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1
Kamwamba-Mtethiwa, Jean Tiyamika. "Sustainable irrigation development : the adoption of small-scale pumped irrigation in Malawi." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2016. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/10005.
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There has been an increased interest on small-scale pumped irrigation (SSPI) in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), however little is known on the adoption processes behind this technology. Moreover, the conditions for successful SSPI adoption remain largely unexplored. This research aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the present adoption processes to inform future policy. The thesis was framed around the diffusion of innovations model (Rogers 2003), using the systematic review methodology and field surveys. Interviews involving 212 farmers and 25 other stakeholders were conducted between 2013 and 2014 within 3 districts in Malawi. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The systematic review revealed that evidence relating to pump performance in SSA was limited, lacked standards and confined within particular regions. The field surveys identified that four different pumped systems have been adopted by farmers in Malawi; group treadle, individual treadle, group motorized and individual motorized. Farmers generally prefer individually managed pumps that are easy to operate and fit in with their existing farming practices. Adoption is driven either by the attributes of self-motivated farmers or by incentives such as free or subsidized pumps. While adoption by self-motivated farmers is consistent with Rogers (2003) model, adoption due to incentives shows differences. The research proposes a modification to the Rogers (2003) model and revised definition of success in SSPI adoption, leading to a new framework showing pathways of success. This framework identifies the routes taken by farmers who successfully adopt or discontinue using pumps. Incentive farmers are typically the poorer; these need continued external support to survive the learning curve. For self-motivated farmers, their higher socio-economic status supports successful adoption. To ensure sustainability, SSPI promoters need to offer continued support to incentive farmers and/or reduce barriers to accessing the pumps for self-motivated farmers.
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Andriyas, Sanyogita. "Analysis of Irrigation Decision Behavior and Forecasting Future Irrigation Decisions." DigitalCommons@USU, 2012. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1359.
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Farmers play a pivotal role in food production. To be economically successful, farmers must make many decisions during the course of a growing season about the allocation of inputs to production. For farmers in arid regions, one of these decisions is whether to irrigate. This research is the first of its kind to investigate the reasons that drive a farmer to make irrigation decisions and use those reasons/factors to forecast future irrigation decisions. This study can help water managers and canal operators to estimate short-term irrigation demands, thereby gaining information that might be useful in management of irrigation supply systems. This work presents three approaches to study farmer irrigation behavior: Bayesian belief networks (BBNs), decision trees, and hidden Markov models (HMMs). All three models are in the class of evolutionary algorithms, which are often used to analyze problems in dynamic and uncertain environments. These algorithms learn the connections between observed input and output data and can make predictions about future events. The models were used to study behavior of farmers in the Canal B command area, located in the Lower Sevier River Basin, Delta, Utah. Alfalfa, barley, and corn are the major crops in this area. Biophysical variables that are measured during the growing reasons were used as inputs to build the models. Information about crop phenology, soil moisture, and weather variables were compiled. Information about timing of irrigation events was available from soil moisture probes installed on some agricultural fields at the site. The models were capable of identifying the variables that are important in forecasting an irrigation decision, classes of farmers, and decisions with single and multi-factor effect regarding farmer behavior. The models did this across years and crops. The advantage of using these models to study a complex problem like behavior is that they do not require exact information, which can never be completely obtained, given the complexity of the problem. This study uses biophysical inputs to forecast decisions about water use. Such forecasts cannot be done satisfactorily using survey methodologies. The study reveals irrigation behavior characteristics. These conform to previous beliefs that a farmer might look at crop conditions, consult a neighbor, or irrigate on a weekend if he has a job during the week. When presented with new data, these models gave good estimates for probable days of irrigation, given the past behavior. All three models can be adequately used to explore farmers' irrigation behavior for a given site. They are capable of answering questions related to the driving forces of irrigation decisions and the classes of subjects involved in a complex process.
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Chitsa, Gilbert. "Analysis of entrepreneurial behaviour of smallholder irrigation farmers: empirical evidence from Qamata Irrigation scheme." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019769.
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Albeit much effort having been put to review the performance trend of smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa. However, there seems to be a paucity of information regarding the level of entrepreneurship on these farmers. Most research works on smallholder irrigation farmers have mainly focused on livelihoods trajectory providing a review on how the welfare of the rural poor has been transformed after the introduction of irrigation schemes. With most research evidence indicating a high degree of underperformance on most smallholder irrigation schemes, this research attempted to investigate the level of entrepreneurship among the small holder irrigation farmers. In order to achieve the main research objective, a sample of 110 farmers drawn from Qamata irrigation scheme was interviewed and each farmer’s performance on the nine components of entrepreneurship was assessed. The aspects assessed to determine the farmer’s entrepreneurial behaviour were: planning ability, risk taking, achievement motivation, leadership ability, Cosmo politeness, decision making, and innovativeness and farming knowledge. Basing on previous studies which indicated entrepreneurial behaviour to be influenced by several factors the study also analysed the determinants of entrepreneurship among the irrigation farmers and a binary logistic regression model was used to establish the connection between various independent variables and the farmers’ entrepreneurial performance given as a total score of the nine components. Though the findings of the study revealed a prevalently low level of entrepreneurship among the smallholder irrigation farmers on Qamata irrigation scheme, a high proportion of the respondent farmers (65.5% and 60.5%) showed to have a high degree of achievement motivation and decision making ability, respectively. The observed trend thus reflected that smallholder farmers have a potential to become entrepreneurs and are willing to succeed. The binary model results revealed that the prevailing land tenure system will be a strong determinant of the farmer’s level of entrepreneurship. Equally, levels of training in farming, motive for farming and information seeking tendency also proved to have a significant influence on the degree of farmer entrepreneurship. Based on the results of this study recommendations have thus been drawn on the need for policies and practices aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and not dependency among farmers. Key focus areas identified include: the need to revise the current land ii tenure system on irrigation schemes, intensify on entrepreneurship training for both farmers and extension officers and regular on-farm training on new technologies.
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Ncube, Bulisani Lloyd. "Livelihoods and production in smallholder irrigation schemes: the case of New Forest Irrigation Scheme in Mpumalanga Province." University of the Western Cape, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4218.
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Magister Philosophiae (Land and Agrarian Studies) - MPhil(LAS)This study explored the production and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in irrigation schemes in South Africa. The particular focus has been on the farming styles of smallholder farmers, the impact of irrigation scheme production on their income and livelihoods, and the issue of smallholder social differentiation. The New Forest irrigation scheme located in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality was used as a case study. The research methodology utilized a combination of extensive and intensive research designs. The farming style approach was compared with the livelihood strategies approach to determine the relationship between the farmers’ approach to farming and their livelihood development trajectory. The underlying assumption is that small-scale irrigation has the potential to make a positive contribution to the livelihoods of farmers. New Forest irrigation farmers face a number of challenges at the irrigation scheme such as neglect by government, inadequate irrigation water, and access to affordable crops inputs. The farmers were not organised to be able to purchase inputs, engage in co-operative marketing, and manage the irrigation scheme. The notion of investing in smallholder irrigation schemes in order to convert smallholders into commercial farmers is unrealistic. Those that were classified as ‘food farmers’, benefit from irrigation development and participation through meeting their household consumption needs. Those classified as ‘employers’, obtained negative gross margins per plot and hired most farm labour. Diversification by employers into other less risky livelihood activities on-farm and off-farm is an option. The ‘profit makers’, make high returns from crop production, and obtained the highest gross margins per plot. This thesis argues that support to farmers in smallholder irrigation schemes should be provided in the context of their farming objectives, and livelihood aspirations which are not only varied but evolve across time and individual circumstances.
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Usman, Abdullah. "Socio-economic factors influencing farmers' adoption of a new technology : the case study on the groundwater pump irrigation in Lombok, Indonesia." Title page, Abstract and Contents only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09A/09au86.pdf.
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Bibliography: leaves 146-153. This thesis analyses factors influencing farmers use of groundwater pump irrigation in Lombok, Indonesia. It aims to identify the determinants of the speed of technology adoption, to identify factors affecting the levels of water use and to estimate the state of water use by comparing the actual water use to the estimated optimal water use.
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Molatakgosi, Goitsemodimo. "Impact of infield irrigation management by Botswana cabbage farmers on soil salinity." Thesis, Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1826/1224.
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Some vegetable farmers in the semi- arid Botswana are struggling or closing down
their enterprises citing the cost of irrigation and salty water as the problem.
Irrigation with water from the salt-laden underground water is known to be the main
sources of salts for arid and semi-arid agricultural land. Crops grown in saline
environments show symptoms similar to those shown by drought-affected crops
hence more irrigation is needed therefore increasing the irrigation cost. Research
from other semi arid areas shows that water with high salinity levels can be used for
irrigation without increasing soil salinity to values beyond critical levels. A lot of
studies have been done which show that the impacts of saline irrigation water
depend on the irrigation management. This study therefore aims at recommending
infield irrigation management practices to be used by cabbage farmers in Botswana
without increase in soil salinity to levels that will affect crop yield.
A survey was conducted to identify the infield irrigation management practices
presently used by cabbage farmers in Botswana. Rootzone salinity trend due to the
identified infield irrigation management was simulated for 20 years using WaSim
simulation model. Recommendations on irrigation management practices were made
for those soil salinity trends that reached critical levels.
It was realised that there are no common infield irrigation management used by
farmers. The way farmers manage infield irrigation could not be identified with the
factors involved in irrigation scheduling. Infield irrigation management by the
farmers contribute to the soil salinity increase in their fields and some of the farmers are already using saline soils. Most farmers are not aware of the saline conditions they are farming on and those who know do not know about the soil salinity measures. The study recommends a need to educate farmers on irrigation under
saline environments and also a need for farmers to include soil salinity control in
their irrigation planning.
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Muleba, Jean Leon Isidore Ntendesha. "Factors influencing the success of small-scale irrigation farmers in Nkomazi (Mpumalanga)." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24897.
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The purpose of the study was to identify the main factors influencing the small-scale production of sugar cane in Nkomazi, Mupumalanga province. The study assesses the influence of some selected personal and environmental, and intervening factors on the adoption of recommended agricultural practices and farming success or production efficiency of small-scale sugar cane growers. A total of 139farmers were randomly drawn from two distinct districts of Komatipoort and Malelane in Nkomazi, which represented a `10% stratified sample. In the analysis of data, correlation, chi-square analysis, as well as multiple regressions analysis were used in order to identify the most important determinants associated with behavioural change and to calculate their contribution to the variance of farming success. The results indicate that, the intervening variables tended to have the highest prediction value. They were found to explain 87,13% of the variance of behaviour associated with the production efficiency, while the independent variables had R2 of 0.50 thus contributing significantly less to the variance of farming success. Amongst the intervening variables, needs and knowledge were found to have the greatest effect on the farming success or dependent variables (P<0,0001). These findings imply that managerial skills or farming success of small-scale sugar cane farmers in Nkomazi is dependent on intervening variables. The intervening variables are the best prediction of decision making, practices adoption behaviour and farming success, so that they should be the focus of extension programs, and also the criteria for monitoring.Dissertation (MSc (Agricultural Extention))--University of Pretoria, 2003.
