Owners' perceptions of factors that constrain the survival and growth of small, medium and micro agribusinesses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Public and private sector institutions in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA) can identify policies and strategies to increase the survival and growth rates of small, medium and micro-enterprise (SMME) agribusinesses if they have more information about the factors that constrain business performance. The sustained growth of these SMMEs could, in turn, help to reduce poverty, income inequality and unemployment problems in the province. The owners of 44 agribusiness SMMEs in a stratified random sample of Ithala Development Finance Corporation clients in KZN were, therefore, surveyed during October 2003 and January 2004 to identify what factors they perceive constrain business survival and growth. The respondents identified eight dimensions of constraints, namely: a lack of access to services; funding constraints at start-up; lack of management capacity in the enterprise; access to tender contracts; compliance costs associated with VAT and labour legislation; liquidity stress; lack of collateral; and lack of institutional support. The provision of appropriate infrastructure and training, development of innovative loan products, and policies to reduce the cost of compliance with legislation affecting agribusiness SMMEs are some possible solutions to help deal with these constraints.Agribusiness,

The effects of entrepreneurial quality on the success of small, medium and micro agri-businesses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

This paper estimates a logit model of the effects of entrepreneurial quality on business success in a stratified random sample of 44 small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) agribusiness owners financed by Ithala Development Finance Corporation, using loan repayment as a proxy for success. These owners were surveyed during October 2003-February 2004 and asked to score four components of entrepreneurial quality identified by Guzman and Santos (2001): preference for working as self-employed, motivation type, energizer behaviours, and personal and external factors. The results show that strong energizer behaviours (such as current and planned business expansion and staff training), more business experience, and family assistance to become an entrepreneur, promote loan repayment, while lack of access to electricity (proxy for lack of access to services) negatively affects loan repayment. Policymakers and public and private financial institutions could give more attention to these factors when implementing policies to promote access to finance by, and the growth of, agribusiness SMMEs.Agribusiness,

Adult education in public museums and art galleries: A scan of the field

Los museos y las galerías de arte son ubicuas características del paisaje en todo el mundo, involucrándose en una variedad de tipos de educación y aprendizaje de adultos. Usando un enfoque basado en el análisis de contenido y los resultados de un particular estudio, este artículo describe cómo investigadores en educación de personas adultas están analizando el trabajo de educación para adultos de estas instituciones. Los hallazgos muestran que las publicaciones vienen del norte global, no del sur global y resaltando una mezcla de enseñanza liberal, prácticas de aprendizaje y actividades disruptivas y creativas. También se pone un énfasis en el poder, la representación y la formación de alianzas, haciendo especial hincapié en la confusión que existe alrededor de los términos educación y aprendizaje en el campo de la educación de adultos. Se requieren más estudios para comprender la naturaleza compleja de las prácticas pedagógicas de estas instituciones.Art galleries and museums are ubiquitous features of the landscape worldwide, engaging in a variety of types of adult education and learning. Using a content analysis approach and findings from my own current study, this article outlines how adult education scholars are studying the adult education work of these institutions. Findings show publications come from the global north, not from the global south and highlight a mixture of liberal teaching and learning practices and disruptive and creative activities. There are also emphases on power, representation and partnership-building and a confusion around education and learning that mirrors the field of adult education. More studies are required if we are to truly understand the complex nature of the pedagogical practices of these institutions

First record of Grapevine Pinot gris virus infecting Vitis vinifera in the United Kingdom

Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) is a member of the genus Trichovirus, and was first identified in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cv. Pinot Gris in Italy in 2012 (Giampetruzzi et al., 2012). Since then GPGV has been reported in several European countries as well as Australia, Canada, China, Korea and the USA (Bertazzon et al., 2016). In April 2017, a survey of four geographically separated vineyards in the UK was done to investigate the presence of GPGV. A dormant cane was sampled at random from each of the four locations (Pinot Noir clones 119, 336, 792 and 924, reciprocally grafted upon Gravesac, SO4 or 3309 Couderc rootstocks)