Van Schalkwyk, H. D.Alemu, Z. G.Magingxa, Light Litha2018-09-052018-09-052006http://hdl.handle.net/11660/9234English: There is growing evidence that many smallholder farmers can benefit from market-oriented agriculture. However, high transaction costs are a barrier to accessing the markets. Poor households are also often ill-equipped to respond to rapidly changing market conditions. In some cases they have seen old production strategies undermined by new competition, without being able to take advantage of the new opportunities provided by liberalisation policies such as the deregulation of agricultural markets in South Africa. According to literature market access in developing countries cannot be explained by conventional neo-classical economics and requires an institutional analysis. Using primary data collected from six smallholder irrigation schemes, this study tackles the smallholder performance problem from several angles. Firstly, the role of market access in influencing the success potential is explored. Secondly the role and nature of factors that influence market access are investigated. The investigation focuses on the role that institutions can play in improving both performance in general and market access in particular. The study uses cluster analysis, principal component analysis and principal component regression techniques to perform the analysis. As expected, market access was found to be one of the significant factors influencing the success potential of smallholder irrigation projects. Other significant variables included access to information, training, transport, extension and planning. The most significant components influencing market access were found to be physical access to markets, farmer skills and the nature of access to markets.The issues of importance when it comes to market access raised in this study are institutional in nature. The study provides a reference framework for assessing potential success in smallholder farm management. The study also reveals the embedded institutional deficiencies that need to be addressed to achieve a well functioning agricultural sector.Institutions have a critical role in reducing costs and can have an influence on the development and organisation of economic activity. The results call for a revisit of the policies and institutional framework, and enriching them with information on the factors that affect performance as found in this study. An innovative policy making process is necessary to support smallholder agriculture beyond the farm gate.Afrikaans: Daar is groeiende bewyse dat kleinboere voordeel kan trek uit markgerigte landbou. Hoë transaksiekoste kortwiek egter toegang tot markte. Arm huishoudings is dikwels ook nie so goed toegerus om vinnig op veranderende marktoestande te reageer nie. In sommige gevalle ervaar kleinboere dat ou produksiestrategieë deur nuwe mededinging ondermyn word, sonder dat hulle die vermoë het om voordeel te trek uit nuwe geleenthede wat daargestel word deur liberaliserende beleidsrigtings soos die deregulasie van landboumarkte in Suid-Afrika. Die literatuur dui duidelik daarop dat marktoegang in ontwikkelende lande nie met behulp van konvensionele neo-klassieke maatstawwe verduidelik kan word nie, dit vereis 'n institusionele analise. Deur gebruik te maak van primêre data wat by ses kleinboerbesproeiingskemas ingesamel is, benader hierdie studie die prestasieprobleem ten opsigte van kleinboere uit verskillende oogpunte. Eerstens word gekyk na die rol wat marktoegang speel om die suksespotensiaal te bepaal. Tweedens word die rol en aard van faktore wat marktoegang beïnvloed, ondersoek. In die ondersoek word veral klem gelê op die rol wat instellings kan speel om prestasie in die algemeen en marktoegang in besonder, te verbeter. Die analise is voltooi deur gebruik te maak van klusteranalise, analise van die hoofkomponente en hoofkomponent regrasietegnieke. Soos verwag, is bevind dat marktoegang een van die beduidende faktore is wat die potensiaal tot sukses in kleinboer-besproeiingsprojekte beïnvloed. Ander belangrike veranderlikes sluit in toegang tot inliging, opleiding, vervoer, voorligting en beplanning. Die belangrikste komponente wat marktoegang beïnvloed is fisiese toegang tot die mark, die boer se kundigheid en die aard van die marktoegang. Die aspekte van belang, wanneer dit kom by marktoegang, wat in hierdie studie uitgelig word, is institusioneel van aard. Die studie verskaf 'n verwysingsraamwerk vir die bepaling van potensiële sukses met kleinboerbestuur. Terselfdertyd lê dit ook die ingeboude institusionele tekortkominge bloot waaraan aandag geskenk sal moet word om 'n landbousektor daar te stel wat goed funksioneer.Instellings speel 'n belangrike rol in die verhoging van koste en kan dus 'n uitwerking hê op die ontwikkeling en organisasie van ekonomiese aktiwiteite. Die resultate dikteer dat daar weer gekyk sal moet word na bestaande beleid en institusionele raamwerk om dit aan te vul met inligting oor die faktore wat prestasie beïnvloed soos bevind in hierdie studie. Innoverende beleidmakende proses wat die ontwikkeling van kleinboere na die plaashek steun is nodig.enIrrigation farmingIrrigation farming -- Economics -- South AfricaFarms, Small -- South AfricaThesis (Ph.D. (Agricultural Economics))--University of the Free State, 2006ThesisUniversity of the Free State