Masters Degrees (Animal Sciences)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Animal Sciences) by browse.metadata.advisor "Chikwanha, Obert C."

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    The impact of drought in the South African agricultural sector and the skills implications
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Majaha, Jabulani; Mapiye, Cletos; Dzama, Kennedy; Chikwanha, Obert C.; Katiyatiya, Chenaimoyo L. F.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Animal Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of the study was to assess the skills gap and training needs of farmers and key professionals in South Africa's agricultural sector in terms of drought management. A total of 192 semi-structured questionnaires were administered to assess farmers' skills gaps and training needs in the dry agroecological zones of the Free State, and the Cape provinces (i.e., Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape) of South Africa. Findings revealed that the main socioeconomic impacts of drought among farmers were reduced household food security (80% of participants) and increased levels of poverty (≥ 60%) regardless of farmer typology. For subsistence and small-scale commercial farmers, loss of farm income (85% and 80%), increased livestock mortalities (72% and 65%) and pest and disease incidences (65% and 56%) were identified as the main economic impacts, respectively. Reduced water availability (85% subsistence and 80% small-scale commercial farmers), grazing land deterioration (68% subsistence and 64% small-scale commercial farmers) and loss of vegetation were perceived as the main environmental impacts. Irrespective of farmer type, supplementary feeding (71% of participants), selling livestock (55%) and use of appropriate stocking rates (43%) were the main agricultural coping strategies during drought. Ordinal regression marginal effects results showed that age and sex negatively influenced the ability of farmers to cope with impacts of drought, while level of education, source of income and access to agriculture extension services had a positive influence (P ≤ 0.05). Regardless of farmer typology, respondents generally lacked agricultural drought management skills, such as drought monitoring, and early warning systems (86%), and water management (75%) skills. A follow-up survey was conducted in the same provinces by administering 55 semi-structured questionnaires to key professionals (i.e., agricultural extension and disaster management officers) to identify their skills gap and training needs. About three-quarters of key professionals reported that the main impact of drought on them was work overload. Drought-related challenges included shortage of resources (62% extension officers) and lack of a comprehensive drought management policy (62% drought management officers). Most extension and disaster management officers possessed professional and support skills such as human emotional intelligence (71% and 54%, respectively), personal and public relations (71% and 85%), community mobilisation (74% and 77%), and leadership (71% and 62%). Drought preparedness planning was the most dominant drought management skill possessed by more than half of the key professionals. Extension and disaster management officers’ training needs included geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (50% and 46%), early warning systems and forecasting (43% and 38%), and recovery and rehabilitation (50% and 23%), respectively. Therefore, tailor- made models of educating key professionals are required to increase agricultural sector resilience to drought and adaptation to environmental, social, and economic changes. It was recommended that the government should invest and provide support in disaster management strategies and policy implementation, particularly disaster and extension services with disaster response programs that improve long-term farmer competencies of drought preparedness and mitigation.