http://hdl.handle.net/10500/2728 2013-06-19T08:04:47Z 2013-06-19T08:04:47Z Chabikuli, Nsengiyumva http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5672 2012-06-14T17:23:43Z 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z

Market segmentation and consumer willingness to pay for high fibre products : the case of Johannesburg and the surrounding areas, South Africa Chabikuli, Nsengiyumva Functional foods constitute a growing focus for research, product development and consumer interest in recent years. This study investigated the factors that affect willingness to pay for high fibre food on the market as well as respondents’ attitude towards the purchase of these products. The results indicated that those consumers in the high income group were more health conscious than their low income counterparts and willing to pay for high fibre products. The results showed that health risk perceptions as well as regulatory programmes affected consumers’ willingness to pay. The results also showed that at low percentage prices consumers were willing to pay for high fibre products. Gender and marital status did not seem to have an influence on willingness to buy for any of the selected products. Findings of the study could encourage food manufacturers to carry on with developments of functional foods since willingness to pay increased with increase in income.

2011-09-01T00:00:00Z Kassu Kebede Beyene http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5055 2012-06-20T09:22:44Z 2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

Soil erosion, deforestation and rural livelihoods in the Central Rift Valley area of Ethiopia: a case study in the Denku micro-watershed Oromia region Kassu Kebede Beyene This research was conducted in one of the districts in the Oromia region located in the Central Rift Valley to assess the problem of soil erosion and deforestation and to determine how these drivers of land degradation affect the livelihoods of farmers. The research was a case study undertaken in an identified micro-watershed making use of the questionnaire interview method. A household sample was obtained using a simple random sampling technique; Information interviews were conducted with community representatives, district level experts and development agents who worked in the community. The objective of the research was to assess the levels of soil erosion and deforestation and the impact on the livelihoods of the community. Research methods were questionnaire and direct observation. The results of the study indicated that the effects of soil erosion and deforestation on land productively, agriculture and livestock production at large, had a negative effect on livelihoods of the community members. Recommendations based on the research affirm the necessity to undertake large-scale natural resource management starting with community-based watershed management thereby reducing the impact of land degradation on livelihoods of farmers and ensuring food security and sustainable land management.

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z Majova, Vikelwa Judith http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4973 2012-12-05T12:18:39Z 2011-05-01T00:00:00Z

The rural-urban linkage in the use of traditional foods by peri-urban households in Nompumelelo community in East London, Eastern Cape : a comparative study Majova, Vikelwa Judith The purpose of the study is to illustrate the challenge of providing sufficient micronutrients to the inhabitants of South Africa. Traditional foods have therefore been identified as one of the strategies that can be employed to lessen the problem in the community of Nompumelelo, Eastern Cape province and the research involves the availability of traditional foods in this area. It is common practice for most rural people in South Africa to include traditional foods in their diets and Nompumelelo is no exception. Hence, the study also explores the rural-urban linkage of the use of traditional foods by peri-urban households in the Xhosa community of Nompumelelo. It could be argued that the traditional foods produced in this community are accessible to the whole community, resulting in greater food sustainability. It is a fact that many communities are of the opinion that food is not readily available, not realising that traditional foods are locally available.

2011-05-01T00:00:00Z Schoombee, Wilhelm Sternberg http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4895 2012-11-09T09:28:39Z 2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

Survey of colostrum quality and management practices on commercial dairy farms in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa Schoombee, Wilhelm Sternberg Bovine maternal antibodies are not transferred across the placenta during pregnancy and newborn calves are unable to produce their own antibodies within the first weeks after birth. As neonates are born agammaglobulinemic they need to acquire immunoglobulins (Ig) from their dam’s colostrum to acquire passive immunity. Colostrum fed to dairy calves, which is not timeous, of inadequate quantity and of unverified quality, might result in decreased neonate health. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of the management of colostrum on commercial dairy farms, to estimate the quality of the Ig titre of colostrum fed to neonates and finally to recommend methods and techniques critical to the successful management of colostrum. The methods used included a questionnaire which was conducted as a structured interview on a one-on-one basis among 50 randomly selected commercial dairy farmers in the Eastern Cape Coastal Region of South Africa. The estimation of the colostrum Ig titre of colostrum fed to neonates was made by the on-farm measurement of specific gravity (SG) by making use of a commercially available KRUUSE colostrometer (Fleenor and Stott, 1980). A pooled colostrum sample, from each of the four quarters, from 90 randomly selected post-partum cows was collected on a leader commercial dairy farm. This method was used to compare colostrum samples from cows run under similar management practices. These samples were collected for analysis within 6 hrs of calving and were done over 3 seasons (autumn, winter and spring). Survey - The colostrum mass and timing of the initial feed are the most important factors when aiming to achieve adequate passive immunity. The results of the survey indicated that most of the farmers of this region feed an inadequate mass of colostrum (volume and Ig concentration) and only 52% of farmers surveyed feed colostrum less than 6 hrs post- partum. The majority (78%) of surveyed farmers did not follow up their initial colostrum feeding.Colostrum sampling - At the trial site only 10% (9 from 90 colostrum samples measured), were found to be of adequate SG quality. Cow age (parity), season of calving and colostrum temperature had an influence on the estimated colostrum SG. However, season of calving was found to have the greatest influence on SG values. These results were consistent with findings from previous studies that SG values from the cooler months were higher than those of the hotter months. Tables 4.7 (P=0.330), 4.8 (P=0.012) and 4.9 (P=0.005) showed that regression analysis confirmed that LS means across seasons were inadequately below the required 50 mg/ml Ig required for sufficient passive immunity. Tables 4.1 (P=0.164), 4.2 (P=0.011) and 4.3 (P=0.021) shows that season of calving had a much greater effect on CR than did parity, Table 4.5 (P=0.177). Table 4.4 shows that colostrum temperature has an significant effect on SG value. Recommendations for methods and techniques critical to the successful management of colostrum were made. These recommendations were based on the analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire and the on-farm colostrum sampling study. The most important and critical management practices surveyed includes the timing of the cow and calf separation where it was found that only 30 from the 50 (60%) of the farms surveyed separate calves and dams at day (0), 19 from 50 farms (38%) separate at day (3-5) and 1 from 50 farms (2%) separate only at day 7 or later. Thus 40% of surveyed farms allow cows to nurse their calves. With regards to early exposure to pathogens this is a high risk management practice. Further to that, only 2 from 50 surveyed farms (4%) measure the colostrum quality fed to their calves and 48 from 50 farms (96%) feed colostrum of unmeasured quality. The mass of colostrum fed to calves is an important parameter for successful transmission of Ig. In the survey it was found that 28 from 50 farms (56%) feed 2L – 4L of colostrum and 11 from 50 farms (22%) feed 2L of colostrum. Thus 78% of farms feed approximately 50% of the amount of colostrum required for successful transmission of Ig. Finally only 1 from 50 farms (2%) freeze excess colostrum and 1 from 50 farms (2%) pool excess colostrum. Both these farms measure colostrum quality by colostrometer.

2011-06-01T00:00:00Z