area such as the 'Cerrado' region in the Midwest of Brazil is a challenge. Any planning framework for analysing investment opportunities in such a region must emphasize sustainable development. This implies a shift from the traditional single agricultural expansion objective approach, to a multiple objective approach such as that described in this thesis. The main objective of this study was to develop an appropriate planning framework for quantifying the effects of new crop farm development proposals for the 'Cerrado' region, from a multiple objective perspective. Its practical implementation depends on the following: the generation of specific experimental data on rice, maize, wheat and soybean crops and reliable climate and soils data to calibrate corresponding crop models that are incorporated into a planning framework; the development of experiences concerning environmental quality and social impact analysis by Brazilian researchers; and training of planning framework users for the enlightenment of policy makers. The study was carried out from the point of view of systems theory, and the chosen research approach integrates a set of different modelling techniques within the developed planning framework. The application of a such planning framework for the Paracatu 'Planicie' area was orientated to the final selection (among nine alternatives) of the most appropriate farming system for adoption. However, by manipulating the models which were integrated into the planning framework, and parameters and data related to prices, crop yields, farm sizes, interest rates, credit and others, a range of policy types can be represented and their effects assessed. The results presented illustrate the potential of the planning framework developed here, as a policy analysis tool for farm development. In the conclusions, some insight is provided into aspects concerning the incorporation of this planning framework into a comprehensive decision support system.

The global food system plays a significant role in the sustainability challenge. One way to approach such a complex problem is to provide a science-based, functional definition of success, and then to find leverage points in the system that can force change. Because they are accessed by all children, we see food education and responsibly sourced school food as such leverage points. Farm-to-School is a US concept which encourages schools to provide classroom food education, a garden, and locally produced food in the school restaurant. We explored how the Farm-to-School concept might move the Swedish public-school system, in a strategic way, towards sustainability, using the municipality of Karlskrona as an example. We interviewed stakeholders in Karlskrona to understand the current system, and what the benefits of Farm-to-School and the obstacles to implementation might be. We also interviewed stakeholders in the US, to gain knowledge about their experience of Farm-toSchool. We found that in Karlskrona there are some initiatives but restrictive regulations hindered innovation and local procurement, insufficient leadership meant there was no unified vision to work towards, collaboration was absent and not encouraged, and there was a shortage of resources. We therefore do not advise implementing Farm-to-School at present.

Agriculture is the single most important sector in Malawi due to its contribution to the economy ranging from employment creation, contribution to GDP growth to source of foreign exchange earnings. These significant contributions have necessitated the Government of Malawi to develop strategies and policies such as the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), whose main aim is to increase household incomes and reduce food insecurity and ultimately reduce poverty. It is nine years since the introduction of FISP but its results remain mixed. Using the 2009/10 Integrated Household Survey Phase 3 (IHS3) dataset, a logistic regression in a multivariate data analysis approach was used to investigate the impact of FISP on income levels and food security of rural smallholder farmers in Malawi. The analysis showed that about 82 percent of smallholder farmers live in rural areas, about 75 percent of them were males, 71 percent were married, 70 percent did not go to school and 69 percent benefited from FISP. In farming, 68 percent of these smallholder farmers had less than 1 hectare of farms, 70 percent of them had labour force of less than 5 people, 51 percent of them harvest less than 5 bags of 50kgs of maize of which 92 percent sell most of their harvested maize and 89 percent of them receive less than MK5, 000 from sales. In addition, about 99 percent of these smallholder farmers were food insecure as they save less than 1 bag of 50kgs after harvest. Only 1 percent of these smallholder farmers receive remittances and 21 percent had other income generating activities (IGAs). Demographic and socio-economic factors have no impact on these farmers capability to increase income levels and enhance their food security. There is also no statistically significant difference between FISP beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in terms of capabilities of increasing incomes and enhancing food security. It is, therefore, concluded that FISP had no significant impact on the abilities of these smallholder farmers to increase their incomes and enhancing their food security. Hence, FISP did not prove to be the best food security and poverty alleviation tool in Malawi.

A tidal current turbine is a device functioning in a manner similar to wind turbine for harnessing energy from tidal currents, a group of which is called a farm. The existing approaches used to predict power from tidal current turbine farms oversimplify the hydrodynamic interactions between turbines, which significantly affects the results. The major focus of this dissertation is to study the relationship between turbine distribution (the relative position of the turbines) and the hydrodynamic interactions between turbines, and its impact on the power from a farm. A new formulation of the discrete vortex method (DVM-UBC) is proposed to describe the behavior of turbines and unsteady flow mathematically, and a numerical model is developed to predict the performance, the unsteady wake and acoustic emission of a stand-alone turbine using DVM-UBC. Good agreement is obtained between the results obtained with DVM-UBC and published numerical and experimental results. Then, another numerical model is developed to predict the performance, wake and acoustic emission of a two-turbine system using DVM-UBC. The results show that the power of a two-turbine system with optimal relative position is about 25% more than two times that of a stand-alone turbine under the same conditions. The torque such a system may fluctuate 50% less than that of a stand-alone turbine. The acoustic emission of such a system may be 35% less than that of a stand-alone turbine. As an extension, a numerical procedure is developed to estimate the efficiency of an N-turbine system by using a linear theory together with the two-turbine system model. By integrating above hydrodynamic models for predicting power and a newly-developed Operation and Maintenance (O&M) model for predicting the cost, a system model is framed to estimate the energy cost using a scenario-based cost-effectiveness analysis. This model can estimate the energy cost more accurately than the previous models because it breaks down turbine’s components and O&M strategies in much greater detail when studying the hydrodynamics and reliability of the turbine. This dissertation provides a design tool for farm planners, and shed light on other disciplines such as environmental sciences and oceanography.

