ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF FARM SIZE ON JOB CREATION CAPACITY IN SMALLHOLDER MANGO ENTERPRISES IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA: A Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
Author: Victor Mbulaheni Mmbegwa, Thulisile Mokoena & Khathutshelo Rambaust
Volume: 61 Issue No:3 Year:2019
Abstract: The Limpopo Province is one of the prime mango producers in South Africa, where smallholder farmers produce mangoes for both their household consumption and formal markets. Although smallholder farmers are an integral part of the farming communities, their contribution to job creation is undocumented and often unreported. The study analysed the contribution of farm size to job creation for smallholder mango farmers in the Limpopo Province. A random cluster sample of farmers (n= 84) was identified in an explanatory sequential mixed-method research design. The quantitative data collection was aided by a semi-structured questionnaire, with qualitative data being collected through face-to-face interviews. The study found that farm size significantly (â = 0.061, p < 0.005) increased the influence of smallholder mango farmers’ potential to create formal jobs when other confounding variables were held constant in all models specified. In conclusion, the study recommends that the provision of land resources to smallholder farmers could create greater numbers of formal jobs and thereby impact positively on achieving economic growth and development.
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