Department of Agricultural and Rural Engineering
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Browsing Department of Agricultural and Rural Engineering by Author "Tshikororo, M."
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Item Embargo Investigation of Coping Mechanisms on Food Systems Synergy Discrepancies Caused by Climate Change Among Young Agripreneurs in Musina Municipality of the Vhembe District(2026-05-19) Phaswana, Dakalo; Tshikororo, M.Climate change continuously disrupts agricultural stability by affecting all segments of the food system. Climate change determinants, such as rising temperatures, and extreme weather events, disrupt the food system, leading to discrepancies within the food system, including market volatility. The study aimed to investigate the coping mechanisms used by young agripreneurs in Musina municipality to address discrepancies in food systems synergy caused by climate change. The study sample consisted of 94 participants, and simple random sampling was used to select the sample. A structured questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the socio-economic characteristics of youth agripreneurs and determine the food system discrepancies that youth agripreneurs are facing. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to assess the impact of food system synergy discrepancies on the sustainability of youth agripreneurs. The study uncovered that the majority of youth agripreneurs were females and aged between 30 and 35; Furthermore, a significant number of youth agripreneurs possessed secondary education, followed by tertiary education. The study also revealed that major disruptions within the industry segment included an increase in maintenance costs, fluctuations in input prices, delayed supply, irregular input supply, and production inconsistency. Within the commerce segment, the major disruptions that youth agripreneurs highlighted were reduced supply quality, a lack of storage facilities, and a high perishability rate. In the trade segment, major disruptions included market price fluctuations, changes in consumer demand, and supply competition. The study also revealed that most discrepancies faced by youth agripreneurs severely affect their short-term sustainability, more so than their medium-term and long-term sustainability. The study also uncovered that most youth agripreneurs diversify their input suppliers, markets, and distribution channels as their coping mechanism. The study conclude that while most youth agripreneurs are predominantly females with moderate education, they employ more reactive than proactive coping mechanisms to mitigate climate induced impacts. The study recommends prioritising investments in input manufacturing facilities to stabilise the input prices.Item Embargo Investigation of Technical and Operational Determinants of Sustainability of Agricultural Cooperatives in the Vhembe District, South Africa(2026-05-19) Mushukwa, Thanyani Cynthia; Tshikororo, M.; Nefale, T. A.Many residents of the Vhembe District Municipality are primarily affected by food insecurity, unemployment, and poverty. As a result of these primary issues, most people turn to farming to ensure food security, alleviate poverty, and generate jobs in their rural communities. Farmers often join forces by forming cooperatives, which allow them to share resources, support one another, and strengthen their business under improved conditions. These cooperatives not only enhance agricultural productivity but also foster resilience and solidarity within rural communities. The study investigated the technical and operational determinants of the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives. The research used a quantitative method. The study was conducted in Vhembe District Municipality. A purposive sampling method was used to sample the four local municipalities within the Vhembe District Municipality. A sample size of 123 agricultural cooperatives was used for analysis. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered during face-to-face interviews. Three methods of data analysis were used in the study: descriptive statistics, discriminant analysis, and a binary logistic regression model. The study revealed the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, with most respondents being between 45 and 59 years old and having more than 10 years of farming experience. The study also found that most agricultural cooperatives were not sustainable (56.9%), while those that were sustainable accounted for 43.1%. The results indicated that agricultural cooperative members could not operate their cooperatives continuously for an extended period of time. The study found that governance largely differed based on decision-making processes, stakeholder involvement, and leadership composition within the agricultural cooperatives. The study concluded that some technical and operational factors contribute to the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives, but most were found to be unsustainable. These are some of the challenges that agricultural cooperatives face: monitoring and evaluation, leadership issues, conflicts among members, member dishonesty, and member attrition. The study concludes by recommending regular monitoring and evaluation of operational and technical aspects to enhance the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives.