Title:

Farm profits and motivation patterns in North-Central Namibia

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2013
Abstract:

The purpose of this master thesis is to survey small-scale crop farm profits in north-central Namibia and also to evaluate the associated motivation for farming. Knowledge of farmers profit and motivations as well as their inter linkages is important for potential intervention mechanisms aiming to improve the prevailing farming system. On a theoretical basis three motivation patterns were synthesized and brought into context with expected differences of net farm profits of these patterns. In 41 interviews quantitative data about farm profit and motivations was assessed in north-central Namibia. On average, the studied farms have positive net profits with high variations between the farms. Aiming the motivations, securing food and cultural motives were found to be the main drivers for farming. It is then shown that diverging farming behaviours can be explained by motivational differences. The behaviour of farmers is influencing the yields and thereby also the net farm profits. Findings presented in this thesis give empirical evidence that this motivation based mechanism can explain noticeable amount of the observed farm profit variations.

Publisher:
University of Basel, Faculty of Business and Economics
Type:
Master Thesis
Item Type:
Thesis
Language:
en

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