A study on certain factors that may affect the economic viability of backgrounding beef weaner calves on pastures in the Southern Cape area of South Africa
- Authors: Terblanche, Ian
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Calves -- Weaning -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47623 , vital:40259
- Description: The backgrounding of beef weaner calves from pastures has the potential to be developed as an intensive beef enterprise that can increase the income of smaller farms, given that these farms have the ability to produce good quality pastures. This study was conducted to verify the inputs that impact on the viability of pasture backgrounding systems in an attempt to provide beef producers with better information for decision making. The scientific research was conducted with the registered Kromme Rhee Bonsmara herd at the Kromme Rhee research farm of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. The farm is situated at 18º50’E and 33º51’S in the Stellenbosch area and has an altitude of 177 m above sea level. The area is situated in the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape with an annual rainfall of 670 mm. The average summer temperature ranges between 15-35 ºC and winter temperature between 10-17 ºC. The aim of this study was to develop growth curves representing the growth of Bonsmara animals for use by beef producers in predicting future live weight of animals in a pasture backgrounding system. Dry matter (DM) intake was measured at various live weight stages in order to determine whether a prediction model could be established to represent the DM intake of growing Bonsmara cattle on pastures. Results were used as inputs to determine whether backgrounding on pastures was economically viable. Animals were weighed at monthly intervals. Weighings commenced from birth and continued for a period of 797 days, repeated with two production year groups. One group consisted of 18 heifers and 12 bulls that were weighed from birth till an average age of 759 days. The other group consisted of four heifers and seven bulls and was weighed from birth untill an average age of 892 days. Roughage supplementation was done with lucerne hay in periods of pasture shortfalls, while a protein and energy lick were supplied continuously. A feeding trial with 10 weaned heifers and 10 bull calves of the same year group was conducted to determine the average feed intake per individual animal over a thirteen-month period that commenced after weaning. Two groups of five Bonsmara bull calves and two groups of five Bonsmara heifers were grouped according to age and gender. The feed intake of the growing calves was recorded for different live weight categories. The animals received lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay on an ad lib basis, while a concentrate supplement was supplied at 2 kg per animal per day up until live weights of 350 kg for heifers and 380 kg for bulls was achieved. The lucerne based diet was formulated to simulate a diet for growing animals on pasture with additional supplementation. Group feed intake values of the four groups of animals were measured at about 20-day intervals over the trial period of 369 days. The feed waste was dried and weighed back to calculate a waste percentage to be used as a correction factor. The Gompertz growth function was used to develop growth curves for male and female Bonsmara animals. Results indicated a significant difference between the mature weight of males and females (P <0.05). In both year groups the nonlinear Gompertz growth model predicted heavier mature weight for males compared to females. Mature weights of bulls were respectively 44.4% and 68.5% higher than that of heifers over the two year period. Days at maximum growth occurred later for males than for females (P <0.05) and the maturing rate of males and females did not differ significantly. Individual average feed intakes were calculated from the group fed animals over the duration of the rearing period. The data revealed that feed intake for bulls can be predicted by the linear model, DMI= 0.16531 + 0.0235306 x live weight (P ≤0.001; R 2 = 78.25). The feed intake of heifers can be predicted by the linear model, DMI= -1.41991 + 0.0283891 x live weight (P ≤0.001; R 2= 76.25). Analysis of variance detected no difference between the percentage feed intake of heifers (2.46%) and bulls (2.40%), over the experimental period. Prices of different live weight groupings were analysed over seven years to establish whether cyclical price trends can be observed across years and seasonal price trends within years. Within years prices were found to differ between months. For all calf weight groups, the lowest prices occurred in the months of March, April, May, June and July which showed price indices significantly different (P <0.05) from indices of the months of October, November and December when highest prices occurred, confirming seasonality in weaner calf prices. Price indices were developed for use as an input in the economic viability assessment. A brief literature review on the production and quality of four common pastures in the Southern Cape was done to gather information for compiling pasture budgets for use in determining the economic viability of pasture backgrounding. The economic viability of backgrounding on pastures was evaluated on a gross margin level and illustrated for three pasture systems namely irrigated oats as a winter pasture, irrigated lucerne as a spring pasture and dryland P. clandestinum /E. plana /mixed grass also as a low-cost spring pasture. All three pasture systems showed a positive economic viability for the decision parameters used in the illustration. The gross margin of backgrounding on the oats pasture system was more sensitive to a small decrease in the predicted price or the predicted live weight and therefore a riskier option than backgrounding on the other two systems. Outputs from the gross margin analyses were used in partial budgeting to illustrate a robust decision support framework that beef farmers can use for making decisions whether to sell weaners straight after weaning as opposed to selling after a period of backgrounding on pastures. Overall results indicate that backgrounding of calves on pastures has the potential to be a viable beef enterprise on smaller farms in the region. Keywords: beef production; Gompertz growth curves, feed intake; pasture backgrounding; gross margin; partial budgets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
An evaluation of government housing projects against the breaking new ground principles in Wells estate in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Authors: Songelwa, Thuthuka Siphumezile
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Low-income housing -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Housing development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Public housing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Housing -- Developing countries Housing policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14378 , vital:27578