Recently wind resource assessment studies have become an important research tool to identify the possible wind farm locations.  In this thesis work technical analysis was carried out to determine the wind resource potential of two candidate sites in Eritrea with help of suitable software tools. The first site is located along the Red Sea cost which is well known for its wind resource potential, whereas the second site is located in the central highlands of Eritrea with significant wind resource potential. Detailed wind resource assessment, for one year hourly weather data including wind speed and wind direction, was performed for the two candidate sites using MS Excel and MATLAB. The measured wind data at Assab wind site showed that the mean wind speed and power density was 7.54 m/s and 402.57 W/m2 , whereas the mean wind speed and mean power density from Weibull distribution was 7.51 m/s and 423.71 W/m2 respectively at 80m height. Similarly, the measured mean wind speed and mean power density at Dekemahre wind site was obtained to be 5.498 m/s and 141.45 W/m2, whereas the mean wind speed and mean power density from Weibull distribution was 5.4859m/s and 141.057W/m2 respectively. Based on the analysis results Assab wind site classified as wind class-III and Dekemhare as wind class-I.  Wind farm modeling and Annual Energy Production (AEP) estimation was performed for E-82 & E-53 model turbines from Enercon Company with the help of MATLAB and Windpro software. The analysis revealed that Assab wind farm was an ideal site for wind energy production with capacity factor (CF) 53.4% and 55% for E-82 and E-53 turbines respectively. The gross and net AEP for turbine E-82 at Assab wind farm was 469.5 GWh and 446.025 GWh respectively with 95% park efficiency. Similarly, the analysis showed that the CF in Dekemhare site was very low with typical value 14.2% and 15.26% for E-82 and E-53 turbines respectively. The gross and net AEP of that site for model turbine E-53 was 53.5 GWh and 50.825 GWh respectively with 5% wake loss. Finally, a simplified economic analysis was carried out to determine the economic feasibility of possible wind power projects in both sites by assuming investment cost 1600 €/kW for E-82 turbine and 2000 €/kW for E-53 turbine. The total wind farm investment cost was found to be 215.85 and 107.93 Million Euro for E-82 and E-53 model turbines respectively. The levelized cost of energy at Assab and Dekemhare wind farm for E-82 model turbine was 0.0307 €/kWh and 0.5526 €/kWh respectively. The analysis result show that the levelized cost of energy in Dekemhare wind fasrm was much higher than that of Assab wind farm.

A framework for evaluating different wind turbine foundations has been proposed and applied in six hypothetical case studies located in three sites in different locations throughout Sweden.The framework is based on decision making method PROMETHEE II and consists of nine criteria covering financial, environmental and technical aspects of wind turbine foundations. The foundation has been evaluated from two different stakeholder perspectives – civil designers and financial advisors. Application of this framework has shown that an existing commonly used wind turbine foundation type is not the most favourable alternative, whilst a new market entrant – prefabricated foundation – shows promising results. Using PROMETHEE II it became evident that in any given case, a prefabricated foundation is ranked as the most or a close second to most suitable type of foundation. Gravity caissons ranked as the least favourable option in almost all, except one, case. Comparing these three alternatives prefabricated foundation showed greater economic feasibility, lower impact on environment and technologically more applicable than other alternatives with very few existing drawbacks.

The Rural Non-Farm Economy (RNFE) is a concept that has gained significance quite recently. Its significance has been prompted by the realisation that agriculture alone cannot sustain the poor subsistence farmers in Zimbabwe. This realisation comes amid the growing concern over increased hunger and poverty in the country‟s rural areas due to a decline in agricultural production. Drawing on the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) this study postulates that RNFE is a livelihood strategy that can address rural poverty and social transformation in Zimbabwe. Such an approach to rural development can take up the slack and provide the much needed income for the rural communities to survive. However, RNFE has not yet been used as a social mechanism for poverty alleviation in Zimbabwe. Therefore, this study was undertaken with the objective of investigating the prospects and challenges of the RNFE in Seke District. Although the study is focusing on Zimbabwe, the study may also address the problem of rural development in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study revealed that only a few household heads in Sekewere engaged in both traditional and non-traditional activities. However, the study noted that the household heads encountered many challenges which include; poor market, low income obtained, shortage of inputs, no access to credit and no support from government or other development agencies.Overall, it was recognised that the household heads engaged in RNFE were not realizing the full benefits of RNFE. Therefore, in order to promote the growth of RNFE and make it more productive, the study posits the following key points to be take into consideration by the various stakeholders in rural development; agricultural development, infrastructural development, rural town development, improving access to financial services, facilitating rural-urban linkages and the implementation of development projects aimed at promoting self-employment in the non-farm sector.

This thesis explores the processes by which agri-environmental policy has developed in Scotland, using the 1996 Countryside Premium Scheme consultation as a case study. The role of interest groups within the policy process and the impacts those groups have on policy outcomes through the provision of information to policy-makers are investigated. In the process of developing a new policy, policy-makers require new information. In designing agri-environmental schemes, the Scottish Office requires information on the likely environmental, farm management and farm income impacts of proposed schemes and prescriptions. Such information is increasingly sought through public consultations, which can be considered in terms of the policy-makers demanding information which is then supplied by interested parties. This policy 'market' is amenable to analysis using economic tools more generally used in conventional markets for priced goods and services, such as the Structure-Conduct-Performance framework and the analysis of transaction costs. The public consultations undertaken prior to the introduction of the Countryside Premium Scheme in 1997 was investigated as such a policy 'market'. This revealed the structure of the agri-environmental policy network within Scotland. Three-quarters of the 71 respondents to the consultation were interviewed to establish their conduct within the policy process, and the costs involved in their providing information to the Scottish Office. The impact of the information provided on the policy outcome was explored using a combination of the perceptions of the policy actors surveyed and, more objectively, a comparison of the suggestions made in the written consultation responses with the changes made prior to implementation of the Scheme. The transaction costs paid by interest groups involved in this consultation were the equivalent of around £50,000. In return for this investment, both agricultural and environmental interest groups were found to have had some limited impact on the policy outcomes, through the provision of different types of information.

