Household consumption patterns were investigated to determine the impact of an income shock on household expenditure and to establish the potential for demand-led growth in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal. Household consumption data were collected from sample households in the Embo ward of...

This paper estimates long-run price (wage) elasticities of demand for regular farm labour in South Africa using both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and a Two-stage Least Squares (2SLS) simultaneous-equation model for the period 1960-2002. Both models include a piecewise interactive...

Global biofuel production has risen substantially in recent years, driven primarily bygovernment support for biofuel industries. The stated motivations for these initiatives arenumerous and have varied over time. Soybeans are the only field crop produced in sufficientquantities in KwaZulu-Natal...

This study applied logit and logit transformed regression to examine factors affecting theadoption of orange flesh sweet-potatoes (OFSP), and intensity of such adoption, by arepresentative sample of 340 farmers in the Busia and Rachuonyo districts of Kenya in 2009.The study also investigated...

Three development finance institutions (DFIs) which operate in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)province were assessed in 1996/97 to see how they could improve financial viability andoutreach to emerging farmers, agribusiness and micro-entrepreneurs. Improved servicequality and emphasis on mobilising savings...

Bivariate probit analysis was used to assess the efficacy of a South African microlender’s loanscreening process. This micro-lender grants short-term cash loans to individuals who areemployed and earning a fixed salary. Loan applicants with more stable incomes, who arecontactable via telephone...

This study analyses the importance and dimensions of risk sources and computer adoptionamong farmers in a changing economic policy and trade environment. A survey was conductedin 1996 among 112 commercial farmers in KwaZulu-Natal. The majority of respondents were infavour of a liberalized trade...

A study was conducted during 1994-1995 amongst policy makers, government officials, retailersand millers in Lesotho to review the maize marketing system and procedures for setting maizeprices at producer, mill-gate and consumer levels. Set prices distort price signals whichinfluence decisions to...

The productivity of small-scale sugarcane contractors affects not only their own profitability and sustainability, but that of other stakeholders as well, such as the small-scale sugarcane farmers they contract to and the sugar mills they supply with sugarcane. This study examines the attributes...

A sample survey of 74 commercial dairy farmers was conducted between November 2002 and February 2003 in three Zobatat (zones) of Eritrea to identify factors that affect the adoption of livestock insurance. The results of a logit model indicate that formal education of the farmer and the farmer's...