FACTORS AFFECTING SOIL CONSERVATION DECISIONS OF KWAZULU-NATAL COMMERCIAL SUGAR CANE FARMERS / FAKTORE WAT GRONDBEWARINGSBESLUITE VAN KOMMERSIËLE SUIKER-BOERE IN KWAZULU-NATAL BEÏNVLOED

Abstract

Technological information is used to assess KwaZulu-Natal commercial sugarcane farmers' intra-plot (panel) soil conservation relative to requirements of the Conservation of Natural Resources Act of 1983. Findings indicate that farmers consider enforcement of the Act to be unlikely and that 28 percent of farmers surveyed do not meet adequate intra-panel soil conservation standards. Multiple regression is used to estimate models representing intra-panel soil conservation adoption and soil conservation effort. Results show that farmers have greater conservation adoption and effort on their relatively steeper panels and implement soil conservation plans on these panels first. Amongst other factors, education and use of extension information sources are positively related to both conservation adoption and effort, and soil conservation decisions are constrained by financial resources, management time and farmers' technical abilities.

Tegnologiese inligting is gebruik om Kwazulu-Natalse kommersiële suikerboere se intra-plot (paneel) grondbewaring te evalueer relatief tot die vereistes in die Wet op Bewaring van Natuurlike Hulpbronne 1983. Bevindings dui daarop dat boere die afdwing van die Wet as onwaarskynlik ag en dat 28 persent van die boere in die opname nie voldoen aan voldoende intra-paneel grondbewaringsstandaarde nie. Veelvoudige regressie is gebruik om modelle wat intra-paneel grondbewaringsaanvaarding en grondbewaringspoging verteenwoordig, te pas. Die resultate toon dat boere groter grondbewaringsaanvaarding en -poging het in hul relatief steiler panele en grondbewaringsplanne eerste op hierdie panele toepas. Opvoeding en die gebruik van voorligtingsdienste is onder andere positief verwant aan beide bewaringsaanvaarding en -poging, terwyl grondbewaringsbesluite beperk word deur finansiële bronne, bestuurstyd en boere se tegniese vaardighede.