The aim of this work was to study the interaction of melatonin and prolactin in the control of seasonal breeding and coat development in goats. British Saanen goats (n=5) were maintained for 8 weeks in long days (20L: 40) followed by 8 weeks exogenous melatonin. Group treatment was staggered over the year in an attempt to dissociate breeding season advance from advanced coat growth. To assess the effect of prolactin suppression, the 20L:4D treatment from January was repeated in consecutive years but followed in March by melatonin (Year 1) or bromocriptine (Year 2). To study further the interaction of melatonin and prolactin on coat development and reproductive advance, goats (n=5) were maintained as follows: 1) natural photoperiod and temperature, Jul-Juni 2) 16L: 8D, natural temperature, Jul-Deci 3) 16L:8D, 17°C, Jul-Decj 4) 8L:16D, 8°C, Dec-Jun. To study melatonin suppression of prolactin, the secretagogues arginine vasopressin, serotonin and thyrotropin releasing hormone were given to goats (n=6) maintained in sequence under 8L:16D, 20L:4D and simulated short days (20L:4D+melatonin). Depending on long-day Imelatonin treatment onset, the breeding season was advanced from November to May, August or September. With 20L:4D followed by melatonin or bromocriptine the spring prolactin rise was delayed. A corresponding delay in winter coat moulting was observed only under melatonin. However, a winter secondary to primary (SIP) follicle ratio was retained with both treatments. Prolactin may determine coat structure, whilst melatonin influences the duration of fibre retention. Under conditions of summer or winter solstice hold, the seasonal prolactin variation was inhibited and initial SIP follicle ratios were retained. A tendency for a spontaneous change in prolactin secretion suggested existence of an endogenous rhythm. Maintained seasonal temperature did not influence melatonin secretion. Dusk and dawn prolactin peaks corresponded with the rise and fall in nocturnal melatonin. Basal prolactin concentrations and peak responses to the secretagogues altered with photoperiod, being low under 8L:16D and increased under 20L:4D. Exogenous melatonin under 20L:4D did not suppress prolactin to short-day concentrations. Invol vement of another factor mediating photoperiodic changes in prolactin secretion is suggested.

Biofouling is the one of the main problems in marine finfish aquaculture. Biofouling occludes the nets and incurs major costs to fish farmers in the form of copper containing anti fouling paints used on the net surfaces, cleaning and changing of nets. Copper containing anti fouling paints is the major protective method in use by the fish farmers, but given the toxicity of the copper towards the marine invertebrates and its ability to accumulate in the food chain, it may face a ban in marine aquaculture. So, there is a need to develop better anti fouling methods which will be as effective as copper, have least impact on the environment and cost effective to use. To design these, better understanding of the process of biofouling is needed. There is little data available about the biofouling in marine aquaculture.In this regard, I studied biofouling in a marine cage aquaculture farm (ACE/Tristeinen), located in mid-Norwegian coastal waters. In this study, knot less nylon net panels and Micanti net panels were used to compare different aspects of biofouling and to test the effectiveness of the Micanti nets. Zooplankton samples were collected and analyzed with a focus on the larval stages of the fouling organisms, to relate the plakntonic stages of the foulers in the zooplankton sample to the foulers present on the net panels. Sea lice larval stages presence in the zooplankton samples was also detected to study the movement of sea lice larval stages.Analysis of the net panels and zooplankton samples together showed a trend between the larvae of foulers found in the zooplankton samples and foulers present on the net panels. On net panels hydroids, mussels, algae, amphipods and nudibranchs accounted for the major proportion of the fouling. On nylon net panels hydroids were more compared to mussels and on Micanti net panels mussels were more compared to hydroids. Nets occlusion and net fouling wet weight was slightly less on the micanti net panels compared to nylon net panels. Few sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis larval stages were found in the zooplankton samples. Micanti did not work as expected, as it having problems with strength, length and density of the fibers flocked on the net. Improving these would help to improve the functionality of the Micanti nets as a better non-toxic antifouling technology.

Wind turbines operating in cold climate are exposed to periods of icing which lowers the plantprofitability by affecting the annual production. The loss of production has two components:The first (and most important) component is reduced power during operation due to disturbedaerodynamic properties of the blades. The second component is increased standstill. During this thesis project, methods to estimate production losses of a wind farm due to icinghave been developed, as well as a software tool to facilitate the use of these methods and thepresentation of the results. A method based on common metrological data and availableproduction data was desired, as modelling ice-related losses is expensive and may be inaccurate. The methods developed are based on using measured data for each turbine, such as activepower, temperature, wind direction and wind speed, and through this data describe theindividual turbine’s performance during different conditions. Production losses were thenestimated by comparing actual and expected power output (for the given wind speed). Thethesis then expanded on this basic concept by using reanalysis and mesoscale modelled data,which offers greater variety in the way estimating the losses may be performed, as well as theoption to derive losses for periods not covered by the production data. It was also important to develop a flexible and portable method that could incorporate newseasons of data or estimate losses for different wind farms with a completely differentconfiguration of turbines. The methods are developed using data from a wind farm in northern Sweden, consisting of 40Vestas V90 turbines and constructed a few years ago. It was found that eastern position in the wind farm and turbine altitude correlates with higherice-related losses, and that easterly winds relate to higher such losses than westerly winds. Thelosses during operation were estimated to 6.4 % of annual possible production and stops due toicing to 2.1 % of the total time. The losses figures are comparable to an earlier study performedin 2011 based on the same wind farm. The possibility of anti- or deicing systems for the wind farm and the profitability of such aninvestment should be further investigated as the wind farm is expected to continue operation fortwenty years or more.

