Prof. Carlu van der Westhuizen
Professor of Agriculture
Qualifications: PhD (Agricultural Economics / Farm Management, UFS) | MSc Agric (Agronomy & Horticulture / Farm Management, UFS) | Hons BSc Agric (Farm Management, UFS) | B Agric (Agronomy, Animal Science, UFS) | Dip (Participatory Rural Development, Galilee College, Israel) | Pr Sci Nat (SACNASP)
Professional Background
Prof. Carlu van der Westhuizen is a Professor of Agriculture within the Department of Agriculture at the Central University of Technology. He currently lectures Plant Production and Financial Management to fourth-year students, and Business Planning in Agriculture to fifth-year students. A SACNASP-registered Professional Scientist, he applies his extensive academic expertise in agricultural economics, farm management, agronomy, and animal science to improve the management capabilities of students, historically disadvantaged emerging farmers, and established commercial farmers.
In addition to his teaching and postgraduate supervision duties, Prof. van der Westhuizen plays a pivotal role in the national agricultural sector. He serves as the technical advisor and chairperson of the panel of adjudicators for the prestigious Toyota/Agri-SA Young Farmer of the Year and Toyota New Harvest of the Year competitions, actively shaping the next generation of agricultural leadership in South Africa.
Areas of Expertise
- • Farm Management
- • Agricultural Production Economics
- • Agricultural Extension & Mentorship
- • Crop and Livestock Production
- • Participatory Rural Development
Selected Publications
Recent Journal Articles
- • Nwfor, C.U., Ogundeji, A.A. & Van der Westhuizen, C. (2020). Marketing Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Smallholder Livestock Farmers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 24(3).
https://doi.org/10.4314/jae.v24i3.9 → - • Nwfor, C., Van der Westhuizen, C. & Ogundeji, A. (2020). Rural Smallholder Farmers' Awareness and Use of ICT-Based Market Information Sources in South Africa. Preprints, 2020050159.
https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202005.0159.v1 → - • Nwfor, C.U., Ogundeji, A.A. & Van der Westhuizen, C. (2020). Adoption of ICT-Based Information Sources and Market Participation among Smallholder Livestock Farmers in South Africa. Agriculture, 10(44).
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10020044 → - • Fadeyi, O.A., Igene, L., Sedibe, M.M. & Van der Westhuizen, C. (2019). Financial crisis and the South African Agricultural Sector: A CGE analysis. African Journal of Business and Economic Research, 14(3), 71-90.
- • Igene, L., Sedibe, M.M., Solomon, O. & Van der Westhuizen, C. (2018). Constraints hindering processors’ effective access to training programmes on modern shea butter processing in Niger State Nigeria. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 46(1), 26-33.
https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2018/v46n1a420 →
Selected Book Chapters
- • Van der Westhuizen, C. (2009). History of common principles, mistakes and best practices associated with postgraduate study: a case in Agriculture. In L.O.K. Lategan & U.D. Holzbaur (Eds.), Managing applied research: theories, cases and perspectives (pp. 85–97). Shaker Verlag: Aachen, Germany.
Recent Conference Presentations
- • Van der Westhuizen, R.J., Tonyane, P. & Van der Westhuizen, C. (2018). Small holder climate-smart Agriculture in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Poster presented at the SASAE Conference, East London, 5–7 June 2018.
- • Van der Westhuizen, C. (2016). Challenges Brought about by Integrating Multiple Stakeholders into Farm Management Mentorship of Land Reform Beneficiaries in South Africa. Paper presented at the International Conference on Farm Management and Agricultural Biosecurity, Los Angeles, USA, 5–6 April 2016.
- • Van der Westhuizen, C. & Van der Westhuizen, R.J. (2009). Availability of agricultural biomass in the Free State Province of South Africa and feasibility of converting it to renewable energy. Poster presented at the 17th Farm Management Congress, Illinois State University, USA, 19–24 July 2009.
- • Kokome, J.E. & Van der Westhuizen, C. (2008). Extension implications as a result of the irrigation management practices of barley farmers in the Taung Irrigation Scheme. Paper presented at the 42nd Annual Conference of the South African Society for Agricultural Extension, Port Elizabeth, 4–7 May 2008.
- • Van der Westhuizen, C., Shiya, M.A. & Fourie, P.J. (2008). Developing new farmers’ competitiveness by measuring their managerial performance. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Association of Southern Africa, Windhoek, 23–26 September 2008.