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
unrestricted
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Nowata, Matsoba Sandile Jethro. "Farmers perspectives towards the rehabilitation and subsequent interventions by the LDA in the irrigation schemes in Sekhukhune District." Thesis, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1293.
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Thesis (M.Sc (Agriculture)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014Small-scale irrigation farming has been found to have potential to improve agricultural production of the small-scale farmers and thereby improving their livelihoods. The Government of South Africa through the RESIS programme embarked on a project to increase agricultural production through investment in new or existing small scale irrigation schemes. Contrary to expectations, most of the government supported irrigation schemes have failed to meet the expectations of both government and farmers. The objectives of this study was to determine the perceived reasons for the failure of the irrigation schemes and determine the association between socio-economic characteristic of farmers and the perceived reasons for these schemes. Farmers who participated in the scheme or had participated (in the case of failed/dysfunctional schemes) in the RESIS irrigation schemes were randomly sampled and interviewed. Multinomial regression analysis was used to determine the association between farmers’ socio-economic profiles and their perceptions on the reasons for the failure of the schemes. According to farmers’ ranking, economic, competition and socio-cultural factors were perceived as having a large influence on the success of the schemes. Climate/ecological and technological factors were cited as having lesser influence on the success of the schemes. Socio-economic characteristics (literacy level, age, education level) of farmers and number of beneficiaries in a scheme had influence on how farmers perceive the influence of economic, competition, socio-cultural, technological, climate and administrative/management factors.. The strategic partnership model was generally found to encourage dependency and thus discouraging the sense of ownership. The findings revealed the importance of considering the socio-economic circumstances of farmers in future planning of the irrigation schemes to enhance the success of these schemes. The findings may also have implications for other government supported projects that involve communities with diverse needs and socio-economic profiles.
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Finiza, Tabisa Nomava. "Assessing farmers’ aspirations and goals to expand irrigation crop production from homestead gardens to irrigation plots in Mhlontlo Local Municipality." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016173.
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Most land is still state owned and is granted to users through traditional authorities. Even though the government has undertaken some programmes to reduce rural poverty and has initiated land reform programmes, improved service delivery and formed new water rights legislation in rural areas, the problem of low crop production still persists among South African farmers. The study was undertaken to identify different farmers’ aspirations and goals for expanding their crop production from homestead gardening to irrigation plots in Mhlontlo Local Municipality, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The central problem is that smallholder farmers are not expanding their scale of crop production even though they have access to natural capital which includes land and water. The broad objective of the study was to determine the aspirations and goals of farmers to expand irrigation crop production from homestead gardens to irrigation plots. The specific objectives of the study were to assess factors that addressed smallholder farmers’ aspirations and goals to expand crop production, to identify challenges that smallholder farmers encountered in expanding from homestead gardens to irrigation plots and to determine the current state of homestead gardens and irrigation plots. A list of 20 goals were identified from the field survey with 54 homestead food gardeners and 50 smallholder irrigation farmers in the different villages of the Mhlontlo Local Municipality. Random sampling was used to select the farmers who were asked to score the identified farm enterprise goals in terms of their relative importance. The goals were categorised into five factors using Gasson goal ranking methods which ranked goals on the basis of intrinsic, expressive, instrumental, and social criteria. The next step was to determine the standard deviations and means of the ranked goals. Descriptive statistics was then used to profile the farmers according to such factors as age, gender, years of farm experience, types of plot, the availability of water and land for crop production, the income farmers generate from the sale of crops produced and these are cross-tabulated with their goal rankings. The Logit model was used to estimate the probability that farmers would belong to a particular goal ranking and performance category. The logit model was also used to identify the factors that influence the expansion of the cropped area. The results revealed that maize production and land size where significant at 1%. Age and type of irrigation used were also positively significant at 1%. The results also revealed that the adoption of agricultural technology by smallholder irrigation farmers and homestead food gardens contributed to better quality produce.
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Jafary, Forough. "Participatory modelling platform for groundwater irrigation management with local farmers in Iran (Kashan)." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2016. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6809/.
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This thesis develops a participatory modelling process to study improvement in the management of irrigation efficiency, including physical and social dimensions in the context of arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. This study develops an interdisciplinary and participatory method to understand and strengthen collective decision-making in local Iranian farming systems. Specific attention is given to groundwater irrigated agricultural practices under the Iranian governance system to provide wider context. Kashan City, in central Iran is selected as a case study area for specific reasons, such as historical water use, the farmers’ rich indigenous knowledge, and successful agricultural practices under conditions of water scarcity. The accessibility and willingness of local farmers to engage in a participatory modelling process are considered. The thesis suggests the first use of role-play simulation for irrigation management practices in Iran, is an effective and insightful method of achieving adaptive management solutions. The application of an innovative participatory simulation modelling with farmers revealed their main incentives for collective irrigation practices, their capabilities to learn and evaluate the system. It is argued that management decisions have major impacts on farmers’ livelihoods and therefore it is essential to integrate farmers’ perspectives in local governance to sustain agricultural productivity.
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Msuya, Kassim Jumanne. "Applicability of drip irrigation for smallholder farmers: A case study of the horticultural industry in Tanzania." The Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1469152691.
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Samuel, Aurelia F. "Economic impact of improved irrigation technology for small scale farmers in north-west Nigeria." Thesis, University of Reading, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.541959.
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Adeniyi, Daniel Adeoluwa Seun. "Sustainable irrigation agriculture for food security and poverty reduction among smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria." University of the Western Cape, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/6688.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDNigeria, like many African countries is caught up in the uncertainty of the effectiveness of agricultural intervention in achieving food security, poverty reduction and improved quality of life. This ambiguity is more pronounced especially in rural areas where majority of the poor and those involved in agriculture reside. Indeed, issues relating to resource utilization and productivity in the agricultural sector and how they affect livelihoods and food security of smallholder households remain underexplored. The study examines the contribution of small-scale irrigation agriculture towards ensuring food security and poverty alleviation among smallholder households. It assesses the productivity, food security and livelihoods status of smallholder households in the Middle Rima Valley Irrigation Project, North West Nigeria, the relationship that exist between the phenomena, as well as factors influencing them. It also explores smallholder households’ differentials on the basis of their efficiency, food security and income status, and what other factors determine the smallholder typologies. The research was situated within three bodies of theoretical work; political ecology, political economy of food and agriculture, and sustainable livelihoods. This was done with a view to providing a nuanced understanding of both the micro and macro processes and factors influencing agricultural production, food security and livelihoods of smallholder households. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods research design was adopted for the study. This involves the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods of research to drive the research agenda. Systematic random sampling technique was used to collect data for the quantitative aspect and purposive sampling was used to select participants for semi-structured interviews for the qualitative research. A total of 370 questionnaires were administered but 306 questionnaires were successfully completed and returned, representing an 83% response rate. Also eight respondents were interviewed for the study. While thematic content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data, quantitative data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.
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Tshikhudo, Phumudzo Patrick. "Irrigation and dryland fruit production : opportunities and constraints faced by small-scale farmers in Venda." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2004. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02172006-094405.
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Yokwe, Stanley Conficious Bartholomew. "Investigation of the economics of water as used by smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26912.
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This study investigates the economics of water as used by smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa. The productivity and value of water were estimated with data from two smallholder irrigation schemes: Zanyokwe and Thabina. Production parameters such as fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, equipment, transport, labour, and water were treated as inputs. Various methodologies used to estimate water value, including cost-based approaches, were thoroughly reviewed. The aim was to select the ones with more justification for use in smallholder irrigation sector and also to compare a number of approaches. On a case study basis, three methods were applied: residual valuation method, willingness to pay and cost-based approaches (i.e. accounting costs of O&M). Water productivity and values were then evaluated as per crop, farmer, and scheme. Also, cross-section regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of some key socio-economic factors of production on gross margin and willingness to pay. The results indicated that on average, the value of water varies according to methods, crops, farmers and schemes. In the Zanyokwe scheme, water value estimated by the residual method in cabbage is higher (R1.64 per m3) than the one in dry maize (R0.35 per m3), if intensive and high yield irrigated crops are grown per year. Also, in Thabina, water value for cabbage (R1.14 per m3) outperforms water value for dry maize (R0.02 per m3. This means that there is greater potential in vegetable crops than food grain crops, although the two schemes have different irrigation systems, and such analysis is based on one-year data, which may lack accuracy. Low water valuation is ascribed to low yield and extensive cropping systems, because gross margin per hectare is very low. This signifies the need for expansion in high value crops rather than low value crops. At farm and scheme level, the results were derived by using the Smile database and simulated platform. The Smile platform is a data capturing and a calculation tool. It calculates a number of indicators, economic figures, at scheme and individual farm level, allowing for evaluation of the current situation. The results suggested that at present, the Zanyokwe scheme requires about 1 739 255 m3 of irrigation water per year. The total operational costs (accounting costs of O&M) are about R146 097.42. In other words, supplying 1 m3at farm level will cost R0.084. This implies that if irrigation charges are levied so as to cover O&M costs of the Zanyokwe scheme, the current costs (R0.084) will form only 23% of the average gross margin of R0.37 per m3 used at scheme level. Furthermore, in the Zanyokwe irrigation scheme, the results revealed that the most active and efficient farmers (specialized farmers) can make an average gross margin of R4 105 per ha per year, also achieving the highest water productivity R0.69 in gross margin per m3 consumed. However, in the Thabina scheme, the results indicated that, to supply 1 m3will cost R0.062. Thus, the current water supply costs cover about 56 % of what is earned (i.e. R0.11 per m3 used) at scheme level. Again, the most active farmers (commercially oriented pensioners) are more efficient, with average gross margin of R3 092 per ha per year, also achieving the highest water productivity (R0.53 in gross margin per m3 used). These results suggested that certain smallholder farming systems seem capable of paying for irrigation charges of their respective schemes if they are obliged to do so. As far as willingness to pay (WTP) and cost-based approaches (CBA) are concerned, the results clearly show that the active farmers in the Zanyokwe scheme have lower WTP per m3 (R0.03) than the GM of output (R0.69) per m3 of water used. Also, the accounting cost (R0.084 per m3 of water used) is lower than the GM gained. However, in the Thabina scheme, the situation is quite different. The active farmers are willing to pay R0.19 per m3 of water used. This implies that, if farmers are to pay for the charges in order to cover O&M costs, the farmers in Thabina are ready to pay as much as three times the proposed costs of O&M (R0.062 per m3 of water used), although both the WTP and the accounting cost are lower than GM gained. In these results, it is significant that both the accounting cost and the willingness to pay are lower than the GM per m3 of water used at least in the Zanyokwe scheme. Even though the data were drawn from a sample for one year only, this finding on the perception of farmers has implications for extension and training to improve future productive use. Regarding the findings from cross-section regression analysis, the results for GM (as dependent variable) in general indicated that in the Zanyokwe scheme, only credit affects output positively and significantly. Production costs have significant effect on output, but with a negative correlation. It is striking that all the other factors of production including hired labour show negative and insignificant effects on output. In the Thabina scheme, the most important factors of production in the model are land size (hectare) and production costs (Rand per ha). These two variables influence output positively and significantly. As far as WTP (as dependent variable) is concerned, the results indicated that in the Zanyokwe scheme, it is striking that in all the investigated factors, only credit affects WTP positively and significantly. All other factors are insignificant. Also, gross margin of output per m3, unexpectedly, has displayed a negative and insignificant effect on output. In the Thabina scheme, the results show that the land size per hectare, and gross margin of output per m3 affect WTP positively and significantly. Such results are consistent with the assumptions made in the conceptual framework that a farmer with high gross margin gained at farm level is more likely to pay for water costs than those with poor gross margin. On the basis of these findings, the following recommendations were formulated. Specific policies should include promotion of high value crops and improved varieties of seed for food grain crops (e.g. maize) and vegetables (e.g. cabbage). While improved agronomic practices remain important, there is also potential to increase productivity and profitability of the crops by improving water management practices at the canal-system level, such as better timing of water delivery and increased overall canal-water supplies at the farm level. Finally, from a cost recovery point of view, government should develop a program of cost sharing for capital costs of irrigation development. With regard to inter-sectoral competition, these results highlight that, if inter-sectoral competition is left to uncontrolled market forces may result in smallholder farmers' selling their water rights to sectors which value water at higher levels. To avoid a “liberal trap” such as in the example of Chile (where smallholder farmers "en masse" sold their water rights, resulting ultimately in deeper rural poverty), some form of control/management of water rights transaction involving smallholder farmers is necessary. Finally, the findings of this study can be used in various ways. Since, these values determine the farmer’s ability to pay for water now or in the future, the incentive to use water judiciously will be governed by these values. Secondly, the results can be used to evaluate whether the costs estimated and gross margin per m3 gained at farm level, are in line with the farmers’ willingness to pay. Further work is recommended to clarify these conclusions and provide more policy clarification on the better use of water by smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa.Dissertation (MInst.Agrar)--University of Pretoria, 2007.
