ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER FOR PROPER SUPPORT OF LOW-INCOME BEEF FARMERS TO ACHIEVE HERD

PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT  

Baldwin Nengovhela

Baldwin@arc.agric.za25-28 October, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Introduction: South Africa Beef Industry

IntroductionTypical Performance

Traits Developing

Sector

Commercial Stud or elite

Calving rate %

40 65 85

Pre weaning mortality %

50 2 2

Post weaning mortality %

15 2 2

Market price %

50 100 >130%

Beef Market off-take %

5 85 10

The Problem

The Problem (Cont)

• Lack of success through R&D&E interventions (1994 – to date)

• Beef Sector System = Biophysical + Social Sub -System

The Objective

• Design an intervention model that address the whole system in the South African

beef industry

• Adopt or design soft technologies to use in interventions by R&D&E

Methods

• Social Science Research

• Grounded theory

• Focus groups

• In-depth Interviews

• Log field journal

• Participant observation

Methods :Informants

Communal FarmersLand Reform Farmers

Emerging farrmers

EliteCommercial

farmer

ARC Research Managers

LDAManagers

ARC Technicians

LDA & ARC Researchers

LDAExtension

officers

Results & Discussion: Farmers

Results & Discussion: Support

Results & Discussion: Comparison

Results & Discussion: Farmers AssessmentLimpopo Low-Income

Sector

Apartheid Interventions 1948-1994

Natural Physical Financial Human Social Knowledge Cultural Psychological

Very Low

Very Low

Very Low

Very Low

LowVery Low

HighVery Low

Post-Apartheid Interventions 1994-2008

Natural Physical Financial Human Social Knowledge Cultural Psychological

Low LowVery Low

Low Medium LowVery High

Very Low

LARP CASP MAFISAExtension

Recovery PlanCooperatives SETA None None

Discussion:Disconnect & Disinvestment

LowInvestment in Capitals

INPUTS BEEF

Beef Supply ChainLDA & ARC

Low Income Sector

LDA & ARCBeef Supply

Chain

High Income Sector

HighInvestment in

Capitals

Discussion: Leverage point

Psychological Capital

Natural Capital

Wellbeing of Low-income

farmer

Financial Capital

Physical

CapitalSocial

Capital

Human Capital

Knowledge Capitals

Culture Capital

Psychological capital defined

‘an individual’s positive psychological state of development and is characterized by: (i) having confidence (self-efficacy) to take on and put in the necessary effort to succeed at challenging tasks; (ii) making a positive attribution (optimism) about succeeding now and in the future;(iii). persevering towards goals and, when necessary, redirecting paths to goals (hope) in order to succeed.; and (iv) when beset by problems and adversity, sustaining and bouncing back and even beyond (resiliency) to attain success’. (Luthans et al, 2007)

Intervention Model

Communal Land reform Emerging Commercial Elite

Very low Very low Low to medium High Very High

Social Complexity

Technology TransferProblem Solving

EducationHuman Development

Technology TransferProblem Solving

EducationHuman Development

Technology TransferProblem Solving

Education

SI&IParadigm

SI&IParadigm

Potential Leverage

point

LimpopoBeef

Sectors

Very High Very High Medium Very Low Very Low

Technical & personal

skills

Extension Paradigm

Rural Community Development Approach

Seven capitals excluding Cultural

Rural Community Development ApproachSix capitals excluding

Natural & Cultural

SI&I Human, Social, Knowledge & Psychological

None None

Psychological Capital Psychological Capital Psychological Capital New Knowledge &

InnovationsNew Knowledge

& Innovations

Critical Capital needs

Level of Intervention Individual, Community & Animal Change Target

Animal Change Target

Animal Change Target

Tools Gap Tools Gap Tools Gap Very High Very HighARC & LDA Competence

CURRENT LOW_INCOME INDUSTRYDESIRED FUTURE BEEF

INDUSTRY

Transition 1 Transition 2

Building Psychological Capital

STEP 1: Self Situation Analysis STEP 4: Confidence Building

Stage

STEP 3: Evidence Building for Self Efficacy Stage

STEP 2: Self Impact Analysis

Improvement in Effort to Access other Capitals

Improvement in Psychological Capital

Conclusions• Give a social subsystem in your hard

science attention

• R&D&E focus at specific situations and localities

• Proposed intervention model and tool need to be open for continual improvement and a stimuli for more work on development of soft technologies

THANK YOUnot my job......

Acknowledgements

•Australian Centre for International Research Funding•Department of Science and Technology Funding•A. Prof RJS Beeton University of Queensland•Dr Richard Clark Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries•Limpopo Department of Agriculture