Partnering, poverty reduction and rural enterprise advancement

NEPAD\'s (New Economic Partnership for African Development) overall vision for agriculture seeks to maximize the contribution of Africa\'s largest economic sector to achieve self-reliant and productive economies. In essence, NEPAD aims for agriculture to deliver broad based economic advancement, to which other economic sectors, such as manufacturing, petroleum, minerals and tourism, may also contribute in significant ways, but not at the same level as agriculture. Agriculture has been identified as the vehicle through which Africa will have to alleviate its poverty, hunger and food insecurity problems. Given this scenario, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) has, through its establishment of the Rural Enterprise Advancement Programme (REAP) and its implementation through the Nguni Cattle Project and the Agri-Park Business Training Programme, restructured its agricultural research, training and community partnering activities and established a strong partnering relationship with NEPAD Council. The main focus of REAP, as advancement programme, is to actively and constructively contribute to: i) Cost effective harnessing of the best available expertise and knowledge; ii) fulfilling all its functions optimally through the creation and fostering of purposeful and effective dynamic relationships or linkages – both of strategic and operational value; iii) organically growing, developing and replicating rural enterprises in other areas at the best possible costs; and iv) building a frame of reference for purposeful agricultural and agriculture related business and social growth research, training and community partnering programmes. Agricultural extension has now (through the design and implementation of REAP) started with new strategies to create opportunities for greater participation in agriculture as well as greater sustainable wealth creation opportunities for small-scale farmers. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 35 (2) 2006: pp. 258-27

Small and medium-scale producers’ use and credibility of information sources: Implications for public extension’s financial sustainability

Farm management information is vital for farm decision making. Identifying the dominant source of such information used by producers, its credibility and users’ acceptance to contribute towards the operational costs of the delivery of services is important, considering the persistent financial problems facing public extension organizations world-wide, including South Africa. Governments have, therefore, embarked on many funding arrangements to ensure financial sustainability of public extension organizations.This paper assesses the extent of farmers’ use of the public extension service relative to other sources of farm management information and its perceived credibility on users’ acceptance to pay for the delivery of public extension visits. The findings presented here are based on a  non-probability survey of medium-scale commercial crop farmers conducted between 1 September and 7 October 2010 in three districts of the Free State Province, South Africa. The findings show that public extension was the dominant information source for most production activities for most farmers. In contrast, most farmers depended more on their own  experience/records for information on marketing, financial and  environmental decisions. This notwithstanding, most producers were willing to contribute financially towards the delivery of public extension visits; such contributions have implications for its financial sustainability.Key Words: Medium-scale commercial farmer, public agricultural extension, information source, financial sustainabilit

Towards assessing managerial competencies and leadership styles required for successful game ranch management in the Eastern Cape, South Africa24

Given the importance of the agricultural sector in the South African economy and the emerging importance of game farming, long term sustainability is critical. One way of achieving long term sustainability of game ranches in South Africa is to ensure the effective and efficient management of these ranches. Effective and efficient management is largely determined by managerial competencies and leadership styles. The problem statement addressed in this research can be stated as follows: ¡§Which management competencies and leadership styles are required to assist game ranch managers/owners in the effective and efficient management of their game ranches in the Eastern Cape, South Africa?¡¨The purpose of this study is to development a framework to assess the management competencies and leadership styles needed by game ranch managers/owners in order to enhance the game ranch¡¦s prospects of survival, continuity and success. To achieve this, the objectives are to identify whether there is a significant relationship between the:•current and ideal (future required) managerial competencies;• current managerial competencies, transactional and transformational leadership styles; and• managerial competencies and selected biographical variables.Data was collected using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The data was analyzed using Statistica V.8. Sample T-testing, Cross Tabulations (Chi Square) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were used to assess the research objectives. The reliability and validity the research instrument were also tested by using Cronbach Reliability Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analyses. It was found that there was a significant difference between current and ideal managerial competencies and that teamwork, planning and administration as well as strategic action needed to be improved. Findings suggest that a strategic relationship exist between gender, current teamwork and self management competencies. Another strategic relationship was found between the number of employees and current strategic action

Creating youth employment through modern beekeeping: Case study of selected youth trained in Moro Local Government Kwara State, Nigeria