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wine farms in the Western Cape represent one of the pillars of the region's economy. The social problems that are prevalent among farm workers and their families have evolved over centuries along with the wine industry; the unique set of social, economic, and political conditions affecting rural dwellers in the Western Cape have created a set of challenges impeding a productive future. The interventions at Solms-Delta Wine Estate have empowered the farm community and thus provide a template for social reform. Capacity development initiatives have been central to the farm's management plan. The employment of a fulltime social worker allowed resource gathering to implement social reforms on the farm. The present study investigated the evolution of an approach that encompasses the social development perspective of social work theory. This study is an example of the methods used to bring about stronger community development capacity. The goal of the study was to gain an understanding of the nature of capacity-building initiatives on the wine farm under review from a social development perspective. A review of the historical roots of farm worker subjugation was undertaken to uncover the social dynamic of farm worker community development. Secondly, the study has outlined the political, economic, and legal institutional parameters for rural development. A third strand of the narrative describes the nature of capacity-building initiatives undertaken over the preceding six years, and their impact on the social development of the target community. Finally, the study explored the impact of local capacity development via a semi-structured questionnaire and subsequent interviews with the twenty-one participants. The results of the research outlined in this study provide a number of templates for social work interventions in rural communities on wine farms in the Western Cape. Given the centrality of the wine farm industry in the Western Cape, the success of social welfare initiatives at Solms-Delta delineates road maps for other community-based programmes that can be launched from the lessons of this study. The locality development model, with its emphasis on community input in problem solving provides a framework for countering the unique set of challenges created from the inception of colonialism up to the end of Apartheid social engineering. The empowering environment developed at Solms-Delta offers insight into rolling back historical ills and entitlement issues that bedevil social work practice. Successful community participation requires research into specific community dynamics and the resources to empower one of South Africa's most impoverished social strata.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wynplase in die Wes-Kaap vorm een van die pilare van die streek se ekonomie. Die maatskaplike probleme wat onder plaaswerkers en hul gesinne voorkom, het oor die eeue heen saam met die wynbedryf ontwikkel. Dit behels die unieke kombinasie van sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke omstandighede met betrekking tot die landelike bewoners van die Wes-Kaap, wat 'n uitdaging stel en 'n produktiewe toekoms belemmer. Die intervensies op die Solms-Delta wynlandgoed bemagtig die gemeenskap op die plaas en bied dus 'n voorbeeld vir sosiale hervorming. Kapasiteitsontwikkelingsinisiatiewe is sentraal tot die bestuursplan van die plase. Die aanstelling van 'n voltydse maatskaplike werker was 'n belangrike addisionele hulpbron om sosiale hervorming op die plaas te bewerkstellig. Die huidige studie ondersoek die evolusie van 'n benadering wat die sosiale ontwikkelingsperspektief van maatskaplike-werkteorie betrek. Hierdie studie is 'n voorbeeld van die metodes wat gebruik kan word om 'n sterker kapasiteit vir gemeenskapsontwikkeling te ontwikkel. Die doel van die studie was om 'n begrip vanuit 'n maatskaplike ontwikkelingsperspektief-oogpunt te verkry van die aard van kapasiteitsbou-inisiatiewe op die wynplaas onder oorsig. Om die sosiale dinamika van die plaaswerkergemeenskap se ontwikkeling aan die lig te bring, het die studie 'n oorsig van die historiese herkoms van die plaaswerkers onderneem. Tweedens, het die studie 'n oorsig onderneem van die politieke, ekonomiese en wetlike institusionele parameters vir landelike ontwikkeling. 'n Derde deel van die navorsing beskrywe die aard van kapasiteitsbou-inisiatiewe oor die afgelope ses jaar, en hul impak op die maatskaplike ontwikkeling van die teikengemeenskap. Ten slotte, het die studie die impak van die ontwikkeling van plaaslike kapasiteit deur middel van 'n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys en 'n daaropvolgende onderhoud met die 21 deelnemers ondersoek. Die resultate van die navorsing soos in hierdie verslag uiteengesit bied 'n aantal voorbeelde vir maatskaplike werk-ingrypings in landelike gemeenskappe op plase in die Wes-Kaap. Gegewe die sentraliteit van die wynbedryf in die Wes-Kaap, lewer die sukses van die maatskaplike welsynsinisiatiewe op Solms-Delta 'n voorbeeld vir ander gemeenskaps-gebaseerde programme wat uit die lesse van hierdie studie kan baat. Die lokaliteit-ontwikkelingsmodel, met sy klem op insette vanuit die gemeenskap om probleme op te los, bied 'n raamwerk vir die stryd teen die unieke stel uitdagings wat ontstaan het met die begin van kolonialisme en tot aan die einde van apartheid bly voortduur het. Die bemagtigings-omgewing wat op Solms-Delta ontwikkel het, bied insig in die rol van so 'n proses vir die bekamping van die historiese euwels en onregte wat die praktyk van maatskaplike werk so belemmer. Suksesvolle gemeenskapsdeelname vereis navorsing na die dinamika binne spesifieke gemeenskappe, asook al die nodige hulpbronne, om een van Suid-Afrika se mees verarmde sosiale strata te bemagtig.