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
unrestricted
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Odame, Augustina Yaa Oye. "Water Decision-Making Under Uncertainty." DigitalCommons@USU, 2015. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4576.
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This dissertation is made up of three separate studies under the unifying theme of “Water Decision-Making under Uncertainty.” The first study analyzed a farmer’s decision to invest in a more efficient irrigation system given uncertainty about future water supplies and his post-investment efficiency. It found the price at which farmers would no longer produce to be a bigger consideration in irrigation investment than previously thought. It also found support for a careful identification and consideration of all significant sources of uncertainty in order to create better policy incentives for irrigation technology investments.
The second study extended the first to allow the farmer to gradually update his irrigation system rather than undertake a single, complete overhaul. It found that giving the farmer this option, has significant impact and potential with regards to investments meant to effect behavioral change for improved system outcomes such as more efficient irrigation systems towards regional water conservation goals.
The third and final chapter established a spatially explicit hydroeconomic model of water-use behavior in the Cache Valley of Utah to evaluate the impact of individual decisions, actions and interactions on available water supplies, and whether and how a water master’s privileged information about the behavior of users in his system may be used to improve system outcomes for users in the canal, downstream water requirements and storm-water management.
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Magqibelo, Sinovuyo. "Impact of smallholder irrigation schemes on rural livelihoods of farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: the case of Melani Irrigation Scheme." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1774.
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Irrigation farming is one of the most important rural development investments that can have both direct and indirect impacts on poverty and food security. The irregular and unreliable rainfall in the Eastern Cape Province has caused the smallholder farmers to deepen the irrigation farming systems as a strategy to cope with food shortage, income and poverty. South Africa has invested substantially in smallholder irrigation to benefit smallholder farmers in the less developed areas. Although the investment on small scale irrigation was to improve the welfare of the people, the performance and welfare impact of smallholder irrigation schemes has been poor and fall far short of the expectations of many stakeholders. The broad objective of the study was to examine the contribution of smallholder irrigation scheme on rural livelihoods of smallholder farmers at the project area. The null hypothesis was that smallholder irrigation schemes have no impact on farmer’s livelihoods. The alternative hypothesis for this study was that Melani irrigation scheme is contributing in improving rural livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the area. Cross study research design was used in the methodology. The purposive sampling was applied in order to choose a sample of 107 respondents that were interviewed using questionnaires, including both irrigating and non-irrigating farmers. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to find out whether the performance of the two groups of farmers is different and to what extent. To determine the specific role of irrigation an Independent T-Test was ran. Out of the selected sample 68 percent of households were farmers, 7.5 percent informal employed and 27 percent unemployed. It was found that the majority of participants were males and were uneducated. They depended on social grants for a living. The findings from the study showed that 84 percent of the respondents agreed that there is no market available in the village and farmers had limited access to credits. The crop income was the most contributing factor to household income. The results showed that whether the farmer is a non-irrigator or an irrigator the performance is not significant. Irrigation scheme improvement attained by smallholder farmers need to be maintained.
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Yokwe, Stanley Conficious Bartholomew. "Investigation of the economics of water supply as used by smallholder irrigation farmers in South Africa." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2005. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02062006-130808.
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Said, Samy. "Irrigation in Africa : Water conflicts between large-scale and small-scale farmers in Tanzania, Kiru Valley." Thesis, Södertörn University College, School of Life Sciences, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-706.
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This paper deals with relationship between irrigation and agriculture and conflicts within an irrigation system and as well between other stakeholders concerning the water. Irrigated lands are up to 2.5 times more productive compared to rain-fed agriculture. They are important element in the agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, and have been favoured by governments and donor agencies for their high rate of return. Without proper technical equipments or support negative impacts on the environment are linked to irrigation activities. Furthermore, a case study was made in Tanzania, Kiru Valley, regarding the tension between big scale and small-scale farmers as result from the water decline. The results demonstrate that the institutions do not have the power to solve the conflict. It is difficult to define the different stakeholders and the boundaries of the area that affect the amount of water in the valley.
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Modjadji, Mathlo Itumeleng. "Elicitation of risk preferences of smallholder irrigation farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/4846.
Full textAbstract:
Although several studies have investigated commercial farmers’ risk preferences, there is still lack of information on the risk attitudes and risk preferences of smallholder farmers in South Africa. Risks associated with the adoption of new agricultural technology need to be explored in order to address the transition from homestead food gardening to smallholder irrigated farming. This study seeks to understand risk perception of smallholder irrigation farmers by linking constraints to commercialisation, adoption of new agricultural technologies and risk preferences of smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The overall objective of this research is to determine risk preference patterns and attitudes that influence the transition from homestead food gardening to irrigated farming of smallholder farming systems in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Specifically the study was to pursue the following objectives: (i) describe the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers; (ii) describe existing farming systems among smallholder farmers in the study area; (iii) analyse the adoption of new agricultural technology by smallholder irrigation farmers; (iv) assess the risk perception of smallholder irrigation farmers and elicit farmers risk preferences, and (v) empirically analyse farmers sources of risk and risk management strategies. The outcome of this will inform policy formulation that have implications for technology adoption, increase smallholders capacity to bear risk and enable government and other role players have a clear understanding of smallholder farmers decisions. A total of 101 respondents were surveyed, consisting of 38 smallholder farmers and 63 homestead food gardeners in the Eastern Cape. Questionnaires were used to record household activities, socio-economic and institutional data as well as household demographics through personal interviews. The ordered probit model was applied due to the ordered nature of the dependent variable. The analysis was used to empirically analyse the determinants of farmers ‘risk preference status. The ordered probit model successfully estimated the significant variables associated with the farmer‘s adoption decisions. These were the farmer‘s age, household size, land size, locational setting, risk attitude, number of livestock (goats and chicken) and asset ownership. Homestead food gardeners were less risk averse that the smallholder farmers. Farmers who reside in the sub-wards Binfield and Battlefield were more likely to take risk than those who reside in Melani. This suggests the presence of local synergies in adoption which raises the question about the extent to which ignoring these influences biases policy conclusions. The negative correlation between land size and adoption implies that smaller farms appear to have greater propensity for adoption of new agricultural technology. This finding is supported by several studies reviewed in the literature that allude to the fact that homestead food gardeners tend to be smaller than smallholder farmers. By means of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), seven principal components (PCs) that explained 66.13 percent of the variation were extracted. According to the loadings, the factors 1 to 7 can best be described as ‘financial and incentives index’, ‘input-output index’, ‘crop production index’, ‘labour bottleneck index’, ‘lack of production information index’, ‘lack of market opportunity index’, and ‘input availability index’ respectively. In general, price, production and financial risks were perceived as the most important sources of risk. Socio economic factors having a significant effect on the various sources of risk are age, gender, education, location, information access and risk taking ability. The most important traditional risk management strategies used by the surveyed smallholder farmers in Eastern Cape are crop diversification, precautionary savings and participating in social network. The findings are consistent with economic theory which postulates that in the absence of insurance markets, poor farm households tend to be risk averse and are reluctant to participate in farm investment decisions that are uncertain or involve higher risk.
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Daka, Angel Elias. "Development of a technological package for sustainable use of Dambos by small-scale farmers." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2001. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09062001-093813.
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Sikwela, Misery Mpuzu. "Determinants of household food security in the semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe: a case study of irrigation and non-irrigation farmers in Lupane and Hwange districts." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/90.
