Effect of management and socio-economic factors on the performance of the Vhembe District Egg Production Project

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the productivity of the Vhembe egg production project and determine the management and socio-economic factors affecting productivity. The data were collected from 2005 to 2007. Thirty-two farmers from four municipalities were randomly selected. Each household received a once-off unit consisting of a cage with eighteen point of lay chickens 4x50 bags of laying mesh, feeding and drinking troughs. Production records from sampled farmers were used in the analysis. Data included monthly egg production, eggs consumed, eggs sold, income from eggs, production costs, monthly feed utilization and mortality. Primary data on educational standards, socio-economic characteristics (age and gender of the household head, farming size, level of education and alternative income, were collected using a questionnaire. The study revealed that sex, age and educational level had impact on production as low production was associated with older farmers and low level of education. These factors should be considered when planning community projects. Chicken rearing and ownership is often shared among the family members, in this study, the management was predominantly by women (63%) and children (18%). This may be an indication that if assistance efforts are targeted towards women, village poverty could be significantly reduced. It is concluded that the low income accrued from the project explains the reason for high abandonment or neglect of the project. The income received from the project is smaller than the government grants and as such not attractive. It is not surprising that presently most farmers have abandoned the project. It is noted that if labour costs had been taken into consideration, the project would be running at a serious loss and the resultant output would discourage even the most enthusiastic farmers.