- Description: Despite the array of polices adopted to address the housing issue in South Africa in the post ’94’ dispensation, South Africa in 2015 remains riddled with the same housing challenges as at 1994 even despite the significant improvements that have been achieved. Subsidised housing projects completed between 1994 and 2004 are characterised by poor design, poor quality, late delivery, poor location, and spatial marginalisation. To address these shortfalls, the Department of Human Settlements adopted the Breaking New Ground (BNG) principles in 2004 and the housing code of 2009 to mitigate shortfalls in the provision of low cost housing and thereby creating sustainable human settlements. It was in such context that this study sought to assess whether the BNG and housing code of 2009 was implemented in the building of the low-cost houses of the Wells Estate Human Settlement in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), constructed post-2004. An exploratory study using both the quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used to conduct the study. A questionnaire with open and closed questions was used to collect data. To complement the use of the questionnaire, transect walks were also undertaken. The findings of the study were that; firstly: The majority of the beneficiaries belonged to the productive age that is between 18 and 60; Wells Estate depicts a pre ‘94 spatial planning given its peripheral location there by affecting cost to work and job searching; The quality of houses complied with the tenets of the BNG and housing code of 2009; Access to services and facilities like police station, community halls, clinics, and schools remained a challenge because their availability is determined by the population size and utilisation rate, and Access to socio economic opportunities was still a challenge. The beneficiaries of Wells Estate even in the case for businesses owned this; these were for subsistence only such as street vending, shoe repairing, and painting. Given the above findings, the study recommends that: There is need to focus on human capital development through skill development to the productive age group which is unemployed. With skills, the unemployed have an opportunity to look for employment thereby improving their livelihoods; The provision of housing alone cannot alleviate the socio-economic challenges affecting the poor, however there is a need for a multi-pronged approach to address other socioeconomic determinants such as access to employment and education, and There is need to for a collaboration approach between the NMBM and other government departments for instance with the Department of Basic Education for scholar transport.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Establishing good cause subsequent to a deemed dismissal
- Authors: Rafapa, Malose Given
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa Civil service -- Dismissal of -- South Africa , Labor contract -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/11425 , vital:26922
- Description: The establishing of good cause subsequent to a deemed dismissal, as practiced currently only in the public sector, has been a controversial issue for the courts, labour law commentators and academics alike. It has been so because of a number of legislative deficiencies which caused the inconsistent application of the deeming provisions across the public service. Amongst others, the legislative deficiencies regarding establishing good cause are; the time-limit for establishing good cause, what happens when the employee returns, whether establishing of good cause should be entertained through written response or a hearing, the Termination of Employment Convention, 1982(No. 158) is silent on the deeming provisions, review of the employer’s discretion not to reinstate the absconding employee and the legal position regarding the traditional healer’s certificate. There will be an intensive investigation on the validity of the traditional healer’s certificate. Majority of South Africans rely on the THP for a number of illnesses. In some cases, they use the traditional healer’s certificate to establish good cause subsequent to a deemed dismissal. The traditional healer’s certificate is not yet valid given the pending legislative processes. This issue will be broadly explored in order to uncover the causes for the delay in finalising this crucial issue. Most of the absconding employees have a problem of alcoholism. There is a causal relationship between deemed dismissal and alcoholism. It is again the intention of this study to fully investigate this phenomenon and provide solutions for the employers faced with this challenge. Practical solutions will be proposed for each identified legislative deficiency and any related challenge to help employers to manage the deeming provisions in a very effective and efficient manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The experiences of non-psychiatric trained nurses caring for mental health care users on 72 hour observations in a listed Hospital in the O R Tambo District
- Authors: Dubo, Siyabonga
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Mental Health care -- Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Cur
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/688 , vital:27769
- Description: Nurses are an integral part of the health care system and their job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities including the promotion of health, prevention of illness and care for physically, mentally ill and disabled people. Nurses have a mandate to be responsible and accountable to the public they serve. For these reasons, it is crucial that nurses possess attitudes that allow them to provide optimal care in a supportive manner for patients. Despite the fact that considerable research on the experiences of nurses caring for the mentally ill in general hospitals has been done globally, none has been conducted in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Additionally, no studies could be obtained from anywhere in the world on the experiences of non-psychiatric trained nurses caring for mental health care users on 72 hour observations. Studies indicated that nurses have different experiences when caring for mental health care users. It was therefore considered necessary to find out how non-psychiatric trained nurses perceive the caring of mental health care users during the 72 hour observations. The research design used to explore and describe their experiences was qualitative, descriptive, explorative, phenomenological and contextual in character. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight (8) participants who were purposively selected. This was done after necessary permission from the Department of Health and informed consent from the research participants. Steps were taken throughout the course of the study to ensure trustworthiness. Data were analysed using Tesch’s methods and the services of an independent coder were used. The results indicate that there are different experiences with regard to the caring for mental health care users during the 72 hour observations. The major themes identified are: feelings experienced by these nurses, lack of knowledge, challenges and strategies used for coping with a violent user, need for support from security staff and lack of policies. v Guidelines as a supportive action are suggested. From the results of the study recommendations are made in the areas of nursing education, nursing practice and nursing research. It is concluded that for non-psychiatric trained nurses to provide optimal care to mental health care users, the nurses need knowledge and skills in order to facilitate the promotion, maintenance and restoration of mental health of these patients as an integral part of health.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016