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Lupane and Hwange districts fall under natural region IV and V and lie in the semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe with low and erratic mean annual rainfall not exceeding 600mm. Seventy percent of Zimbabwe’s population lives in communal areas, whose livelihood is based on agriculture. The communities in these areas mainly practice mixed farming systems. However, crop production is constrained by water availability and suitable production techniques. As a result households in these areas are experiencing worsening levels of household food insecurity. Two irrigation schemes were identified for this study and these are located in these two districts. Tshongokwe irrigation scheme is located in Lupane district and Lukosi irrigation scheme is located in Hwange district and these irrigation schemes are about 25 hectares in size. Lupane and Hwange districts are considered to be one of the most food insecure areas in the country because of the frequent droughts and unreliable rainfall in the region. The major tool of enquiry in this study was the questionnaire which was used to collect data from the households that farm on irrigated land and those that farm on dryland farming. Household and farm characteristics were collected using structured questionnaires with the help of locally recruited and trained enumerators. Agricultural production, household consumption and marketing of agricultural produce were accessed using the questionnaire to establish problems experienced by farmers. The main objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of household food security using a logistic regression model. The model was initially fitted with thirteen variables, selected from factors identified by previous researchers that affect food security in communal areas. Six variables were found to be significant at 1, 5 and 10 percent significance level and all had the expected signs except farm size. These factors include access to irrigation, farm size, cattle ownership, fertilizer application, household size and per capita aggregate production. The results obtained were further analyzed to compute partial effects on continuous variables and change in probabilities on the discrete variables for the significant factors in the logistic regression model. Analysis of partial effects revealed that household size, farm size, cattle ownership and per capita aggregate production lead to a greater probability of household being food secure. Change in probability results showed that having access to irrigation and using fertilizer can increase the probability of household being food secure The findings of this study highlight a positive and significant relationship between access to irrigation, fertilizer application, cattle ownership, per capita aggregate production to household food security. Household size and farm size have a negative and significant relationship on household food security. This study shows the effectiveness of irrigated farming over dryland farming in the semi-arid areas. The results show increased agricultural production, crop diversification and higher incomes from irrigation farming as compared to dry land farming. Irrigation farming has enabled many households to diversify their source of income and generate more income. Irrigation has enabled households with irrigation not only to feed themselves throughout the year but also to invest on non-agricultural goods and services from incomes received from crop sales Based on the results from the logistic regression model, it can be concluded that household size, farm size, per capita aggregate production, cattle ownership, fertilizer application and access to irrigation have a positive effect on household food security and the magnitude of changes in conditional probabilities have an impact on household food security.
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Blomqvist, (Jonsson) Anna. "Food and Fashion : Water Management and Collective Action among Irrigation Farmers and Textile Industrialists in South India." Doctoral thesis, Linköpings universitet, Tema vatten i natur och samhälle, 1996. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-54550.
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In recent years, much ofthe political debate in the West, East aud South has focused on the decentralization of responsibilities from the state to private enterprises and NGOs. But what potential is there for local communities to create their own govenlance structures able to deal with issues up till recently seen as the responsibility of the state? In this thesis, answer to this question is sought by analyzing two case studies from the semi-arid Coimbatore-region in South India from an institutionai perspective. One case concerns the efforts to involve farmers in irrigation water management in the Lower Bhavani Project, while the other focuses on the pressure on textile industrialists in Tirupur city to collectively treat their polluted effluent water. In both cases, the new distribution ofresponsibilities required that groups ofwater users would succeed in establishing new entities for collective action among themselves strong enough to prevent free-riding on a massive scale. Overcoming three main obstacles proved crucial in this process; meeting coordination costs, re-defining the notion of free-riding among resource users, and meeting motivation costs. Factors both within and outsicte the loeal community affected the degree ofsuccess. The distribution and lise of economic, moral and physical power between various actors and the interconnectedness between local and external institutions proved crucial for the establishrnent oflocal govemance stmctures. Moreover, the historical relation between the respective user group and the state has to a large extent affected the goals and strategies oflocal entities of eolleetive action. Clearly, resource management problems at localleve1 can not be solved by simply decentralizing responsibilities from the state to groups ofresource users. Rather, the state could playan important role by initiating, supporting and directing slich local entities of collective action.
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Itumeleng, Mathlo. "Risk preferences of smallholder irrigation farmers in the former Ciskei homelands of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016206.
Full textAbstract:
Although several studies have investigated on commercial farmers’ risk preferences, there is still lack of information on the risk attitudes and risk preferences of smallholder farmers in South Africa. Risks associated with the adoption of new agricultural technology need to be explored in order to address the transition from homestead food gardening to smallholder irrigated farming. This study seeks to understand risk perception of smallholder irrigation farmers by linking constraints to commercialisation, adoption of new agricultural technologies and risk preferences of smallholder farmers in the former Ciskei Homelands of the Eastern Cape. A total of 101 respondents were surveyed, consisting of 38 smallholder farmers and 63 homestead food gardeners in the Eastern Cape. Questionnaires were used to record household activities, socio-economic and institutional data as well as household demographics through personal interviews. The probit results indicated that older farmers are less risk averse thus more willing to take risk. The risk analysis indicates that farmers who are employed elsewhere are more willing to take risk as income is playing a major role in risk preferences. The results also prove that factors such as tenure system and years in farming have a major influence on farmers’ decision to take risk and adopt new agricultural technology. According to the multi-logit model the major factors influencing technology adoption and risk taking are household size, water rate and type of irrigation system used by the farmers. This study provides useful practical insights for policy makers, farm advisers and researchers in the design of effective and efficient policies, programmes and projects which can affect the adoption of technology, increase smallholder farmers capacity to manage risk and drive growth in the food market.
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Shayamano, Innocent. "Trajectory from government-managed to farmer-managed smallholder irrigation and its effects on productivity, operation and maintenance: An analysis of Mamina Smallholder Irrigation Scheme in Zimbabwe." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/6189.
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Magister Philosophiae - MPhil (LAS) (Land and Agrarian Studies)Government's decision to devolve irrigation management to farmers was partly influenced by international policy imperatives, which were propounded mainly by institutions associated with the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the inability by the government to continue funding operation and maintenance costs. The central question of the study is to understand the effects of Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) on productivity, operation and maintenance in the Mamina Irrigation Scheme. Interviews with various primary and secondary stakeholders that included the irrigators, local political leadership and locally-based agriculture extension officers were carried out. The interviews were aimed at getting an insight on land tenure, participation and representation of women, water and electricity supply system and pricing, effects of irrigation management arrangements on equity and productivity, understanding the irrigators' food security status, operation and maintenance arrangement after Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT). Findings of this study suggest that the existing governance arrangements have partly led to low crop productivity, increased water and electricity bill arrears, poor water distribution, change to uneconomic plot sizes, unsustainable increase in the number of irrigators, failure to organise for operation and maintenance. The key factors influencing the poor performance include poor collaboration, pumping system that utilised more electricity, inability of the irrigators to replace leaky pipes, failure of the irrigators to contribute towards electricity and water bills, failure of the irrigators to contribute towards operation and maintenance. The study identified nine challenges that affected the success of IMT. The challenges that lay at the heart of Mamina irrigation scheme were mainly caused by the poor irrigation technology design, pricing structure of electricity, water permit system, inequalities in water distribution, low gender participation and representation, non-availability of formal markets for certain crops, food insecurity, plot alloction and land disputes. Poverty analysis has shown that the irrigators' ability to escape from poverty or food insecurity is critically dependent upon their access to assets. Different assets are required to achieve different livelihood outcomes. The cycle of accumulation of utility bill arrears continued even after devolution because the same defective irrigation infrastructure was transferred to the irrigators. In the case of Mamina irrigation scheme, modernisation of the scheme was required to achieve different livelihood outcomes, but because this did not happen the recurrent utility bill arrears, low productivity and food insecurity continued to be a very serious challenge even after IMT.
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Rui, Li. "The use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in the Bottelary River area: Effluent quality, farmers perception and potential extent." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2005. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=init_1918_1177917293.
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The Bottelary River area is located in a Mediterranean climate region, where the agricultural sector plays an important role. During the dry summer season, there is not enough precipitation to meet the agricultural irrigation requirements. Some farmers extract river water which is practically the final treated effluent from the Scottsdene Wastewater Treatment Works to irrigate crops. This research investigated the use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in this area, particularly focused on the effluent quality, farmers perception, and the potential extent.
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Makal, Mwinkeu Papy. "Agrarian Systems Diagnosis and Cooperatives' support to a divergent typology of farmers. The Case of the Riet River Irrigation Scheme." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45887.
Full textAbstract:
This study highlights the many differences among the Riet River farmers, as well as the differences in the constraints they endure, including major differences in productivity (with types 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14 experiencing very low levels of productivity); lack of access to new water rights (with types 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 being mainly affected); difficulty in accessing farming services (including lack of access to credit, inputs and product marketing services); insecure property rights (with types 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14 being affected most due to their lack of collateral security to access the necessary services); poor infrastructure (for types 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14 especially); low farming income (primarily for types 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14); as well as high irrigation costs, lack of fertile land of good quality, and lack of financial and technical support (mainly affecting types 1, 2, 3 and 4).
GWK Limited offers a range of farming services aimed at alleviating some of the aforementioned issues. This being said, different farmers in the region are being reached and supported through these services in highly different ways. As such, the assistance provided by GWK Limited is focused mainly on improving the farming activities of a specific group of farmers (55 %) engaged in important forms of production and with high productivity rates - mostly farmers of types 5, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13. This means that farmers of types 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14, with insecure land-tenure rights, small plots of land and low production and productivity rates, are not fully benefiting from these services. For example, the company has been hesitant to provide credit to these farmers owing to the high risk associated with loans to this category of farmers. Such risk can be attributed to insufficient or absent collateral (owing to poorly defined tenure rights and low levels of capital), poor financial recordkeeping, and high transaction costs involved in granting small production loans. Moreover, the
technical support and production practices offered to these farmers are of poor quality or non-existent, as the company’s services are focused primarily on farming for purposes of profitmaking. Despite having an Emerging Farmers Division under its management, GWK Limited is typically not interested in small-scale farmers.
This research study relating to agrarian systems typology contributes to the understanding of the diversity of South Africa’s agriculture, farmers’ livelihood strategies, and the extent to which agriculture contributes to household income. The study is also aimed at better analysing the farming system trajectories and agrarian changes in South Africa, so as to develop divergent policy recommendations for South African agriculture. In addition, the study contributes to a better understanding of which services are (or are not) reaching which types of farmers, and as such, it enables a readjustment of service provision aimed at broad-based agricultural development in South Africa.Dissertation (MScAgric)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
tm2015
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
MScAgric
Unrestricted
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Pereira, Magda Fabiana do Amaral. "Conflito socioambiental frente à implantaÃÃo de perÃmetro irrigado na Chapada do Apodi/RN na perspectiva dos atingidos." Universidade Federal do CearÃ, 2013. http://www.teses.ufc.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=12174.