Background The poor quality of life among farm dweller households is a phenomenon in the North West Province of South Africa. Farm dwellers are a marginalized group, living in poverty on farms with a high disease burden, and their health needs represent formidable challenges to public health professionals. They are a vulnerable group with poor nutritional status and mental health profiles. The prevalence of nutritional intake inadequacies and nutrition related diseases and conditions among them are high. This affects the quality of their life (Vorster et al., 2000; London et al., 1998). People living in poverty, such as farm dwellers, find it difficult to employ healthy eating practices. There is a high level of food insecurity and financial constraints. Their overall intake of fruit and vegetables is inadequate and fall below the recommendation (MacIntyre et al., 2002). In these instances, increasing such consumption among farm dwellers may need to involve promoting and establishing vegetable gardens for self-reliance and food security (Ewing, 1998, Love & Sayed, 2001). Furthermore, it is asserted that among developing populations there is generally a lack of information on growth and health issues (Walker et al., 1992). This gap in knowledge and poverty make nutrition and health issues a problem (Greyvenstein et al., 1999) and can be improved if nutrition theory and other health recommendations are accompanied by action through a learner participatory process (Walker, 2001; van Rooyen & Nene, 1996). It is thus necessary to develop and implement appropriate intervention programs for the promotion of a better quality of life, especially for people living in poverty (Greyvenstein et al., 1999, O'Neill & Viljoen, 2001, Vorster et al., 2000). Objectives The main objectives of this study were to: Promote and establish vegetable gardens in farming communities, and Develop an education programme and use it to educate women and children using the vegetable garden as a point of reference to enhance nutrition education. Setting and subjects The study took place in the North West Province in the Potchefstroom district among a farming community. Two farm schools participated in the study, one as an intervention school and the other as a control school. A total of 132 primary school children, aged 8-16 years, took part in the study. Twenty-four women participated at baseline of which 19 completed the study protocol. Study Design The study was part of the Farm Labourer And General Health programme of the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus). It was an intervention study with baseline and end measurements. Research Methods Questionnaire interviews were carried out to elicit information related to nutrition knowledge. Focus group discussions were undertaken to gain insight into perceived barriers and factors that influence consumption among a farming community Results Children A total of 132 children, aged 8-16 and in grades 2-6, completed the study protocol. More than 80% of the children came from labouring families. Baseline results indicate no practical significant difference in nutrition knowledge between the intervention school and the control school. However, increase in knowledge within the intervention school and between groups was large enough to be of importance in practice. There was a tendency of practical significance. The abuse of alcohol, food-related domestic disputes, negligence, and cost were presented as barriers to sound dietary practices.
Thesis (M.Sc. (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe analizuojamas investicijų poveikis ūkių veiklos plėtrai. Tiriamą problemą apibūdina klausimai: kokią įtaką analizuojamiems ūkiams turėjo suteikta investicinė parama? Kokie būtų ūkių veiklos rodikliai be paramos? Darbą sudaro dvi dalys. Pirmoje darbo dalyje nagrinėjama investicijų samprata, procesas bei elementai. Pateikiama investicijų klasifikacija. Analizuojama, kokią reikšmę investicijos turi ekonomikai, kas lemia investicijų apimtis. Darbe pateikiamos priežastys, dėl kurių investicijos žemės ūkiui yra būtinos, išskiriamas žemės ūkio veiklos specifiškumas, skirtumai nuo kitų verslo formų. Darbe aptariama veiklos plėtros sąvoka bei metodai, kuriais galima išmatuoti, kaip atskiro ūkio plėtrą paveikė gauta investicinė parama. Tai atsispindi apskaičiavus ūkių pelningumo, mokumo, stabilumo ir efektyvumo bei turto panaudojimo ir atnaujinimo rodiklius, įvertinama, ar atskiras ūkis atitinka ekonomiškai gyvybingo ūkio statusą. Investicinė parama turi reikšmės ir technologiniams, socialiniams bei ekologiniams pokyčiams ūkiuose. Antroje darbo dalyje vertinama ūkių veikla, nustatomi ekonominiai rodikliai. Pateikiami ūkių, pasinaudojusių investicine parama, veiklos rezultatai. Siekiant išsiaiškinti ne tik ekonominius ūkių veiklos rezultatus, kuriuos įtakojo investicinė parama, bet ir kitus pokyčius, buvo naudojamas interviu. Jo metu apklausti šeši ūkininkai.
Bachelor thesis analyzes the impact of the investment activities on the farms’ economic efficiency. The analyzes is expressed by answering to the questions: What was the impact on the farms which were given the investment support? What could have been the performance of the same farms without the support? The research consists of two parts. The first part interprets the concept of the investment, the elements of this process, and the classification of the investments. It analyzes the significance of the investments to the economy and the factors determining the volume of the investment. The research presents the necessity of agricultural investments. The thesis specifies the agriculture’s difference from other business forms. The paper discusses the development of operational concepts and methods which can be used to measure the impact of the investments on the farms’ economic efficiency. This is reflected in the calculation of the farm’s profitability, solvency, stability, efficiency, asset utilization, and renewal rates. The investment support has not only economic effects, but it also has significant impact on technological, social and ecological change on farms. The second part analyzes the economic performance of farms. The research presents the performance of farms which benefited from the investment support. It also analyzes the performance of the farm which has not received any investment. The data is compared in relative terms. It presents the visible effect on the... [to full text]

Includes bibliographical references
Ethiopia is one of the few countries in Africa to implement large-scale land titling programmes aiming to improve land related-investments. Since 1995, Ethiopia also has partially liberalised rural land rental markets with the aim of improving the functioning of these markets. Evidence on whether these reforms resulted in improved land access by the poor and increased land-related investments though are scarce and inconclusive. This thesis investigates empirically the relationship between land tenure issues on one hand, and land-related investments and the functioning of rural land and labour markets on the other. It also analyses the relationship between participation in land rental markets and household welfare. Detailed descriptive data analysis and various econometric models were used to examine these issues. The data source for the study is the Ethiopian Rural Household Survey (ERHS), which consists of a panel of 1477 sample households covering four regions in the country. Findings from the study show that factor, input, and financial markets are poorly developed in rural Ethiopia. In addition, land title ownership does not give farmers additional rights other than the rights provided in the federal and regional legislation. This has particular ramifications. For instance, despite having a land title, farmers in Ethiopia are not allowed by law to sell or use their land as collateral in credit markets. There are also various limitations on land rental transactions. These findings suggest that the preconditions for economic effectiveness of land titling are not satisfied in the case of Ethiopia. Furthermore, in contrast to earlier studies, this study finds no significant link between farmers' perceptions of tenure insecurity and their land-related investment and factor market participation decisions. Instead, it establishes that poverty in faming resources and market failures in the credit and factor markets are the major binding constraints that adversely affect farmers' land-related investment and factor market participation decisions in rural Ethiopia. The results reveal that asset rich households were more likely to get access to more land and labour through factor markets, and they were also more likely to invest on their land, while female-headed and/or asset poor households were more likely to lease out their land and remain poor. The findings of this study do not necessarily suggest that the existing land tenure system in Ethiopia is satisfactory for farmers' intensification efforts. It is widely argued that past and current land polices in the country have led to reduced and fragmented land size holdings in rural areas. As a result, there is limited room for farm intensification. For instance, data from this study show that among sample households who did not grow tree crops on their land, 40% of them reported that land shortage is the first major problem. In this regard, the existing land tenure system can be equally restrictive for most farmers. Therefore, the results of the study suggest that, without reforming the existing land policy and addressing problems in factor and credit markets, land titling is expected to play a very limited role in improving tenure security, investment, and land access for the rural poor.

