Recent Trends in Agricultural Land Prices in South Africa: A Preliminary Investigation Using Cointegration Analysis

The main objective of this paper is to report preliminary findings on the recent trends in agricultural land prices in South Africa against the backdrop of growing concerns over their rising levels. Given the important role of land prices, the impact such increases would have on significant national development efforts, including the on-going land reform programme and other aspects of agricultural restructuring, provide strong justification for this investigation. The cointegration approach was employed within a framework that allowed for both long-run and short-run dynamics of the relationships to be identified. Building on previous structural modelling of farmland prices in the country, and using much expanded time series spanning forty-nine years, it was possible to establish some patterns of causation in the relationships between farmland prices and a range of macro-aggregates, including interest rate on debt, the rate of inflation, Gross Domestic Product, among others. Although the important role of foreign buyers is suggested by some of the results, there is need for further studies on this subject, using alternative data sets. The finding of a Granger causality relationship between farmland prices and GDP is interesting to the extent that it reflects buying power and confirms impressions about the crucial role of farmland prices in national economic management and the successful implementation of the on-going agrarian reforms in South Africa.Land Economics/Use, C22, E3, Q15, Q18, Q24,

Deregulation of the Maize Marketing System of Swaziland and Implications for Food Security

Recent shortfalls in the supply of maize in the Kingdom of Swaziland have exacerbated the country's growing food insecurity and led to fresh calls for full deregulation of the maize marketing system. The proponents of deregulation believe that it eliminates inefficient production and service units by transferring resources to their best alternative uses. While the theoretical foundations for that position are not questionable, no studies have to date explicitly investigated the effects of the current arrangements and the potential effects of full deregulation. This paper reports on a study that examined the welfare effects of the regulation of the country's maize industry and considered the likely impacts of full deregulation of the industry. Using a partial equilibrium model, the study established that the current market arrangements for the maize industry are distortionary and make the maize marketing system of Swaziland highly uncompetitive. The results show that high efficiency losses result from the misallocation of productive resources and that these have been rising over the years. Consumption deadweight losses were also shown to be equally serious and put at risk the attainment of food security for the generality of the Swazi population. The paper sees deregulation as an important practical step to improve the competitiveness of the maize industry and enhance food security through creating the basis for more effective management of the internal maize distribution channel in Swaziland.Crop Production/Industries, Food Security and Poverty, D6, F13, I3, L5, Q18,

Mental health outcome and perceived care needs of women treated for a miscarriage in a low-resource setting

No Abstract

Application of Aeromagnetics as a Basin Depth Discriminating Tool Prior to Seismic Exploration: A Case Study of Central Niger Delta, Nigeria

Eight aeromagnetic maps and high resolution softcopy aeromagnetic data of the same area with available drilled well depth data were used for subsurface depth investigatuion in the Central Niger Delta, Nigeria. The data was processed, filtered and transformed to other grids using either Oasis Montaj  and/or USGS potential field software with their associated extension  packages. Anomaly Separation, Spectral Analysis, Euler Deconvolution, Horizontal Gradient Magnitude were done using the relevant softwares.The results of  spectral analysis, euler deconvolution and horizontal gradient depth maps generated clearly indicates that the well bottom (well B) depth of 3.234km compared with the different thematic magnetic basement depth from spectral 4.2km, Euler 6.421km, and HGM 4.0kmis effective in basement depth discrimination. The result show a unique closeness in comaparism  between already drilled depth with interpreted magnetic depth results. This indicate that the method can be reliable as a basin depth determining tool in virgin  sedimentary basins prior to seismic exploratioin

Application of Ground and Aeromagnetics as Reconnaissance Tool for Hydrocarbon Exploration in Part of Ikom Embayment and Lower Benue Trough, Nigeria

In addition to ground magnetic survey carried out in the study area to appraise its hydrocarbon potentials, three aeromagnetic maps on a scale 1:100,000 covering part of Ikom Embayment and Lower Benue Trough were manually digitized and analysed using computer-based programmes such as HDEP, SURFIT, MFINITE, MFFILTER, MFDESIGN, JMERGER, FRTP, PC CONTOUR, P2 GRID, OASIS MONTAJ, GEOCON AND SURFER 9.0 to determine the depth to basement as well as the configuration of the sub-basins within the study area. The average depth of the shallow and deep basins is 1.5Km and 2.5Km respectively with Nkum axis of the Ikom Embayment having the thickest sediments (about 4.0Km). The presence of few intrusives, thick pile of sediments and faults around Nkum- Edor area of Ikom Embayment indicates that they may have good prospects for hydrocarbon accumulation.