Full textAbstract:
nÃo hÃA Chapada do Apodi/RN vivencia a chamada âchegada do progressoâ atravÃs do PerÃmetro Irrigado Santa Cruz do Apodi, gerador de conflito socioambiental. A pesquisa teve como objetivo: descrever, na perspectiva dos atingidos, o conflito socioambiental decorrente da implantaÃÃo de perÃmetro irrigado na Chapada do Apodi/RN. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, com aproximaÃÃes com a SaÃde e as CiÃncias Sociais; aconteceu em Apodi/RN, com grupo de 11 agricultores familiares chapadenses (3 mulheres e 8 homens, mÃdia de idade de 36,5 anos e com escolaridade do ensino fundamental incompleto atà o superior completo) e mais 2 membros do Sindicato dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras Rurais de Apodi. Aconteceram 3 entrevistas semiestruturadas e 3 encontros com roteiros norteadores, a partir da ecologia de saberes. As falas foram analisadas a partir das seguintes categorias: as influÃncias na construÃÃo das concepÃÃes dos sujeitos sobre o conflito na Chapada potiguar; o passado sem o DNOCS; o presente com o DNOCS; o futuro que o DNOCS quer para o territÃrio chapadense; o futuro que os agricultores querem para eles. Na construÃÃo da concepÃÃo sobre o conflito na Chapada potiguar, sobressaÃram o SeminÃrio Impactos do AgronegÃcio/AgrotÃxico na SaÃde do Trabalhador e no Ambiente e os intercÃmbios no territÃrio do Baixo-Jaguaribe/CE e Baixo-AÃu/RN. Quanto ao passado do territÃrio, as origens variam: algumas eram antigos latifÃndios vendidos para o Governo Federal ou outros ÃrgÃos (como a ForÃa Sindical, no caso de Palmares) para o programa de Reforma AgrÃria (assentamentos); hà tambÃm as comunidades originadas pela fixaÃÃo de famÃlias em determinadas regiÃes (como em Quixabeirinha). PorÃm, nos mapas dos documentos do Estado sobre a Chapada/RN, as comunidades e os assentamentos sÃo invisibilizados e marginalizados, a depender da necessidade de usufruto para o perÃmetro, o que gera difÃcil resistÃncia ao projeto atravÃs de mobilizaÃÃes e articulaÃÃes com outras entidades. Para o futuro da Chapada potiguar, o DNOCS preconiza a implantaÃÃo do perÃmetro em questÃo enquanto os agricultores familiares almejam continuar com seu modo de vida, recebendo incentivos estatais para seu fortalecimento. ConcluÃmos que os territÃrios e a agricultura familiar nÃo precisam e nÃo aceitam esse modelo de modernizaÃÃo agrÃcola preconizado na RevoluÃÃo Verde. O modelo requer um Estado que arque com a estrutura na Chapada, para que as empresas possam ocupar, instalar-se, produzir, lucrar e partir quando acharem que à inviÃvel continuar em Apodi. PorÃm implanta polÃticas pÃblicas que: nÃo beneficiam a populaÃÃo; restringem o acesso à Ãgua; geram pressÃes (emocionais/psicolÃgicas; a partir da falÃcia das benesses, polÃticas, sociais) nos chapadenses; inviabiliza a produÃÃo agrÃcola tradicional pela contaminaÃÃo ambiental com agrotÃxicos do agronegÃcio; geram empregos degradantes à saÃde; desapropriam os povos; investem mais de 200 milhÃes para fortalecer o agronegÃcio; provocam uma luta desigual reconhecida pelos agricultores familiares. Para se somar à resistÃncia ao perÃmetro, convidamos a Rede Brasileira de JustiÃa Ambiental (RBJA) e colocamos à disposiÃÃo dos atingidos o presente documento. Reconhecemos o valor do territÃrio e que a pesquisa contribuiu para divulgaÃÃo e fortalecimento da luta, quando se propÃe a ouvir as falas e valorizar as demandas dos agricultores familiares.
The Chapada do Apodi/RN experiences called "arrival of progress" through the Irrigation Santa Cruz Apodi, generator socioenvironmental conflict. The research aimed to describe, from the perspective of those affected, the conflict resulting from the implementation of environmental irrigated the Apodi Plateau/RN. This is a qualitative research approaches with Health and Social Sciences; happened Apodi/RN with a group of 11 family farmers from Chapada (3 women and 8 men, mean age 36.5 years and schooling elementary school until college) and 2 members of the Union of Rural Workers of Apodi. There were three semi-structured interviews and meetings with three guiding tours from the ecology of knowledge. The speeches were analyzed from the following categories: the influences on the construction of conceptions of the subject on the conflict in Plateau RN; without DNOCS the past and the present with DNOCS; DNOCS the future that wants to chapadense territory, the future that farmers want for them. In building design on the conflict in Plateau RN highlights the Impacts of Agribusiness Seminar/Pesticides in Occupational Health and Environment and exchanges within the Baixo-Jaguaribe/CE and Baixo-AÃu/RN. As the last of the territory, the origins vary: some old estates were sold to the Federal Government or other organs (such as the Union Force in the case of Palmares) for the program of Agrarian Reform (settlements), there are also communities, originated by fixing families in certain areas (as in Quixabeirinha). However, the maps of state documents on the Chapada/RN communities and settlements are invisible and marginalized depending on the need for enjoyment for perimeter which creates resistance difficult project through mobilizations and joints with other entities. For the future of Chapada/RN, DNOCS recommends deploying Perimeter concerned while farmers aim to continue their way of life receiving state incentives for its strengthening. We conclude that the territories and family farming need not and do not accept this model of agricultural modernization advocated in the Green Revolution. The model requires a state to bear with the structure in Chapada for companies to occupy, settle, produce, and profit from when find it impossible to continue in Apodi. However, implements policies that: not benefit the population; restrict access to water; generate pressures (emotional/psychological , from the fallacy of the benefits, political, social) in chapadenses; undermines the traditional agricultural production with environmental contamination by pesticides of agribusiness; generate jobs degrading health; expropriates people; invest over 200 million to strengthen agribusiness; cause an unequal struggle recognized by farmers. To add resistance to the perimeter, invite the Brazilian Network for Environmental Justice (RBJA) and we provide those affected with this document. We recognize the value of the territory and the research contributed to the dissemination and strengthening of the fight, when it proposes to hear the speeches and appreciate the demands of family farmers.
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Gorbaty, Emily. "Development of an efficient off-grid pumping system and evaporation reduction strategies to increase access to irrigation for smallholder farmers in India." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/85225.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-223).
Due to the unavailability of electricity, about 85% of groundwater irrigation in eastern India employs fuel-powered surface pumps, which can have system efficiencies as low as 5%. As fuel prices continue to rise, impoverished smallholder farmers cannot afford the operation costs of their systems and, as a result, irrigate less land. This research aimed to develop a more efficient off-grid system that eliminates suction head while continuing to utilize a fuel engine on the surface. Design requirements included increased discharge, increased efficiency, portability, maintainability, availability of replacement parts, and affordability. Flow rates and efficiencies of Indian pumps at varying pressure heads were tested to establish baseline performance and test the hypothesis that removing suction lift reduces operation costs. It was found that eliminating suction head can decrease operation costs up to 44% for the farmers. Fuel-driven system options investigated include flexible shafts and telescoping shafts to transmit power from a surface engine to a submersible pump, fluid machinery such as semi-open hydraulic systems, jet pumps, compressed air motors, and air lifts, and off-grid electricity generation employing a household backup generator or automotive alternator. However, none of these alternatives met all the design requirements. Instead, a hybrid motorized-manual rope pump was prototyped and tested on a well in Ruitola, Jharkhand. Although this system does not meet all the design requirements, it has the added benefit of providing domestic water supply. The prototype discharged an average of 155.4 L/min in motorized mode and 17.2 L/min for men and 13.3 L/min for women in manual mode. The rope pump received positive feedback from the users and thus could be taken forward with several modifications to improve performance. To increase the available water resources, evaporation reduction strategies to limit water loss from farm tanks were explored. The strategies employed waste materials and included covering a water surface with waste PET bottles and floats comprised of PET waste bottles and old saris. While waste bottles proved promising in a preliminary test, data in a larger experiment has thus far proved inconclusive and further testing is needed.
by Emily Gorbaty.
S.M.
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Chigavazira, Blessing Munyaradzi. "Adapting to climate change to achieve household food security: a case study of small-scale farmers at Dzindi smallholder irrigation scheme in the Limpopo Province of South Africa." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007186.
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This dissertation explored adaptation mechanisms and adaptation options employed by rural small-scale farmers at Dzindi Irrigation Scheme to achieve food security in the midst of climate change as well as reflecting on the role of the state in building capacity of rural small-scale farmers to adapt to climate change. The study employed qualitative research techniques and data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with 40 small-scale farmers at Dzindi smallholder irrigation scheme.Irrigation control, high yielding crop varieties (HYVs), drought resistant crop varieties, drip irrigation are among a host of adaptation strategies successfully employed by farmers at Dzindi. These strategies have been effective in giving the farmers a lifeline in terms of household food supply and income.However, lack of funding, modern infrastructure and equipment has hampered adaptation efforts at the scheme. This has been compounded by lack of support from the Government. Government seemingly has not done enough to capacitate and assist famers to adapt to climate change.
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Parker, Joseph Lynn. "Beyond Sustainable Bounds: Changing Weather, Emigration, and Irrigation in a Farming Village of Sichuan, China, 1945-2012." PDXScholar, 2013. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1514.
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This thesis presents the results of research in a small village located in the mountains of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. The thesis argues that traditional irrigation practices vital to paddy-rice production in the village have been stressed by local weather events. It also argues that local villagers have not responded effectively to such changes, and that failure to adjust has contributed to social stress observed at the site.
During the earlier years of the study period (1945 to 2012), improvements were made in local irrigation, which seem to have helped farmers continue with traditional subsistence wet-rice farming in a fragile mountain environment. However, in later years of the period village social order showed two significant signs of collapse: first, because of emigration, fewer people were left to farm higher mountain levels so farm land was being abandoned; second, social crowding in lower level riverside farming areas, partly the result of highland emigration, began reducing the amount of land being farmed there. While reducing intensive cropping of highland farming areas can result in spontaneous recovery of natural resources such as soil and water, crowding in lower areas can contribute to deterioration of natural resources in the lower village farmland. Crowding can, in addition, have a bearing on community health problems.
The thesis results are of value to researchers concerned with the adaptive behavior of local farming communities trying to maintain their traditional irrigation-dependent way of life in a fragile mountain environment while experiencing the effects of changeable weather. Thesis results are of additional value to those who study the impact on society of earth-warming, especially if variable local weather in the Dabashan is shown to be related to global climate change.
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Nxumalo, Bongiwe Goodness. "The analysis of the economic impact of climate change on maize production under different farming systems: the case of smallholder Farmers in Jozini Municipality, KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1021277.