One of the main deterrents against group-housing systems of dry sows is the aggression between animals and the expensive designs necessary to prevent this. This is related to the low feeding level accepted in practice. The low level of feeding is also linked to the occurrence of stereotypies which are generally accepted as an indication of poor welfare. An ad libitum feeding system which does not result in excessive intake and concomitant problems of obesity, might improve sow welfare and have economical advantages in reducing capital cost. Suitable diets might be high-fibre diets. High inclusion levels of several fibrous materials failed to prevent excessive intake. Only unmolassed sugarbeet pulp gave acceptable results, when included at a level of 580 to 650 g/kg. Composition of the fibre appeared to be more important in regulating voluntary intake than fibre concentration of the diet per se. A diet containing a high level of sugarbeet pulp (SBP) had a long transit time and high nutrient digestibility. Nutrient digestibility was influenced by protein level and source. A SBP diet appeared to regulate intake by physical, physiological and metabolic mechanisms. The large volume of wet sugarbeet pulp will increase gastro-intestinal fill. The rate of glucose absorption and secretion of insulin was reduced. A high pre-feeding plasma VFA concentration indicated a more constant supply of nutrients for a longer period after feeding. A SBP diet increased feeding time four-fold. Animals receiving a SBP diet were less active and engaged to a lesser extent in post-feeding oral behaviours. A marked reduction in time spent rooting suggests that the sows were less food-motivated.

Nordex, a wind-turbine manufacturer and developer, has just launched the development activity over Belgium’s French-speaking Region – the Walloon Region – with the current political context favorable to wind energy deployment. Since the Walloon market is unknown, the master thesis aims to identify the appropriate approach to use for optimal wind farm development and the critical issues that may impinge on it. The scope of the master thesis is thus to find two to three sites well suited for wind farm implementation in the province of Luxembourg and to develop these sites.  An exhaustive study of the wind farm potential of the province of Luxembourg has been led, based on geographic data analysis with the GIS ArcGIS®, feasibility studies conducting, meetings with districts’ administration as well as visits onsite. In addition, a thorough comparative analysis of the Belgian specification for grid connection has been performed to identify any requirement that is not included in the French and German grid codes, which are the benchmarks of the development activity in Nordex France. Many obstacles have been encountered in wind farm development, chiefly a strong existing competition in the wind energy sector and a limited grid capacity. In addition time can be a friend but it can also sometimes be a foe at some stages that rely on public administration. Consequently from the 40 identified sites with ArcGIS®, only three have succeeded. Regarding the Belgian requirements for grid connection, all can be met thanks to an existing German specification data sheet. Eventually the Walloon policy towards wind energy development is expected to evolve so as to foster wind farm deployment in Wallonia and to reach the objectives set for 2020 (2200 MW of installed wind capacity while in January 2011 only 440 MW were in operation). Consequently to that, Nordex’ approach may have to adapt to the new regulations.

