Economics of land reform models used in Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe
- Authors: Musemwa, Lovemore
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Land reform -- Zimbabwe , Agricultural productivity -- Zimbabwe , Land tenure -- Zimbabwe , Infrastructure (Economics) -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe , Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe , Land use -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe , Field crops -- Zimbabwe , Data envelopment analysis -- Zimbabwe , Land settlement -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11168 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/435 , Land reform -- Zimbabwe , Agricultural productivity -- Zimbabwe , Land tenure -- Zimbabwe , Infrastructure (Economics) -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe , Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe , Land use -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe , Field crops -- Zimbabwe , Data envelopment analysis -- Zimbabwe , Land settlement -- Zimbabwe
- Description: The land reform that has unfolded in Zimbabwe since 1980 used different models and had diverse consequences. Since the implementation of the fast tract land reform programme in 2000, Zimbabwe experienced heavy reduction in yield and output at farm level that led to a 70% shortfall in production to meet annual food requirements (Richardson, 2005). The economic crisis in Zimbabwe has been characterized by worsening food insecurity especially in the rural areas where harvests continue to be poor. In the beef sector, Zimbabwe has failed to meet its export quota to the EU. The shortfall in production to meet annual food requirements shows a very grim situation but do not tell us about the performance of resettled farmers who now occupy much of the productive land. The broad objective of the study was to determine and compare the production efficiency of resettled farmers in Zimbabwe across land reform models. In addition, the study determined land use intensity. The study was conducted in the Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe mainly because a wide variety of field crops were grown by resettled farmers. The respondents were stratified into three groups. These were: beneficiaries of land reform before 2000 (resettle scheme), fast track A1 model and fast track A2 model. The three models differ on how they were implemented and supported and this might result in different efficiencies of the models. A total of 245 copies structured questionnaire were administered on the resettled farmers from June to September 2010. Descriptive statistics was applied to the basic characteristics of the sampled households. The effect of model of land reform, gender of the household head, marital status, age of the household head, education, household size, religion, dependence ratio, whether the farmer was fulltime or part-time in farming, experience of the farmers in farming at that environment, total land size owned by the farmers and soil type on revenue per hectare and land use rate were determined using the GLM procedure of SAS (2003). Significance differences between least-square group means were compared using the PDIFF test of SAS (2003). The relationship between Revenue and land utilization was examined using the Pearson‟s correlations analysis. Dependance between response variables that had an effect on either revenue per hectare or land utilization with all the other response variables was tested using the Chi-square test for dependance. To find the effect of arable land used and herd size on revenue per hectare and land use the RSREG Procedure of SAS (2003) was used. Input oriented DEA model under the assumption of constant return to scale was used to estimate efficiency in this study. To identify factors that influence efficiency, a Tobit model censored at zero was selected. The mean land use rate varied significantly (p<0.05) with the land reform model with A2 having highest land use rate of 67%. The A1 and old resettlement households had land use rates of 53% and 46%, respectively. Sex, marital status, age of the household head, education and household size significantly affected land use (P<0.05). Revenue per hectare was not affected by any the factors that were inputted in the model. Results from the DEA approach showed that A2 farmers (large land owners) had an average technical efficiency score of 0.839, while the lowest ranking model (A1) had an average score of 0.618. Small land holders (A1 and the old resettled farmers) are on average less cost-efficient than large land owners, with a score of 0.29 for the former compared with 0.45 for the latter. From the factors that were entered in the Tobit model, age of household head, excellent production knowledge and farmer status affected technical efficiency whereas allocative efficiency was only affected by good production knowledge, farm size, arable land owned and area under cultivation. Factors which affected economic efficiency of the resettled farmers are secondary education, household size, farm size, cultivated area and arable land owned. None of the included socio-economic variables has significant effects on the allocative and economic efficiency of the resettled farmers. Thus, the allocative and economic inefficiencies of the farmers might be accounted for by other natural and environmental factors which were not captured in the model.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Estimation, Hypothesis Testing, Elementary Integration and Mathematics for Economists: STA 121
- Authors: Mutambayi, Ruffin , Chiruka, Raymond , Gwaze, A R
- Date: 2010-11
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:11975 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010340