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Maize is the most grown crop by the farmers in Jozini. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to assess the economic impact of climate change on maize production under different farming systems in Jozini Municipality in KwaZulu Natal (KZN). The study was looking at the smallholder farmers producing maize under dryland and irrigation system. A total of 100 farmers were selected for the study (40 from dry-land and 60 from irrigating farmers). Cluster and random sampling procedures were used to select the sample. Questionnaires were used for the collection of primary data, from the respondents (maize farmers). Data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages), gross margin, regression analysis and the Ricardian model. Data for computing gross margins and net revenue was taken from the on-farm trials. Gross margin was used on regression analysis and the net revenue was used on the Ricardian modelThe results of the regression analysis indicated that land size, farmer’s experience to farming, level of education, use of fertiliser, use of irrigation and the yield obtained were significant and have a positive relationship with farmers gross margin. The results of the Ricardian model indicated that climate change affects both farming systems, but farmers that are producing under dryland are the most affected farmers because they rely more on climate variables especially rainfall for their production. So a change in climate variables affects maize farmers’ productivity and thus affecting farmers’ gross margin and net revenue. The study recommends that the farmers must use irrigation in order to support maize production even in the absence of rainfall. Farmers must also adapt to the short growing season so that they will be able to produce even in the presence of climate change.
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Bedore, Jennifer Lauren. "Revisiting irrigation management transfer : a case study of a Philippine municipality’s experience in transferring irrigation management to farmer associations." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/33879.
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There is a lack of data and analysis relating to implementation processes and impacts for Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT), particularly at the community level. This is despite the fact that IMT has become one of the most popular trends in irrigation management worldwide.
This research fills key gaps in knowledge about IMT in practice, specifically with respect to: (1) the different approaches being used, the constraints to implementation, the impacts on all stakeholders; and (2) the suitability of IMT in different social, political and economic settings, through a case study analysis of the municipality of Plaridel, Bulacan, Philippines.
Based on a review of literature focused on the works of the leading experts in IMT, seven 'best practices', with respect to the implementation of IMT, are formulated. Through semi-structured interviews and data collection, the implementation of IMT in Plaridel is then evaluated against these seven 'best practices'.
It is found that all seven of the 'best practices' are not currently operational in the municipality and that as a result, there is an extremely high likelihood that Plaridel's farms and Irrigation Associations (IAs) will not be viable in the near future. The main reasons for this being the absence of clearly recognized and sustainable water rights and service and insufficient financial resources provided by the implementing irrigation agency, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). This study argues that this scenario is likely because NIA is implementing IMT solely to reduce its own financial costs in operating and maintaining Plaridel's irrigation systems and not to improve productivity or the livelihoods of Plaridel's farmers.
Plaridel is a cautionary tale to any government that is planning to implement IMT, as it shows how IMT is no quick fix to a financially unviable Irrigation Agency or agricultural sector. Rather it is a difficult, painstaking process that requires substantial financing and commitment.
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Garrot, D. J. Jr, S. Stedman, and D. B. Benedict. "Tierra Prospera Farms CWSI Irrigation Scheduling Demonstration Test." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/204860.
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Thapa, Bhuwan, Christopher Scott, Philippus Wester, and Robert Varady. "Towards characterizing the adaptive capacity of farmer-managed irrigation systems: learnings from Nepal." ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622656.
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Small-scale irrigation systems managed by farmers are facing multiple challenges including competing water demand, climatic variability and change, and socioeconomic transformation. Though the relevant institutions for irrigation management have developed coping and adaptation mechanisms, the intensity and frequency of the changes have weakened their institutional adaptive capacity. Using case examples mostly from Nepal, this paper studies the interconnections between seven key dimensions of adaptive capacity: the five capitals (human, financial, natural, social, and physical), governance, and learning. Long-term adaptation requires harnessing the synergies and tradeoffs between generic adaptive capacity that fosters broader development goals and specific adaptive capacity that strengthens climate-risk management. Measuring and addressing the interrelations among the seven adaptive capacity dimensions aids in strengthening the long term sustainability of farmer-managed irrigation systems.
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Wuertz, Howard, and Scott Tollefson. "The Evolution of Subsurface Drip Irrigation on Sundance Farms." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/204488.
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Stevens, Daniel A. "The performance of a large farmer-managed irrigation system in the Terai of Nepal." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/7652.
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The objective of this program of intensive field research was to use quantitative measurements and detailed observation over a significant period of time in order to evaluate the performance of a large farmer-managed irrigation system in the Terai region of Nepal. This study sought to evaluate the 1500 hectare Sorha Mauja Irrigation System (SMIS) near Butwal, Nepal, through one year of field research. Specific measures evaluated include water use efficiency, water allocation and equity, water supply adequacy, cropping intensity and crop production. Data collected over an eight month period corresponding to the "dry season" included: climate, water supply and deliveries at all levels of the system, second and third crop season irrigations, cropping intensity, crop production and management activities. SMIS farmers face a problem of high water conveyance and delivery losses between the source and their fields during the dry season. Nevertheless, the water supply is adequate for irrigated cropping of all the cultivable land in the command area except during the period of February through May. Resolution of the water adequacy and conveyance loss problems during the third crop period may facilitate even higher annual production. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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Amatya, Pradyumna. "Institutional change and intervention outcome : comparing assistance schemes for farmer managed irrigation systems in Nepal /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25100907.
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Amatya, Pradyumna. "Institutional change and intervention outcome: comparing assistance schemes for farmer managedirrigation systems in Nepal." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/b29987337.
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Robert, Marion. "Modeling adaptive decision-making of farmer : an integrated economic and management model, with an application to smallholders in India." Thesis, Toulouse 3, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016TOU30251/document.
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Dans les régions semi-arides, les systèmes de production agricole dépendent fortement de l'irrigation et font face à des difficultés croissantes (épuisement des ressources naturelles, forte volatilité des prix du marché, hausse des coûts de l'énergie, incertitude sur les changements climatiques). Modéliser ces systèmes agricoles et la façon dont ils s'adaptent est important pour les décideurs politiques afin de mieux évaluer leur flexibilité et leur résilience. Pour comprendre la capacité des systèmes agricoles à s'adapter, il est essentiel de considérer l'ensemble du processus de décision : des décisions sur le long-terme à l'échelle de l'exploitation aux décisions de court-terme à l'échelle de la parcelle. Pour ce faire, cette thèse conçoit un système de production agricole adaptable dans un contexte de diminution de l'eau et de changement climatique. Elle fournit une méthodologie guidant l'acquisition de données, leur analyse et la conception de modèle. Elle présente le modèle de simulation NAMASTE représentant les décisions des agriculteurs, les interactions entre agriculteurs pour l'utilisation des ressources communes et met l'accent sur la rétroaction entre pratiques agricoles et évolution de la nappe phréatique. Le modèle a été initialement développé pour résoudre les problèmes critiques de baisse des eaux souterraines liés aux pratiques agricoles dans un bassin versant du sud-ouest de l'Inde. Sa structure, ses cadres conceptuels et ses formalismes peuvent être utilisés dans d'autres contextes agricolesIn semi-arid regions, agricultural production systems depend greatly on irrigation and encounter increasing challenges (depletion of natural resources, high volatility in market prices, rise in energy costs, growing uncertainty about climate change). Modeling farming systems and how these systems change and adapt to these challenges is particularly interesting for policy makers to better assess their flexibility and resiliency. To understand the ability of farming systems to adapt, it is essential to consider the entire decision-making process: from long-term decisions at the farm scale to short-term decisions at the plot level. To this end, the thesis conceives a flexible and resilient agricultural production system under a context of water scarcity and climate change. It provides a step-by-step methodology that guides data acquisition and analysis and model design. It proposes a simulation model NAMASTE that simulates the farmers' decisions in different time and space scales, represents the interactions between farmers for resource uses and emphasizes the feedback and retroaction between farming practices and changes in the water table. The model was initially developed to address critical issues of groundwater depletion and farming practices in a watershed in southwestern India. Its structure, frameworks and formalisms can be used in other agricultural contexts
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Kalamwa, Kulecho I. "The adoption of low-cost low head drip irrigation in small-scale farms in Kenya." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2003. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/8297.
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Population growth and development will increase the demands on water resources in Africa, and hence there is a need for agriculture to use water efficiently. Drip irrigation is widely promoted for water saving at the farm level. Moreover, it is easily adaptable to small-scale farming common in Africa. The use of low-cost drip irrigation, especially the low-cost medium head (LCMH) drip system, is growing rapidly in some Asian countries. However, the uptake of low-cost drip irrigation in general has been slow in Kenya, which has scarce water for irrigation. Using the theory of the adoption and diffusion of innovation, this research aimed to identify the factors affecting the rate of adoption and continued use of low-cost low head (LCLH) drip irrigation in Kenya. Following a review of experiences of low-cost drip irrigation from India and sub-Saharan Africa, primary information was obtained using informal interviews in a two-phase survey. A total of eighty-six respondents were interviewed in the two phases. Phase 1 examined the factors influencing the adoption of LCLH drip irrigation. The key respondents in phase 1 were irrigation farmers (drip and non-drip), government officials, irrigation industry representatives, and staff of non¬governmental organisations (NGOs). Phase 2 examined the factors affecting discontinuation of LCLH drip irrigation. In phase 2 only LCLH drip irrigation farmers and those who had discontinued using it were interviewed While the low-cost medium head drip irrigation was the dominant irrigation in India, the low-cost low head drip irrigation, gravity fed and in a kit form, was found to be the most common system on smallholder farms in Kenya. The results showed that for the rate of appropriate low-cost drip irrigation uptake to increase in Kenya, it was important to remove political and institutional inhibiting factors dominant during the implementation stages of the innovation-decision process. It was necessary for farmers to have a need to save irrigation water, reliable irrigation water resources, effective water user organisations, efficient marketing facilities, efficient technical support services, relevant cultural background, and good security for the kit. The LCLH drip irrigation kit appeared to have more maintenance problems than the alternative irrigation methods. Furthermore, government policies and extension services as well as irrigation industry efforts appeared limited. It appeared that the technology would most likely be adopted where farmers have a reliable but limited (in volume) water supply. In some situations, the LCLH drip technology, and particularly the smaller (bucket) kits, did not appear to be appropriate and should not be promoted. For other conditions, recommendations were made for helping to overcome the problems identified in the study. The Rogers innovation-decision model was shown to lack sufficient consideration of external factors. A revised model was proposed to suit the conditions of small-scale irrigation technology adoption in less developed countries.
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Martin, Annamarie Guinnevere. "Vegetable farms in Cape Town: water quality and possible remediation techniques." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4398.
