Agricultural Economics
Agricultural Economics applies economic principles to solve agricultural and agribusiness problems. Our degrees equip graduates for professional and senior management positions, and are highly valued by employers. They give our graduates the flexibility to pursue a wide range of career opportunities. The Agricultural Economics major can be taken as part of a BScAgric (4 year) degree. Students taking the BScAgric option must major in Economics and Agricultural Economics, and take subjects such as Biometry and Statistics, Animal Science, Crop Science, and Horticultural Science.
Collections in this community
Recent Submissions
-
Competitiveness analysis of the South African avocado value chain.
(2022)The economic sustainability of the South African avocado industry is highly dependent on its trading performance, with approximately 50-55% of its total production consistently being exported since the 1990s. About 95% ... -
Economic and market analysis of smallholder farmers' broiler production in the Amatole district municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
(2022)South Africa is a major broiler producer in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounting for 80% of total broiler production in the region. Broiler production also dominates the agricultural sector in South Africa and remains the ... -
An assessment of the maize structure, channel choice and market participation by the smallholder maize farmers in Zimbabwe: a case of Mazowe district.
(2023)Marketing plays a crucial role in alleviating poverty, as well as in achieving food security and sustainable development goals, especially among smallholder maize farmers. Maize marketing has the potential to improve the ... -
Analysis of rhino poaching incidences and management strategies in South Africa.
(2016)ABSTRACT The illegal hunting and global trade in wildlife and wildlife products is a transnational, highly organised crime that threatens the survival of many endangered species. The rhinoceros is a well-known example of ... -
An evaluation of the factors that influence households’ participation and perceptions of the tree and ecological restoration in the eThekwini District, South Africa.
(2022)Ecological restoration, described as the method of assisting the regeneration of an ecosystem that has been degraded, weakened, or lost is an important tool for achieving conservation objectives. Concern for the environment ... -
An ex ante assessment of the farm-level impacts of further developing sugarcane biorefineries in the South African context.
(2022)The gross sugar production in South Africa (SA) tends to exceed the quantity demanded locally. Surplus sugar is sold in the global market at prices that are typically below the cost of sugar production in SA. This amongst ... -
The effect of ICT use in enhancing market participation and household welfare outcomes among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
(2022)Enhancing the ability of smallholder farmers to actively engage in markets is one of the most pressing development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite being deemed significant contributors towards the production ... -
Ex-ante demand assessment of human excreta recovery and reuse in agriculture.
(2022)Abstract available in PDF. -
Value chains in rain-fed agriculture and rural youth entrepreneurial development: the case of Umzinyathi and Amajuba districts, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2020)Unemployment has been relatively high in South Africa and continues to rise, especially among the youth, particularly those who reside in rural areas. This has resulted in various socio-economic challenges such as poverty, ... -
Groundnut variety replacement, market structure, marketed surplus and demand for improved varieties in Malawi: the case of smallholders and traders.
(2020)Groundnut is an important crop for the Malawian agricultural sector. It has the potential to increase agricultural farm incomes and contribute to improving food security for the predominantly maizebased food production ... -
The impact of electrification on rural women's participation in agriculture and their welfare.
(2021)South Africa’s National Development Plan highlights support to smallholder farmers and rural electrification as strategic interventions aimed at fostering economic growth. The government has assigned significant financial ... -
The economic impact of a sugar-sweetened beverages tax in South Africa.
(2021)The newly implemented Health Promotion Levy (HPL) in South Africa (SA) imposes a tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) containing more than four grams of sugar per 100ml. The HPL is legislated in terms of Chapter VB ... -
An economic analysis of smallholders’ heterogeneity and the impact of Jatropha curcas cultivation on household welfare in the Mangochi district, Malawi.
(2021)The renewed interest in biofuels among many countries globally is on account of potential increased energy security, environmental and rural development benefits. Biofuels development in Malawi has the potential to achieve ... -
Evaluation of institutional integration, farmer participation and performance in smallholder irrigation schemes in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
(2020)Smallholder irrigation schemes (SIS) are pivotal in sustaining livelihoods and creating employment in rural communities of South Africa. The South African govern ment has made efforts to rehabilitate and revitalize such ... -
An ex-ante assessment of the socio-economic impacts of genetically modified sugarcane in the ILembe district of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2021)The increasing prevalence of the stalk borer, Eldana saccharina Walker (eldana), and creeping grass weed, Cynodon dactylon (cynodon), in sugarcane growing regions of South Africa have caused costs associated with control ... -
Adoption and impact of climate-smart agriculture technologies in integrated crop-livestock farming systems.
In Zimbabwe, smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed crop-livestock systems for their livelihoods face multiple constraints which include a shortage of labour, inadequate capital to purchase inputs, low soil fertility, ... -
Causality analysis and physio-economic impacts of climate change on maize production in South Africa.
(2019)Agriculture, as part of the human ecological footprint on climate change, has become a serious concern because climate change has an impact on agriculture. For instance, when crop production is considered, climatic elements ... -
Economic analysis of supermarkets as a marketing channel choice for fresh produce smallholder farmers in Eswatini.
(2020)The growth of supermarkets in Eswatini has been dominated by South African supermarket chains that typically have access to established procurement channels from South Africa. Whilst some supermarkets do procure some fresh ... -
Investments in ecological infrastructure: an assessment of the expected costs and benefits of rehabilitation of the Mthinzima Wetland in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2018)The uMgeni River is an important water resource in KwaZulu-Natal. It is, however, one of the major systems identified as having water that may pose a serious health risk to users of its (untreated) water. Increasing pollution ... -
Households’ consumption and quality perceptions of local (ofada) rice in South-West Nigeria.
(2020)Rice has become an essential crop in Africa, with imports into the African continent accounting for more than a quarter of the world’s trade in rice. It has become one of the fastest-growing food sources to both rich and ...