Staff Directory

Prof Johan Van Niekerk
Position
Vice-Dean: Agriculture
Department
Sustainable Food Systems and Development
Address
LG
Sustainable Food Systems and Development
IB 68
Telephone
0514013765
Office
Information

Short CV


 

 

Prof Johan van Niekerk is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Extension and Rural Development at the University of the Free State. He holds the following qualifications: PhD in Sustainable Agriculture (University of Free State); Master of Sustainable Agriculture (Specialising in Agricultural Extension); Bachelor of Economics from the University of the Free State.

Prof van Niekerk lecture modules at honours and master level and supervise various master and PhD students. He consider it his passion to assist students in reaching their full potential in the completion of their degrees. Furthermore, it is his personal mission to gain promising students from all over South Africa and Africa to join the ranks of the University of the Free State’s faculty of Agriculture. He is currently on the board of South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE).Furthermore he is involved in  a wide range of Global, Continental, regional  organisations including: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS);  African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS); New Partnership for African Regional Forum for (RUFORUM).

Publications

 

Van Niekerk, J.A., Stroebel, A., van Rooyen, C.J., Whitfield, K.P. and Swanepoel, F.J.C. 2009. Towards designing a new agricultural extension service for the Eastern Cape Province: a perception analysis. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 38: 65-76.

Van Niekerk, J.A., Stroebel, A., van Rooyen, C.J., Whitfield, K.P. and Swanepoel, F.C.J. 2011. Towards redesigning the agricultural extension service in South Africa: views and proposals of smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 39: 47-56.

Van Niekerk, J.A., Stroebel, A., van Rooyen, C.J., Whitfield, K.P. and Swanepoel, F.C.J. 2011. Towards redesigning the agricultural extension service in South Africa: views and proposals of extensionists in the Eastern Cape. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 39: 57-68.

Van Niekerk, J.A., Groenewald, I.B. and Zwane, E.M. 2014. Mentorship by commercial farmers in the land reform programme in the Free State Province. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 42: 62-70.

Zwane, E.M., Van Niekerk, J.A. and Groenewald, I. 2015. Does participation in agriculture improve output: An experience from Limpopo’s broadening agricultural services and extension delivery (based) programme. International Journal of Agricultural Extension, 3: 83-92.

Van Niekerk, J.A., Mahlobogoane, M. and Tirivanhu, P. 2015. The transfer of intergenerational family knowledge for sustainable commercial farming in Mpumalanga province of South Africa: lessons for extension. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 43: 66-77.

Zwane, E.M., Igodan, C., Agunga, R., and Van Niekerk, J.A. 2015. Changing demands of clients of extension: what kind of competency is needed to meet the new demand? South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 43: 52-65.

Odunze, D., Van Niekerk, J.A. and Ndlovu, S. 2015. Assessment of factors that impact on the viability of contract farming: A case study of maize and soya beans in Mashonaland West and Central Provinces in Zimbabwe.  South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 43: 78-90.

Ntshangase, W.M., Ngiba, S.C., van Niekerk, J.A. and Zwane. E.M. 2016. The sustainability of small scale cane growers through youth involvement in North Coast Region of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 44: 42-51.

Ntshangase, W.M., Ngiba, S.C., Van Niekerk, J.A., and Zwane, E.M. 2016. The impact of succession planning on the sustainability of cane production by small-scale cane growers in the North Coast of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 44: 50-58.

Sonandi, A., Zwane, E.E. and Van Niekerk, J. 2017. Feeding practices, food variety, and dietary diversity - indicators of nutritional status among historically disadvantaged agri-business families, South Africa. Journal of Nutrition and Food Security, 2(4): 308-317.

Swanepoel, J.W., Van Niekerk, J.A. and D`Haese, L. 2017. The socio-economic profile of urban farming and non-farming households in the informal settlement area of the Cape Town Metropole in South Africa. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 45: 131-140.

Zwane, E. and Van Niekerk, J. 2017. The Perceptions and Attitudes of Small-scale Cane Growers’ Offspring towards Farming and Implications for Sustainability: A Case Study of Kwazulu Natal North Coast, South Africa. Journal of Human Ecology, 60(1): 1-8.

Muchesa, E., Nkosi, D., Zwane, E. and Van Niekerk, J.A. Perceptions and experiences regarding the current market system by communal farmers in Mhondoro-Mubaira (Zimbabwe). International Journal of Sustainable Development Research.

Muchesa, E., Nkosi, D., Zwane, E. and Van Niekerk, J.A.  Agricultural product types and household income contribution in Mhondoro-Mubaira (Zimbabwe). International Journal of Agricultural Economic.

Van Niekerk, J. A. & Moloi, Z. 2018. Introduction of extensive cage culture systems for breeding of catfish (clarius gariepinus) and common carp (cyprin carpionus) at the aquaculture technology demonstration centre, Xhariep District: an agricultural extension perspective. S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., Vol. 46 No. 1, 2018.

Swanepoel, J. W., Van Niekerk, J. A. & Van Rooyen, C. J. 2018. An analysis of the indicators affecting urban household food insecurity in the informal settlement area of the Cape Town Metropole. S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., Vol. 46 No. 1, 2018

Swanepoel, J. W. & Van Niekerk, J. A. 2018. The level of household food security of urban farming and non-farming households in the informal settlement area of the Cape Town Metropole in South Africa. S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., Vol. 46 No. 2, 2018.

Nkosi BD, Meeske R, Van Niekerk JA, Muya M, Langa T, Thomas R, Malebana I, Motiang M. 2019. Microbial additives affect silage quality and ruminal dry matter degradability of avocado (Persia Americana) pulp silage. South African Journal of Animal Science 49(6): 997 - 1007.

Nkosi BD, Muchesa E, Zwane EM, Van Niekerk JA. 2019. The role of extension support in a communal farmers’ market system in Mhondoro-Mubaira, Zimbabwe. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 47(2): 72 - 80.

Bastian R, Swanepoel JW, Van Niekerk JA. 2019. Effectiveness of the implementation of the mechanisation programme for emerging farmers in the Overberg and Eden districts of the Western Cape. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 47(2): 58 - 71.

 

 

 


 

 

 

Publications (Short List)


Research


Area(s) of Interest

Sustainable Food Systems

Agricultural extension

Food security

Urban agriculture

Rural development

Courses Presented

Sustainable Agriculture

Agricultural Extension

Research Methodlogy

 

Community Service


Service Learning


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