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Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology)Heavy metal contamination tends to be a problem in inner city agricultural areas and gardens. High levels of certain heavy metals have been found in the soil and vegetables in the Cape Town Metropolitan area. The aim of this project was twofold. Firstly to ascertain whether water (ground or surface) was responsible for the heavy metal problem found in vegetables in the Philippi and Kraaifontein-Joostenbergvlakte farming areas in Cape Town; and secondly to evaluate the efficacy of two possible remediation methods, namely chelation (with EDTA) and precipitation (using phosphate), aimed at tackling the problem. In order to achieve this a water survey and greenhouse experiment were conducted. The water survey involved collecting a number of samples; both from surface dams and boreholes, from the two farming areas. Results showed minimal heavy metals in both, and therefore ruled this out as the source of the heavy metal problem. The greenhouse sand culture experiment tested the effects of the two remediation methods on the growth, development and elemental content of turnip and spinach plants treated with two cadmium and lead concentrations. In summary, Cd reduced growth more than Pb; Cd accumulated in roots and leaves, and Pb in roots. Several treatments, both metal and mitigation enhanced the chlorophyll content. The difference between the EDTA and phosphate mitigation treatments were not significant in the case of cadmium but in the case of lead, high phosphate resulted in increased growth. The large variation of results in this study, and indeed those of the available literature, indicate that the remedial treatments investigated here are not necessarily the most effective and that other treatments should be investigated to control the uptake of either cadmium or lead, as agricultural soils in future become more contaminated with either or both of these heavy metals.
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VASCONCELOS, Helenira Ellery Marinho. "Descontinuidade nas dinâmicas sucessórias de agricultores familiares: dilemas vivenciados por famílias de colonos do Projeto Curu-Paraipaba, Ceará." www.teses.ufc.br, 2011. http://www.repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/6295.
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VASCONCELOS, Helenira Ellery Marinho. Descontinuidade nas dinâmicas sucessórias de agricultores familiares: dilemas vivenciados por famílias de colonos do Projeto Curu-Paraipaba, Ceará. 2011. 262f. – Tese (Doutorado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Sociologia, Fortaleza (CE), 2011.Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-10-21T17:11:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011-TESE-HEMVASCONCELOS.pdf: 5713567 bytes, checksum: 04ad4f2ed80bb62cb42e3f67a9b97b1b (MD5)
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The main purpose of this work is to analyze the change in the occupational strategy between generations of family farmers of Projeto Irrigado Curu Paraipaba, one of the rural spaces in the Brazilian Northeast to have been disapropriated by DNOCS, in the 1970’s to settle families of landless workers. The thesis reaveal that, from the persepctive of releaving families from extreme poverty, DNOCS can take for granted that it has fulfilled its main goal, for the families that stayed there were able to guarantee home ownership, area for planting, and income which is nowadays obtained from selling coconuts. It reaveals, on the other hand, that factors like size of plots, production systems dominated by monocultures that do not absorb the familly working force, presence of intermediators in the negotiation of products, contiguity of rural and urban spaces and a desire that children follow their parents as family agriculturist all had strong impact on the relationhsip between work and family, thereby causing changes in the of succession of family members as agriculturists. The mehtodological procedures are foremost of a qualitative nature through the analyisis of life stories and trajectories, and from the direct observation of work situations and the daily life at the village. The research took place in the period that ranges from 2007 until 2009. Facts were approached under the view that one cannot understand the dynamics of peasant production without analyzing its integration subordinated to the capitalist economic logic, which, in turn, imposes qualitative transformations in the individuals of the household production units. The conclusions confirm how much external factors influence the internal workings of family units, causing ruptures that weaken family realtions, which are part of the social reproduction process of agriculturist families. It, thus, highlights the inductor role of a developmentist State taking place through programs and project that, from their conception, hide the importance of the relationship between culture and development. The study’s relevance stems from its incorporating to the debate concerning DNOCS irrigated perimeter a line of research that analyzes the cultural changes between succesive generations, thus placing the family at the center of the debate, and departing from the method that analyzes the productive units through the economic returns of each productive cycle. From this perspective, this study points out to the fact that the proposals for the inclusion of family farmers are but illusive discourse.
O objetivo deste estudo é analisar as mudanças nas estratégias ocupacionais entre gerações dos agricultores familiares do Projeto Irrigado Curu Paraipaba, um dos espaços rurais do Nordeste brasileiro, desapropriado pelo DNOCS, nos anos de 1970, para assentamento de famílias de agricultores sem terra. A tese revela que, do ponto vista do objetivo de retirar as famílias do grau de extrema pobreza, o DNOCS pode considerar que cumpriu sua meta primordial, pois as famílias que ali permaneceram asseguraram a moradia, a área de plantio e uma renda proveniente, atualmente, da venda do coco. Revela, por outro lado, que fatores como tamanho dos lotes agrícolas, os sistemas de produção dominados por monoculturas que não absorvem a mão-de-obra familiar, a presença de intermediadores nas negociações dos produtos das safras, a contiguidade entre os espaços rural e o urbano e mudanças nos desejos de que os filhos sucedam aos pais como agricultores familiares tiveram fortes repercussões nas relações entre trabalho e família, ocasionando mudanças entre os membros das famílias no processo de sucessão para o trabalho como agricultores familiares. Os procedimentos metodológicos utilizados inserem-se, predominantemente, na abordagem qualitativa, por meio da análise de trajetórias, histórias de vida e observação de situações de trabalho e do dia-a-dia nos povoados. A pesquisa foi realizada no período de 2007 a 2009. Os dados foram abordados à luz da compreensão de que não se pode entender a dinâmica da produção camponesa sem que se analise a sua integração subordinada à lógica econômica do capital, que por sua vez, opera transformações qualitativas nos sujeitos das unidades de produção familiar. As conclusões confirmam o quanto fatores externos influenciam as dinâmicas internas de funcionamento das unidades familiares, provocando desmontes que debilitam a força das relações familiares que fazem parte da reprodução social dos agricultores familiares, destacando o papel indutor de um Estado desenvolvimentista que opera por meio de programas e projetos que, desde a concepção, escamoteiam a importância da relação entre cultura e desenvolvimento. A relevância do estudo é incorporar à pauta dos debates sobre os perímetros irrigados do DNOCS, uma linha de estudo que, fugindo dos métodos que analisam as unidades produtivas dos agricultores familiares por meio dos retornos econômicos de cada ciclo produtivo, analisa as mudanças culturais entre sucessivas gerações, colocando, portanto, no centro do debate. Analisada nessa perspectiva, o estudo vai apontar que as propostas para inclusão dos agricultores familiares não passam de um discurso ilusório.
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Ntsonto, Njokweni Elliot. "Economic performance of smallholder irrigation schemes a case study in Zanyokwe, Eastern Cape, South Africa /." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2005. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02092006-102025.
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David, Ighodaro Ikponmwosa. "Smallholder farmer's adoption decision-making processes in the utilisation of soil conservation practices in South Africa: the case of Qamata Irrigation Scheme, in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1740.
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The goal of this study was to determine the nature and factors influencing smallholder farmers in their adoption decision-making regarding the use of soil conservation practices introduced by extension practitioners in South Africa, using the case of farming at Qamata Irrigation Scheme, Eastern Cape. Using a central argument (thesis statement), the study argued that an adequate understanding and definition of smallholder farmers’ adoption decision-making process is very crucial to solving the problem of soil erosion/ degradation problem amongst smallholder farmers. Adopting the case study research design, information from 70 crop farmers (in a farmer focus group interviews) form the basis of the study. Basic models of analysis were the multiple, probit and logit, as well as the binary logistic regression analyses. According to the empirical results, perception was found very relevant in adoption decision-making, interacting positively and significantly with eight of the seventeen adoption variables chosen for the study. The indication therefore is that age (p<0.050), education (p<0.0030), and marriage (p<0.036), have more potentials to improve farmers’ perception. Similarly, higher farmer incomes (from crops [p<0.017], off-farm [p<0.038] and overall [p<0.011] income) also have a likelihood to improve farmers’ perception regarding soil conservation, for improved adoption. Further indication is that farmers who are aware (p<0.015) of the soil practices introduced by extension are also those who participate in their use (p<0.041). Employing the binary logistic, probit and logit regression models, results suggest that the nature of adoption decision-making processes of smallholder farmers is complex (not straight), being influenced by multiple factors. While age (p<0.099), gender (p<0.031), total income (p<0.081) impacted positively significant on smallholder farmers’ adoption decision-making, marital status (p<0.025), sources of land (p<0.063), length of continuously farming on same piece of land (p<0.013), and level of crop production (p<0.002) impacted negatively. The indication therefore was that older farmers preferred their own practices to the recommended practices by extension, which is in line with literature. Also as expected, more females preferred their own practices to extension recommended, while more males preferred the recommended practices. Similarly, marriage, land ownership, farming continuously on a spot for a long period, as well as increase in the level of crop production, all had a propensity to influence farmers toward the adoption of extension recommended practices as against farmers’ practices. Further results indicate, that farmers’ education (p<0.032), household size (p<0.37), and income (off-farm [p<0.036] and total [p<0.004]), measures used to measure farmers’ livelihood standards in the study, were positively significant in association with adoption. The indication was that, adoption decision-making is potentially capable of improving education level of farmers; increase the size of household, thus providing easy family labour; and as well improve level of income for the farmer. Based on the foregoing, the suggestion therefore is that any technology intervention programme that will succeed must begin with a clear understanding and analysis of farmers’ adoption process. This is better achieved when the adoption process is seen as a four-stage process, where the farmer first forms a view about the innovation (perception stage), and then decides whether or not to use it (adoption stage), as well as how much of the innovation to adopt (level of adoption stage), and finally how much is this innovation going to affect my livelihood (impact of adoption stage). Also, due to the particular relevance of perception in the adoption decision-making process, technology disseminators (extension), researchers and policy makers alike must never conclude on the rejection of any technology, not until factors determining perception of individuals have been well studied. The notion here is that, even at the confirmation stage of the adoption process of an individual adopter, when a rejection is confirmed, for an example, analysing factors of the adopter’s perception at play at the particular time of the innovation in question, could go a long way to redirecting the course of the adoption process of the said individual.
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Sishuta, Happy Babalwa. "The viability of small-scale farming at the Tyhefu Irrigation Scheme, Eastern Cape." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004924.