The main aims of this study were 1) to describe the development of behavioural patterns in dairy heifers, 2) to investigate individual differences in behaviour and temperament, 3) to assess the temperament of each during milking and 4) to determine whether measures of early behaviour are related to temperament at a later age or to production measurements. Time based focal animal samples of twenty Friesian heifer calves over a period of two years recorded the activity of the calf and its nearest neighbour. A study of beef suckler calves reared with their dams was available for comparison of early development. The animals reactivity to being touched was tested approximately weekly and its temperament during milking was assessed. Data on liveweight measurements and daily milk yields were available. Development of the heifer's behavioural activities is shown graphically, either as proportion of time spent or frequency of occurrence. The development is considered in two ways 1)development in relation to chronological age, and ?_)development in relation to period of time within a particular rearing condition. However, the development was similar in both cases. Testing of the mean values of the activities for each separate rearing condition, normally experienced by dairy calves during their rearing, showed significant changes. Diagrams of significant sequential changes of activities show the development of the context of these behavioural actions. These results are compared with those obtained for field calves to indicate where environmental conditions may be affecting the development of the dairy calves behaviour patterns. The animals were then considered individually. Individual differences in the proportion of time spent in different activities was not consistent in each rearing period. The heifers social profile is represented by histograms of the frequency of expression of two categories of social behaviour, social licking and aggression. Associations between heifers, measured as the most time spent as its nearest neighbour, was only observed between a pair of twins. The reactivity of the heifers to being touched showed that most of the heifers were consistent in their reaction from an early age. Investigation of position within the herd and ease of entry to the parlour during the milking routine showed that heifers were recorded more often in the in the last third of milking group which was also associated with being pushed into the parlour by the dairyman. investigation of correlation between the behavioural measurements and between the behavioural and production measurements (i.e. growth rate of the heifers and the mean daily milk yield) is discussed. For the behavioural measurements, only the correlation between the frequency of initiating aggression and milking temperament was significant at p < 0.05 level. However, three other correlations approached significance i.e. correlation of proportion of time spent passively as a calf with frequency of initiating aggression, frequency of initiating social licking with proportion of times pushed into parlour and proportion of times pushed into parlour with milking temperament. This led to the hypothesis of a trend in the development of behaviour characteristics of dairy heifers. There appeared to be little relationship between the behavioural measures of the heifers and measures of their productivity with only the correlation between frequency of initiating social licking and mean daily milk yield reaching the p < 0.05 level of significance. Finally, a discussion of these findings in relation to theories of development(e.g. effect of environment, early experiences) and their implications for animal husbandry is presented.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Using the conceptual framework of the human development approach as proposed by Amartya Sen, this dissertation attempts to measure the absolute and relative development status of Western Cape farm workers for 1996 and 2001. The dissertation begins by presenting a critical analysis of the traditional neo-classical model of development, and goes further to demonstrate how, from the early 1970s, the validity of this model was increasingly questioned by the broader development fraternity and eventually supplanted by the human development approach in the 1990s. The human development approach is based on two conceptual roots namely; social exclusion theory and the capability model of Amartya Sen. Social exclusion theory identifies important themes such as gender and culture which the neo-classical development approach failed to reflect in its theoretical and methodological structures while the capability model establishes the philosophical and theoretical foundations of human development. More specifically it clarifies the question: 'what is wellbeing, how do we measure it and how is it linked to development and poverty? From the perspective of the human development approach, wellbeing is about being able to exercise economic, social and political choice or freedom. These freedoms are labelled capabilities and are they are derived from functioning choices. A functioning represents different aspects of the state of a person, and can either be an activity such as working or a state of existence such as being educated. A functioning is an achievement whereas a capability is the possible options or choices open to a person. It is on the basis of a person's capability set that an evaluation of their level of wellbeing is possible. The human development approach therefore measures development in terms of capabilities The key methodological challenges related to measuring development in terms of human capabilities are numerous. The theory of human development does not specify which capabilities to include when measuring poverty or wellbeing, in addition it provides no method to rank capabilities. Capabilities can simultaneously expand in some areas while contract in others. Because there is no method of ranking capabilities it is impossible to conclude whether on balance, development has taken place. Finally on a practical level the data requirements to measure wellbeing in a multivariate way are significant and are more often than not based on detailed household socio-economic surveys that are not easily replicated over time. For these reasons, while development economists endorse the theory of human development on an ideological and strategic level, methodologically there is still a tendency to measure it in terms of income levels. Despite these challenges a number of empirical applications of the human development approach have emerged in recent years and a cross-section of these studies is described as part of this dissertation. The main methodological issues that have to be confronted when operationalising the human development approach are also documented while the appropriateness of using the theory of fuzzy sets to measure vague concepts such as poverty and wellbeing, is emphasized. Drawing on data from the 1996 and 2001 Population Census this dissertation confronts these measurement challenges and by limiting the analysis to 6 functionings namely; housing, housing services, education, health, social relations, employment and economic achievements, attempts to measure the overall development status of Western Cape farm workers. By comparing this result with the achievement of other labour groups such as the unemployed and workers employed elsewhere in the economy it is also possible to conclude on their relative development status. With respect to functioning achievement (measured as fuzzy scores), in 2001 farm workers scored the lowest of all the labour groups in terms of housing services, social relations and education achievement. In terms of their access to economic resources, while farm workers individual and household monthly income levels exceeded that of the unemployed - their fuzzy score was roughly half of that achieved by workers in other sectors. These various functionings were weighted and aggregated to arrive at an overall wellbeing indicator, and almost no difference could be detected in the score achieved by farm workers and the unemployed. This result was found to be relatively insensitive to the weight assigned to a particular functioning. While there is almost no difference in the overall level of human development "enjoyed" by farm workers and the unemployed, a large difference was found between farm workers and other workers in the economy. It can be argued that this discrepancy is indicative of the high concentration of unskilled workers found in the agricultural sector. However when occupation was brought into consideration, a relatively large discrepancy in development levels between farm workers and employed unskilled workers, could still be detected. In terms of gender, overall women farm workers scored slightly higher than men, however in terms of personal income they scored considerably lower than men. This difference could not be attributed to differences in the number of hours worked per week and confirms the findings of other studies that showed that women farm workers do not receive equal wages for equal work effort. In terms of development status, the results generated by the 1996 population census, were consistent with 2001 however, here farm workers scored poorly in terms of the housing, housing services, education and social relations functioning. It was only with respect to the employment and economic resources functionings that farm workers ranked above the unemployed. By applying the frequency-based membership functions generated for 1996 to the 2001 data set, it was possible to detect absolute changes in development status that took place between 1996 and 2001. Relative to the other labour groups, farm workers consistently exhibited the highest rate of progress. Education, social relations and housing services functionings scores in 2001, were 20% higher than 1996 levels. Key Words: Poverty, development, wellbeing, human development approach, capabilities, functionings, fuzzy sets, Western Cape, Western Cape agriculture, farm workers
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die konseptuele raamwerk van die menslike ontwikkelings benadering, soos uiteengesit deur Amartya Sen, dien as vertrekpunt vir hierdie navorsing. Die navorsing poog om die absoluute and relatiewe ontwikkelingsvlak van Wes Kaapse plaaswerkers vir 1996 en 2001, te meet. 'n Kritiese ontleding van die neoklassieke model van ontwikkeling word geskets, en daama gaan die analise verder om te bewys hoe die ontwikkelingsdenkskool as geheel, vanaf die laat 1970s, die geldigheid van hierdie model bevraagteken het. Hierdie model was uiteindelik in die vroee 1990s vervang deur die menslike ontwikkelingsbenadering. Die menslike ontwikkelingsbenadering is gebaseer op twee konseptuele wortels naamlik; sosiale uitsluitingsteorie en die vermoensmodel van Amartya Sen. Die sosiale uitsluitingsteorie identifiseer belangrike temas soos geslag en kultuur wat die neoklassieke model nagelaat het om te inkorporeer in sy teoretiese en metodologiese struktuur, terwyl die vermoensmodel, die filosofiese and teoretiese fondasie van die menslike ontwikkelingsbenadering vasstel. Meer spesifiek dit verhelder die vraag "wat is welvaart, hoe meet ons dit en wat is die verband tussen ontwikkeling en armoede". Van uit die perspektief van die mens like ontwikkelingsbenadering, gaan welvaart oor die uitoefening van ekonomiese, sosiale en politiese keuses of vryhede. Hierdie vryhede is genoem vermoens en is afgelei vanaf verrigtingskeuses. 'n Verrigting reflekteer verskillende aspekte van 'n person en kan 'n aktiwitiet wees soos werk of 'n stand van bestaan soos geletteredheid. 'n Verrigting is 'n prestasie terwyl 'n vermoe is die reeks moontlike opsies of keuses is wat 'n persoon teekom. Dit is op die basis van 'n persoon se vermoens stel, dat 'n evaluasie van sy vlak van welvaart moontlik is. Dus meet die menslike ontwikkelingsbenadering ontwikkeling in terme van vermoens. Daar is baie metodologiese struikelblokke wat oorkom moet word voordat ontwikkeling in terme van menslike vermoens gemeet kan word. Die teorie van menslike onwikkeling spesifiseer nie watter vermoens ingesluit moet wees by die meting van armoede of welvaart nie. V erder is daar geen metode om vermoens te rangskik nie. V ermoens kan gelyktydig groei in een area en krimp in 'n ander. Omdat geen metode bestaan om vermoens te rangskik nie, is dit onmoontlik om vas te stel of ontwikkeling wel plaas gevind het. Op 'n praktiese vlak, die data of inligtingsbehoefte om welvaart op 'n veelsydige manier te meet, is groot. Dit is normal weg gebaser op gedetailleerde huishoudelike sosio-ekonomies vraelyste wat nie maklik herhaalbaar is oor tyd nie. Vir hierdie redes, terwyl ontwikkelingsekonoome die teorie van menslike ontwikkeling op beide ideologiese en strategiese vlak aanvaar, bestaan daar nog altyd die geneigdheid om dit te meet in terme van inkomste. Ongeag hierdie uitdagings, het 'n hoeveelheid empiriese toepassings van die menslike ontwikkelingsbenadering wel na vore gekom en 'n deursnee hiervan is beskryf as deel van hierdie navorsing. Die hoof metodologiese vraagstukke wat uitgestryk moet word voordat die menslike ontwikkelingsbenadering prakties toegepas kan word, is uiteengesit. Die toepaslikheid van die teorie van "fuzzy sets", om vae konsepte soos armoed en welvaart te meet, is ook beklemtoon. Die resultate van die 1996 en 2001 bevolkingssensus word hi er gebruik om hierdie meetingsuitdaging te konfronter. Die analise word beperk tot net ses verrigtinge naamelik; behuising, behuisingsdienste, opvoeding, gesondheid, sosiale verhoudings, indiensneming en ekonomiese prestasie. Hiermee probeer die narvorsing die algehele ontwikkelingsstatus van die Wes Kaapse plaaswerkers meet. Hierdie resultate word direk vergelyk met die resultate van ander werkersgroepe soos die werkloses en werkers in ander sektore van die ekonomie, om die relatiewe ontwikkelingsstatus van plaaswerkers vas te stel. In terme van hulle verrigtingsprestasie (gemeet in terme van "fuzzy scores") in 2001 het plaaswerkers die laagste van al die werkersgroepe gevaar wat betref behuising, sosiale verhoudings en opvoedingsvlakke. In terme van toegang tot ekonomiese goedere, terwyl plaaswekers se individuele en huishoudelike maandelikse inkomste vlakke die van die werkloses veebygesteek het, was hulle telling die helfte van dit wat werkers in andere sektore behaal het. Hierdieverrigtings prestasies was geweeg en bymekaar getel om n algehele welvaartsindeks te bereken. Dit was bevind dat hierdie resultaat relatief ongevoelig was tot gewigsmetodologie. Terwyl daar amper geen verskil was tussen die vlak van ontwikkeling van plaaswerkers en die van werkloses nie, is 'n goot verskil tussen plaaswerkers en ander werkers in die ekonomie gevind Hierdie verskil kon nie toegekryf word aan die groot konsentrasies van onopgeleide werkers werksaam in die landbou sektor nie. As beroep in ag geneem word, bly daar nog altyd 'n verskil tussen plaaswerkers en ander onopgeleide werkers. In terme van geslag, het vroulike plaaswerkers, oor die algemeen beter gevaar as manlike werkers, alhoewel hulle in terme van persoonlike inkomste agter gebly het. Hierdie verskil kon nie toegeskryf wees aan die hoeveelheid ure gewerk per week nie en bevestig die bevindinge van ander navorsingsresultate wat gewys het dat vroulike plaaswerkes nie gelyke lone verdien vir dieselfde werk nie. In terme van ontwikkelingsvlakke, stem die 1996 resultate met die van 2001 ooreen. In 1996 het plaaswerker slegter gevaar in behuising, behuisingsdienste, opvoeding en sosisale verhoudings verrigtinge. Die was alleenlik in terme van indiensneming en ekonomiese verrigtinge dat plaaswerkes bo die werkloses gerang het. Deur middel van die toepassing van die 1996 lidmaatskapsvergelyking op die 2001 datastel, was dit moontlik om die absolute verandering in ontwikkelingsstatus van Wes Kaapse plaaswerkers te meet. Relatief tot die ander werkersgroepe, het plaaswerkers die vinnigste voorsprong gemaak. In 2001 was opvoeding, sosiale verhoudinge en die behuisings verrigting, 20% hoer as die van 1996. Sleutelterme: armoede, ontwikkeling, welvaart, menslike ontwikkelings benaadering, vermoens, verrigtinge, "functionings", "fuzzy sets", Wes-Kaap, Wes-Kaapse landbou, plaaswerkers