Aeromagnetic Mapping of Basement Releif Features in Parts of Lower Benue Trough (Afikpo – Ugep): Implications on Hydrocarbon Prospectivity South – East, Nigeria

Mapping Magnetic basement is an important tool in oil and gas exploration. Two (2) aeromanetic maps on a scale of 1:100,000 covering parts of the lower Benue Trough ( Afikpo sheet 313 and Ugep sheet314) were digitized manually along a total of 70 profiles lines to obtain 5422 data points. The digitized  values were contoured to obtain the total magnetic field intensity map of the study area.The merged data was processed and filtered using anomaly separation techniques to obtain the regional and residual fields, petters half width and maximum slope methods were analysed to  obtain depths to basements, also lineaments trend and 3-D surface plots were analsed. The results indicate a dominant NE-SW orientation, four faults were also identified mostly at the edges of sediments- basement contacts. the depth to magnetic  basement map reveals two identified sub-basins within two structural highs.the Afikpo area has  a structural high( afikpo anticlinorium) with depth ranging from 0.8km – 1.8km which is flanked by a depression (graben) 2.0km – 4.0km this sub-basin extends between  Abanwan to Amagu (ebonyi state) and extents to Biakpan (cross river state).also another structural high occurs between Iyamoyong and Okumeritit (cross river state) 0.8km -1.8km as horst, this is flanked by another depression (graben) within the Mkpani – Ugep area (cross river state) 2.0km -3.0 km in sediments thickness. Hydrocarbon prospectivity  within the study area should be within the  identified Grabens  that has shown grater sediments accumulation while  the areas identified as horst has less potentials for hydrocarbon prospectively

Reserve Estimation of Barite Deposits using Geological and Geophysical Investigations in Cross River State South Eastern, Nigeria.

Barite deposits occur mostly as concealed mineralization dominantly in shales and sandstones of Cretaceous age in Cross River State. Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and Horizontal Resistivity Profiling (HRP) have been carried out in areas with less mining activities. Also, field geological mapping in which the lengths and the widths of barite veins were measured has been undertaken.The geophysical data collected within 22 communities was done in 52 locations and the results indicate that the barite occurs in veins located at 10 – 12.2m depth and could be up to 40m in open mine pits. The lateral extent of the veins range from 4m to 65m from the from the horizontal resistivity profiling results, and could be traced from the field mapping to about 950m . The  general direction of the barite mineralization is  NE-SW . The result of the reserve estimate indicate that the Agoi village of Oban Massif has 1,981,177.0  metric tons of reserves, these are greater than the reserve found at mamfe embayment villages of Ekukunela and Nkarasi with reserve deposits of about 865, 684 metric tons. These reserves are also greater than those found in parts of the lower Benue trough villages of Osina and Okpoma (Ogoja) with reserve deposits of about 774, 345 metric tons.  An estimated reserve of over nine (9) million metric tons of barite have been calculated and documented for Cross River Stat for the first time. This has unarguably put Cross River State as having the largest reserve of barite in Nigeria. Keywords: Barite, VES, HRP, Reserve, geophysical, mineralization , resistivit

Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx extract on carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage

The effect of aqueous ethanol (1:1) extract of the calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver damage was investigated. Oral administration of the extract following a single CCl4 dose promoted the healing of oxidative liver damage as determined by serum aminotransferases, ALT, AST, levels and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels. It appeared from the study that the extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa enhances the recovery from hepatic damage induced by CCl4.Key words: Carbon tetrachloride, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Liver damage

Overpressure/ Depositional Analysis of Parts of Onshore (X-Field) Niger Delta Basin Nigeria, Based on Well Logs Data

Overpressure in the world’s sedimentary basins are known to be allied with permeability barriers, tectonics, shale digenesis, basin structure and undercompaction factors. The Niger Delta basin has many overpressured zones with different depositional enviroments. This study was done using six drilled wells log suits in an x- field (Gama ray log, deep induction log, Density log, and sonic log). The data was acquired from Cheveron Nigeria Ltd in ascii softcopy format, which was analysed using both manual method and computer processed interactive petrophysics (IP) version 3.6 software. The logs were loaded and printed to hardcopies and digitization done at 5m interval to extract the data across the log suits. Characteristic curve patterns along the gamma log were delineated for shape patterns such as bell shape, funnel shape, and blocky to reveal paleoenviroments of the study area. The results indicate twenty one (21) overpressure zones within the wells, three (3) subsurface overpressure zones are correlated across the wells at depth interval between 3000m – 3200m for wells A,B,C,D,E and 2900m – 3000m for wells E and C , and 3600m – 3700m for wells C and F respectively,these overpressured zones occurred within a dominantly fluvial channel with minor detlaic distribution and barrier bar complexes. The areas identified as overpressured zones should be critically  examined during drilling to avoid rig blow outs