The study evaluated the impact of training offered on beekeeping by Fayolam Farms in 2007 to selected youth in the Moro Local Government of Kwara State, Nigeria. The training was offered as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Structured interview schedules were used to collect data from 116 respondents who participated in the training and who were still active in beekeeping. The results showed high levels (93%) of adoption among the males relative to their female counterparts. The mean age of participants was 28.6 years, mostly (89. 65%) were married, 44.82% had junior secondary education and were predominantly (79.31%) farmers. Hive acquisition increased progressively after the training from 5 to 30 hives on average while the total revenue generated on individual aggregate was . 119, 275.00 with the share of male participants as high as 63.16%. Production challenges faced by the trainees include destruction of hives by fire, pest and diseases, pilfering and absconding of bees. It is recommended that community policing should be encouraged to address pilfering. Further training should focus on areas of challenges and also research on less aggressive bee species should be carried out for introductionKey words: Beekeeping; agribusiness, training evaluation, yout

An analysis of perceived prominent decision making areas in commercial Springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis) production decision making

The development of the highly individualistic commercial springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis) production systems and the resulting growth in the commercial value of the springbuck has opened a new realm of game management decision making. These relatively undomesticated production systems demand sophisticated technical and preference decisions in an effort to reconcile ecological, commercial and management principles and practices into efficient production units. This paper endeavours to identify and define the relative prominence of different decision making areas in commercial springbuck production decision making, using qualitative and quantitative techniques associated with phenomenological studies. Overall indications are that a clear understanding exists that different challenges (of achieving perceived optimum efficiency) attract different sets of decisions. The array of decision making areas subjectively associated with the achievement of perceived optimum efficiency suggests the complexity of the decision making process in commercial springbuck production systems. A major need for research and information generation and distribution (extension) concerning the effects of herd structure and management on commercial springbuck production is identified. Keywords: Game ranch management, decision making, risk perception, springbuck.South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 36 (1) 2007: pp. 249-26

The percieved impact of herd management practices on sustainable springbuck (Antidorcas Marsuplalis) ranching in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Despite its relatively unregulated nature game ranching and utilisation is one of the more important agricultural economic activities and considered arguably the fastest growing enterprise in South Africa. Commercial springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis) production systems are considered to be supreme examples of such commercial game ranching enterprises that have been established with varying degrees of efficiency and sustainability. Conversion to game ranching also seems to offer some answers to the increasing economic risks and decreasing sustainability associated with livestock farming in marginally profitable and low rainfall. The Eastern Cape Province is such an area. Earlier studies and associated literature suggest that market demand is steadily becoming highly sophisticated with very clear defined demands and expectations. A thorough understanding of game ranch managers’ views on sustainability is imperative in order to develop some understanding on decision making regarding sustainability. The relative complexity of the decision making processes associated with commercial springbuck production (wildlife production) systems and the information needs of such decisions call for increased investigations into such processes. The development of instruments to assess the interrelationships of perceptions and decisions in these processes has therefore become of the utmost importance to ensure purposeful delivery of services and information to a highly competitive and diversified industry. This study is a contribution in this process of developing an instrument with which the nature and impact of production decisions on the sustainability of the wildlife ranching enterprise could be anticipated or even predicted.S.Afr. Tydskr. Landbouvoorl./S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., Vol. 39 Nr. 2, 2011: 15 – 2

Noradrenergic Modulation on Dopaminergic Neurons

It is now well accepted that there is a close relationship between noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons in the brain, especially referring to the modulation of the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC-NE) system on dopamine transmission. The disturbance of this modulation may contribute to neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease. In this article, we briefly review evidence related to such modulation. Firstly, we illustrated the noradrenergic innervation and functional implication for the LC-NE system and nigra–striatum dopaminergic system. Furthermore, we depicted neuroprotective effects of the LC-NE on dopaminergic neurons in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, we present data implicating the potential mechanisms underlying the modulation of the LC-NE system on dopaminergic neurons, in particular the effects of NE as a neurotrophic factor and through its ability to stimulate the expression of other neurotrophic factors, such as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Finally, we discussed other mechanisms intrinsic to NE’s effects. A better understanding of the noradrenergic modulation on dopaminergic neurons may be rewarding by significant advances in etiologic study and promising treatment of Parkinson’s disease