In this thesis, the effect of pitch based optimisation was explored for a 80 turbine wind farm. Using a modified Jensen wake model and the Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) model, a pitch optimisation strategy was created for the dominant turbulence and atmospheric condition for the wind farm. As the wake model was based on the FLORIS model developed by P.M.O Gebraad et. al., the wake and power model was compared with the FLORIS model and a -0.090% difference was found. To determine the dynamic predictive capability of the wake model, measurement values across a 10 minute period for a 19 wind turbine array were used and the wake model under predicted the power production by 17.55%. Despite its poor dynamic predictive capability, the wake model was shown to accurately match the AEP production of the wind farm when compared to a CFD simulation done in FarmFlow and only gave a 3.10% over-prediction. When the optimisation model was applied with 150 iterations and particles, the AEP production of the wind farm increased by 0.1052%, proving that the pitch optimisation method works for the examined wind farm. When the iterations and particles used for the optimisation was increased to 250, the power improvement between optimised results improved by 0.1144% at a 222.5% increase in computational time, suggesting that the solution has yet to fully converge. While the solutions did not fully converge, they converged sufficiently and an increase in iterations gave diminishing results. From the results, the pitch optimisation model was found to give a significant increase in power production, especially in wake intensive wind directions. However, the dynamic predictive capabilities will have be improved upon before the control strategy can be applied to an operational wind farm.