- Description: Estimation, Hypothesis Testing, Elementary Integration and Mathematics for Economists: STA 121, degree examination November 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-11
Desegregation and socio-spatial integration in residential suburbs in East London, South Africa (1993-2008)
- Authors: Bwalya, John
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: City planning -- South Africa -- East London , Apartheid -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Migration, Internal -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Geography)
- Identifier: vital:11504 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/336 , City planning -- South Africa -- East London , Apartheid -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Migration, Internal -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study used integration as the overarching conceptual framework to investigate socio-spatial integration in post-apartheid South Africa. The study adopted the embedded case study design to investigate the spatial and social aspects of integration in former white residential suburbs in East London, South Africa. Recognising that integration occurred in different registers, this study used data from the South African Property Transfer Guide (SAPTG) database to investigate spatial-temporal integration in East London‟s residential suburbs from 1993 to 2008. A total of 21,683 residential property transfers were reviewed in 46 suburbs, and transfers to Blacks were identified. The residential property transfers were mapped to identify the nature of spatial integration. To investigate social integration, in-depth personal interviews were conducted on a purposively drawn sample of residents in the three case study suburbs of Southernwood, Cambridge and Gonubie. The interviews focused on three proxy indicators of social capital at neighbourhood level. The results of the study showed that post-apartheid spatial integration in East London closely followed the class-based residential template. Contrary to predictions prior to, and following apartheid‟s demise, the study showed that spatial integration occurred without racial conflicts. The study also found that social integration in the residential suburbs reflected the neighbourhood context and personal preferences, and was highly fluid. Although feelings of racial distance were evident, there were also indications of social cohesion, which were dynamic and uneven in time and space. Based on the data and the dialectical nature of spatial and social integration, the study concluded that fragmentation and integration are likely to continue coexisting in the South African city.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Beef Production, Animal Traction and Game Farming: AGA 425
- Authors: Muchenje, V , Mlambo, V
- Date: 2010-11
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17557 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1009885
- Description: Beef Production, Animal Traction and Game Farming: AGA 425, degree examination November 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-11
Introduction to GIS Project Management: GIS 323
- Authors: Du Plessis, M , Tyson, C , McGregor, G K
- Date: 2010-02
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17902 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011111
- Description: Introduction to GIS Project Management: GIS 323, Second semester supplementary examination February 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-02
Mathematical Science Methodology: EDM 221
- Authors: Sao, L Y T , Kganedi, R A
- Date: 2010-01
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17588 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1009961
- Description: Mathematical Science Methodology: EDM 221, degree examination January 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-01
Non-Infectious Diseases: AGV 322
- Authors: Chimonyo, M , Hashe, S
- Date: 2008-02
- Subjects: Veterinary medicine -- Diagnosis , Livestock -- Diseases
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17517 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1009770
- Description: Non-Infectious Diseases: AGV 322, Supplementary examination February 2008.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2008-02
Plant Biochemistry: BOT 322
- Authors: Afolayan, A J , Gama, P
- Date: 2012-01
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17739 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010225
- Description: Plant Biochemistry, BOT 322, supplementary examination January 2012.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Cover crop biomass production and effects on weeds and soil fertility in a maize-based conservation agriculture system
- Authors: Muzangwa, Lindah
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Cover crops -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biomass energy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Weeds -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil fertility -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corn -- Yields -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Crop Science)
