Farmer characteristics, innovativeness and cotton production at Makhatini Irrigation Scheme, KwaZulu

Abstract

An understanding of the various practices was the most important of the various human factors affecting adoption of cotton practices as recommended. Availability of financial resources as well as entrepreneurial ability in turn affected innovativeness and yield per hectare. Less than half of the farmers who adopted practices were implementing them according to recommendations and many did not have a clear concept that practices were inter‐related. There is a need to select farmers on the basis of farming knowledge, resources and managerial ability. There is also a need to upgrade extension services aimed at improving farming knowledge and skills and to create opportunities for greater farmer participation, as well as to improve the integration of research, technology development, support services, extension and farmers if cotton production is to offer an alternative to wage employment.

Notes

Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Fort Hare, Alice.

The author wishes to gratefully acknowledge the work and assistance of Mr P C Gumpi and Mr S R Ngubane, both Honours graduates from the University of Fort Hare, who acted as enumerators and observers in this study.