2020 STUDY SHOWS POSITIVE IMPACT OF NWGA EFFORTS IN RURAL AREAS

The NWGA commissioned an independent study to evaluate the impact of the NWGA’s support programme for wool producers in the Eastern Cape’s rural regions.  Baseline values were established in the study of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009.  This report is therefore the 6th assessment, five years later after the last one that took place in 2015.
 
From the study, there is a steady significant improvement in the income derived from wool and sheep that contributed in important ways to improve the welfare of rural communities.  In 2004, 47% internal income was received, which increased to 59% in 2006, 65% in 2009 and is this trend strongly evident in 2020 with 75%.
 
The following social indicators were evident (2004 – 2015 – 2020)
·        More cellphones than households
·        100% of households have television and refrigerators where there is access to electricity
·        Children going to bed hungry decreased from 41% to 24% to 6%.
·        Household savings accounts increased from 49% to 84% to 94%
·        People borrowing money to pay for school fees were on an all time high 77%, but decreased to 48% and is currently on 30%

From the broad responses, most of the participants confirmed that they were happy to be part of the NWGA and the value they derive from their association, such as the increased access to information and formal wool markets.
 
There is still a large number of challenges both on a farming and social level, many of which still relate to historical poverty, such as access to clean water, most of which are not in the power of the NWGA to change, as these are issues and challenges such as land ownership, basic water and sanitation challenges, support for broader crop cultivation including crops for fodder, and work opportunities for younger generations, which lie in the domain of broader local, provincial and national government.  

 Click here to read findings by Dr Karin Badenhorst

CLIP COMPOSITION:  COMMUNAL WOOL PRODUCTION

A clip composition case study of communal wool production in the Eastern Cape, South Africa 

Post graduate study by SM Dreyer, April 2019  
Submitted in fulfillment for degree of Master of in Agriculture at the Nelson Mandela University 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE STUDY (2019)

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS COMMUNAL WOOLLED SHEEP 

Some performance characteristics of woolled sheep in the Sweet- and Sourveld communal rangelands of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. 

Post graduate study by Mvinjelwa, Sivuyile Alex, November 2013 

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment for degree Masters of Science in Agriculture (Animal Science) at University of Fort Hare 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE STUDY (2013)

NWGA SUPPORT PROGRAMME - PROGRAMME EVALUATION EASTERN CAPE  

Survey by Dave Tapson (2015) 

OPTIMIZING PRODUCTION SYSTEMS  

Improving the livelihoods of wool producers in a sustainable manner by optimizing the woolled sheep production systems within communal farming.  By SE Terblanche and Leon de Beer.  

SA Journal for Agricultural Extension (2015) 

COMMARK TRUST 

The communal woolgrowers' project has been a notable success for ComMark and for thousands of communal wool farmers who have both increased their yields and more than doubled their income in the past two years.

2007/2008 ComMark Annual Report 

ESTABLISHING FARMING SYSTEM

The establishment of an effective farming system for the Allan Waters communal area in the Eastern Cape

Thesis by Bryan Rhodes King, December 2002. 

Thesis submitted in complete fulfillment for degree Magister Technologiae:  Agriculture (Research) at the Port Elizabeth Technikon.  

CLICK HERE TO READ THE STUDY (2002)