- Identifier: vital:11862 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/484 , Cover crops -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biomass energy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Weeds -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil fertility -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corn -- Yields -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Low cover crop biomass production is a major obstacle to the success of conservation agriculture currently promoted as panacea to the inherent problem of soil erosion and loss of soil productivity in the Eastern Cape (EC). Therefore, this study evaluated cover crop management strategies for optimizing biomass production for better soil cover, soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertility, weed control and maize yields. The strategies tested are cover crop bicultures, selection of an adapted lupin cultivar and seeding rate, and the feasibility of rain fed winter cover cropping. The cover crop experiments were carried in rotation with summer maize between the winter of 2009 and summer of 2010/2011. Biculture trial was carried out by seeding oat (Avena sativa) and vetch (Vicia dasycarpa) at three mixture ratios and as sole crops under irrigation. On a separate irrigated trial, two lupin cultivars (Lupinus angustifolius var Mandelup & Qualinock) were seeded to a range of seeding rate, 40 to 220 kg ha-1. To study the feasibility of rain fed winter cover cropping, oat, vetch, rye (Lolium multiflorum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), radish (Raphanus sativa) and triticale (Triticale secale) were relayed into a maize crop in February, March and April of 2010. The irrigated trials were followed with SC701 maize cultivar, whilst the rain fed trial was followed with DKC61-25 maize cultivar. Bicultures gave higher cover crop biomass than sole vetch, increasing with an increase in the oat component of the mixture. Increased N and P uptake was observed with bicultures compared to sole oat, however, the levels were comparable to sole vetch. Sole vetch increased soil inorganic N and P at maize planting, whilst the slow decomposition by sole oat residue resulted in mineral lock up. Bicultured cover crop residues had intermediate decomposition rates and resulted in optimum levels of inorganic N and P for prolonged periods compared to sole crops. Weed suppression by the bicultures was comparable to sole cover crops. Biculturing technology significantly (P<0.05) increased maize grain yield compared to sole oat and the yields were comparable to those from sole vetch. For lupins, 206 kg ha-1 seeding rate gave the optimum biomass yield. Weed dry weights in both cover crop and maize crop decreased with an increase in lupin biomass. Comparable soil total N and inorganic P values at maize planting, were observed from plots planted to 120, 180 and 220 kg ha-1. Maize grain yield increased with an increase in lupin seeding rate. The study on rain fed winter cover cropping had most cover crop species’ biomass decreasing with each delay in planting except for radish, which increased. Vetch produced the highest amounts of biomass from February and March planting whilst radish had the highest biomass in April planting. The two species resulted in the greatest N improvement compared to the other species. Regardless of the grazing, the grass specie residues managed to persist to the next cropping season and the residue remaining were comparable to that of radish and vetch. Late-planted cover crops had the greatest residue remaining than early-planted, as a result, April planted cover crops provided better weed suppression than March and April planted. Vetch provided the highest maize grain yield (4005 kg ha-1) whilst all other species tested had comparable grain yields. The results suggested that bicultures could be grown to give sufficient biomass for both weed suppression and soil fertility improvement. Furthermore, increasing lupin plant densities improve its function as a cover crop with respect to weed suppression, soil fertility improvement and maize yields. The study also showed that for dry land systems, February and March planted vetch and April planted radish can provide the greatest biomass and maize yield improvement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
A cox proportional hazard model for mid-point imputed interval censored data
- Authors: Gwaze, Arnold Rumosa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Statistics -- Econometric models , Survival analysis (Biometry) , Mathematical statistics -- Data processing , Nonparametric statistics , Sampling (Statistics) , Multiple imputation (Statistics)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Biostatistics and Epidemiology)
- Identifier: vital:11780 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/385 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001135 , Statistics -- Econometric models , Survival analysis (Biometry) , Mathematical statistics -- Data processing , Nonparametric statistics , Sampling (Statistics) , Multiple imputation (Statistics)
- Description: There has been an increasing interest in survival analysis with interval-censored data, where the event of interest (such as infection with a disease) is not observed exactly but only known to happen between two examination times. However, because so much research has been focused on right-censored data, so many statistical tests and techniques are available for right-censoring methods, hence interval-censoring methods are not as abundant as those for right-censored data. In this study, right-censoring methods are used to fit a proportional hazards model to some interval-censored data. Transformation of the interval-censored observations was done using a method called mid-point imputation, a method which assumes that an event occurs at some midpoint of its recorded interval. Results obtained gave conservative regression estimates but a comparison with the conventional methods showed that the estimates were not significantly different. However, the censoring mechanism and interval lengths should be given serious consideration before deciding on using mid-point imputation on interval-censored data.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Plant Biochemistry: BOT 322
- Authors: Afolayan, A J , Gama, P
- Date: 2009-11
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17744 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010230
- Description: Plant Biochemistry: BOT 322, degree examination November 2009.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009-11