On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
This study was conducted to examine the presence and empirical validity of the link between on-farm entrepreneurship and crop productivity in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A sample of 221 smallholder farmers was drawn from Ndumo-B and Makhathini Irrigation Schemes, Jozini Local Municipality. Principa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | World Development Sustainability |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772655X25000242 |
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| author | Edilegnaw Wale Eliaza Mkuna |
| author_facet | Edilegnaw Wale Eliaza Mkuna |
| author_sort | Edilegnaw Wale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study was conducted to examine the presence and empirical validity of the link between on-farm entrepreneurship and crop productivity in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A sample of 221 smallholder farmers was drawn from Ndumo-B and Makhathini Irrigation Schemes, Jozini Local Municipality. Principal component analysis was employed to estimate a continuum proxy for on-farm entrepreneurship. Gross margin analysis, Cobb-Douglas production analysis, and the one-limit Tobit model were used to analyze the link between crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship. Compared to independent irrigators with better entrepreneurial attributes, scheme irrigators were found to have the lowest levels of entrepreneurial competency, followed closely by community gardeners. Due to the freedom they enjoy in making their own decisions, independent irrigators were more entrepreneurial, unlike scheme irrigators, where decisions are made collectively, free-riding behaviour is rampant, and incentive challenges are prevalent. The productivity of cabbages was found to increase at an increasing rate as farmer entrepreneurship increased. The study recommends that future training focus not only on entrepreneurial skills but also on entrepreneurial mindset and collective marketing of agricultural products. Future on-farm entrepreneurial development pathways should be planned, accounting for the heterogeneity and complexity of their farming systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c51304129f564de48823bc1ae6b3d365 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2772-655X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | World Development Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-c51304129f564de48823bc1ae6b3d3652025-08-20T03:21:46ZengElsevierWorld Development Sustainability2772-655X2025-06-01610022610.1016/j.wds.2025.100226On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaEdilegnaw Wale0Eliaza Mkuna1Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension & Rural Development, University of Pretoria, South AfricaMzumbe University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Economics, Morogoro, TanzaniaThis study was conducted to examine the presence and empirical validity of the link between on-farm entrepreneurship and crop productivity in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A sample of 221 smallholder farmers was drawn from Ndumo-B and Makhathini Irrigation Schemes, Jozini Local Municipality. Principal component analysis was employed to estimate a continuum proxy for on-farm entrepreneurship. Gross margin analysis, Cobb-Douglas production analysis, and the one-limit Tobit model were used to analyze the link between crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship. Compared to independent irrigators with better entrepreneurial attributes, scheme irrigators were found to have the lowest levels of entrepreneurial competency, followed closely by community gardeners. Due to the freedom they enjoy in making their own decisions, independent irrigators were more entrepreneurial, unlike scheme irrigators, where decisions are made collectively, free-riding behaviour is rampant, and incentive challenges are prevalent. The productivity of cabbages was found to increase at an increasing rate as farmer entrepreneurship increased. The study recommends that future training focus not only on entrepreneurial skills but also on entrepreneurial mindset and collective marketing of agricultural products. Future on-farm entrepreneurial development pathways should be planned, accounting for the heterogeneity and complexity of their farming systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772655X25000242On-farm entrepreneurshipCrop productivityIrrigation schemesSouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Edilegnaw Wale Eliaza Mkuna On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa World Development Sustainability On-farm entrepreneurship Crop productivity Irrigation schemes South Africa |
| title | On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_full | On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_short | On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_sort | on smallholder crop productivity and on farm entrepreneurship empirical evidence from ndumo b and makhathini irrigation schemes kwazulu natal south africa |
| topic | On-farm entrepreneurship Crop productivity Irrigation schemes South Africa |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772655X25000242 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT edilegnawwale onsmallholdercropproductivityandonfarmentrepreneurshipempiricalevidencefromndumobandmakhathiniirrigationschemeskwazulunatalsouthafrica AT eliazamkuna onsmallholdercropproductivityandonfarmentrepreneurshipempiricalevidencefromndumobandmakhathiniirrigationschemeskwazulunatalsouthafrica |