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This investigation is conducted against the background of current attempts to rehabilitate and revive the now defunct Tyhefu irrigation scheme. The poor track record of many irrigation schemes (despite huge investments) in the former homelands has prompted the government to reconsider its active and direct role in small-scale irrigation farming. This has resulted in the closure of many irrigation schemes including Tyhefu irrigation scheme. The new policy framework in South Africa, known as the irrigation management transfer, is premised on the transfer of ownership, authority and responsibility of small-scale irrigation schemes from government to the farmers. Tyhefu irrigation scheme was a state-driven, top-down initiative. This study argues that the justifications for the Tyhefu irrigation scheme were conflated, with the result that the need for political control of the Tyhefu area far outweighed the considerations regarding the financial viability and sustainability of the proposed project. Given the repressive political climate of the time in South Africa, the planners' proposals were a mechanism for the realization of the socio-political and economic agendas of the apartheid state and Ciskei government. Although technical factors critical for project success were examined, little or no attention was paid to the socio-economic aspects. For the planners, the main requirements for success entailed centralized managerial control, no participation of the beneficiaries, capital intensive and sophisticated agricultural techniques and the production of high value crops. Therefore, it can be argued that the nature of the planning and implementation of the Tyhefu irrigation scheme was ill-conceived, short-sighted and misguided. A review of the literature on irrigation development on the African continent provided useful insights for this study. The lessons from irrigation development experience in Sub-Saharan Africa indicate that the continent is littered with examples of derelict and costly failures. What stands out in many of these irrigation projects is their over-emphasis on technical issues to the complete neglect of human and other social aspects. Working partnerships between the farmers and irrigation scheme management could, thus, not be realized. Almost without exception the case studies used here indicate that the industrious type of farmer was never developed as was envisioned in the planning documents. Neither were rural livelihoods improved in a sustainable manner. The findings of this study suggest that irrigation management transfer is a complex and delicate process. In this new set of arrangements, beneficiaries face formidable challenges in terms of capacity (human and financial) if small-scale irrigation farming is to become a viable sector. No doubt, the viability and sustainability of the Tyhefu irrigation scheme demands a comprehensive package of interventions that address various issues of markets and marketing, capital investment and access to finance, technology, education and training, support and extension services. It is evident that institutional aspects and the related issue of functional literacy require much more attention than thus far. As a result, at the moment there is no possibility for independent agricultural production.KMBT_363
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Gidi, Lungile Sivuyile. "Rural households livelihoods' strategies and opportunities with regard to farming: a case of Intsika Yethu Local Municipality." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007218.
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South Africa and other developing countries are grappling with high levels of poverty as a result of slow to negligible rural development. Irrigation development is one essential component that can be used to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in rural areas. In the President‟s “State of the Nation Address” in 2011, the President of South Africa outlined measures to reduce hunger and poverty in communal areas through enhanced government‟s expenditures in rural infrastructure developments, especially for such amenities as irrigation and roads, with a view to promoting food security. The broad objective of this study is to assess livelihood strategies and opportunities with regard to farming in Qamata area of Intsika Yethu Local Municipality. The stratified random sampling method was applied in order to choose a sample of 70 household that were interviewed by means of semi-structured questionnaires. Out of these, 53 belonged to the irrigation project and 17 farmers were non-irrigation farmers. The results show that women play an active role in agriculture. The Multiple Regression model was used to assess the relative importance of different livelihood strategies adopted by both irrigation and non-irrigation farmers in improving household food security and welfare in Qamata. More specifically, the study assessed the impact of different livelihood strategies on production of butternut, goats, maize and poultry (Chicken) in Qamata. The results show increased agricultural production, crop diversification and higher incomes from irrigation farming as compared to dry land farming. Irrigation farming has enabled many households to diversify their sources of income and therefore include activities and enterprises that contribute to enhanced household welfare. The study showed that household size is crucial in crop production, followed by gender of the household head. The government and research institutes need to come up with programmes to train people on ways to produce crop and livestock products more efficiently.
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Vasconcelos, Helenira Ellery Marinho. "Descontinuidade nas DinÃmicas SucessÃrias de Agricultores Familiares: Dilemas Vivenciados por FamÃlias de Colonos do Projeto Curu-Paraipaba, CearÃ." Universidade Federal do CearÃ, 2011. http://www.teses.ufc.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=6964.
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Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa AgropecuÃriaO objetivo deste estudo à analisar as mudanÃas nas estratÃgias ocupacionais entre geraÃÃes dos agricultores familiares do Projeto Irrigado Curu Paraipaba, um dos espaÃos rurais do Nordeste brasileiro, desapropriado pelo DNOCS, nos anos de 1970, para assentamento de famÃlias de agricultores sem terra. A tese revela que, do ponto vista do objetivo de retirar as famÃlias do grau de extrema pobreza, o DNOCS pode considerar que cumpriu sua meta primordial, pois as famÃlias que ali permaneceram asseguraram a moradia, a Ãrea de plantio e uma renda proveniente, atualmente, da venda do coco. Revela, por outro lado, que fatores como tamanho dos lotes agrÃcolas, os sistemas de produÃÃo dominados por monoculturas que nÃo absorvem a mÃo-de-obra familiar, a presenÃa de intermediadores nas negociaÃÃes dos produtos das safras, a contiguidade entre os espaÃos rural e o urbano e mudanÃas nos desejos de que os filhos sucedam aos pais como agricultores familiares tiveram fortes repercussÃes nas relaÃÃes entre trabalho e famÃlia, ocasionando mudanÃas entre os membros das famÃlias no processo de sucessÃo para o trabalho como agricultores familiares. Os procedimentos metodolÃgicos utilizados inserem-se, predominantemente, na abordagem qualitativa, por meio da anÃlise de trajetÃrias, histÃrias de vida e observaÃÃo de situaÃÃes de trabalho e do dia-a-dia nos povoados. A pesquisa foi realizada no perÃodo de 2007 a 2009. Os dados foram abordados à luz da compreensÃo de que nÃo se pode entender a dinÃmica da produÃÃo camponesa sem que se analise a sua integraÃÃo subordinada à lÃgica econÃmica do capital, que por sua vez, opera transformaÃÃes qualitativas nos sujeitos das unidades de produÃÃo familiar. As conclusÃes confirmam o quanto fatores externos influenciam as dinÃmicas internas de funcionamento das unidades familiares, provocando desmontes que debilitam a forÃa das relaÃÃes familiares que fazem parte da reproduÃÃo social dos agricultores familiares, destacando o papel indutor de um Estado desenvolvimentista que opera por meio de programas e projetos que, desde a concepÃÃo, escamoteiam a importÃncia da relaÃÃo entre cultura e desenvolvimento. A relevÃncia do estudo à incorporar à pauta dos debates sobre os perÃmetros irrigados do DNOCS, uma linha de estudo que, fugindo dos mÃtodos que analisam as unidades produtivas dos agricultores familiares por meio dos retornos econÃmicos de cada ciclo produtivo, analisa as mudanÃas culturais entre sucessivas geraÃÃes, colocando, portanto, no centro do debate. Analisada nessa perspectiva, o estudo vai apontar que as propostas para inclusÃo dos agricultores familiares nÃo passam de um discurso ilusÃrio.
The main purpose of this work is to analyze the change in the occupational strategy between generations of family farmers of Projeto Irrigado Curu Paraipaba, one of the rural spaces in the Brazilian Northeast to have been disapropriated by DNOCS, in the 1970âs to settle families of landless workers. The thesis reaveal that, from the persepctive of releaving families from extreme poverty, DNOCS can take for granted that it has fulfilled its main goal, for the families that stayed there were able to guarantee home ownership, area for planting, and income which is nowadays obtained from selling coconuts. It reaveals, on the other hand, that factors like size of plots, production systems dominated by monocultures that do not absorb the familly working force, presence of intermediators in the negotiation of products, contiguity of rural and urban spaces and a desire that children follow their parents as family agriculturist all had strong impact on the relationhsip between work and family, thereby causing changes in the of succession of family members as agriculturists. The mehtodological procedures are foremost of a qualitative nature through the analyisis of life stories and trajectories, and from the direct observation of work situations and the daily life at the village. The research took place in the period that ranges from 2007 until 2009. Facts were approached under the view that one cannot understand the dynamics of peasant production without analyzing its integration subordinated to the capitalist economic logic, which, in turn, imposes qualitative transformations in the individuals of the household production units. The conclusions confirm how much external factors influence the internal workings of family units, causing ruptures that weaken family realtions, which are part of the social reproduction process of agriculturist families. It, thus, highlights the inductor role of a developmentist State taking place through programs and project that, from their conception, hide the importance of the relationship between culture and development. The studyâs relevance stems from its incorporating to the debate concerning DNOCS irrigated perimeter a line of research that analyzes the cultural changes between succesive generations, thus placing the family at the center of the debate, and departing from the method that analyzes the productive units through the economic returns of each productive cycle. From this perspective, this study points out to the fact that the proposals for the inclusion of family farmers are but illusive discourse.
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Sipoko, Nomava. "Effect of irrigation farming potential on commercialization of smallholder farming in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019772.
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Enhancement of smallholder production to improve rural livelihood is an important policy goal in developing countries. Research findings indicate that smallholder production can be improved through establishment of new smallholder irrigation schemes, and the rehabilitation of abandoned ones. Smallholder irrigation has a potential to contribute significantly in shifting smallholder farming to commercial farming. Although the roles of irrigating farmers are clearly defined, smallholder farmer’s development results in South Africa have been disappointing. The performance of smallholder irrigation is unsatisfactory. Smallholder irrigation has failed to improve the standard of living and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in South Africa. The majority of farmers are still producing at subsistence level. This study, therefore, aimed to contribute to smallholder irrigation literature in two ways; firstly by evaluating the extent of irrigation participation of smallholder farmers towards commercialization in the study areas. The study also examined the determinants of irrigation participation among smallholder farmers. A sample of 80 households was drawn by random sampling of smallholders in four villages as follows: 40 respondents from Mgxabakazi and Dinizulu villages and 40 respondents from Ncorha flats and Tshatshu. The sample included both irrigators and non-irrigators. Descriptive analysis shows that irrigators had better production and wellbeing than non-irrigators. For the inferential analysis of the data, two models were employed namely, Binary Logistic Regression Model (BRM) and Truncated Regression Model (TRM). The Binary Regression model was used to predict the probability of farmers participating in irrigation schemes. Whether or not a farmer participated in irrigation was introduced as the binary dependent or response variable that could be explained by a range of explanatory or predictor variables such as source of water, land size, ability to sustain business, membership in the scheme, market access, availability of the irrigation system, willingness to irrigate, farming type commercial or subsistence and institutional support services. From these predictor variables, being part of the irrigation, ability to sustain business and market were found to be factors influencing farmer’s decision to participate. The second model required the in-depth investigation of the influence of irrigation participation as reflected by extent of commercialization. In order to do this, the level of commercialization was measured by calculating Household Commercialization Index. Then the truncated regression model (TR) was used to test the factors that affect the level of commercialization for the farmers who are participating in the irrigation schemes.Age, irrigated land, willingness to commercialize and gross value of production were found to exert strong influence on the level of commercialization among farmers participating in irrigation. The study recommends that investments in smallholder irrigation should receive high priority, with emphasis on collective action, promotion of contract farming and strengthening the support services from government and the private sector, and ensuring enhanced access to market to all farmers.
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Zenda, Sipho Macriba. "A systems approach to marketing in less developed agriculture with reference to Bululwane Irrigation Scheme." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001045.
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