Small-scale farming is useful and should be supported. Entry levels are lower than for commercial farming; machinery and technology is not as sophisticated, and it creates food security for the families who are farming, allowing for economic activity. As pointed out in an article listed under the “Websites & publications” heading, agriculture does not have to be the sole source of revenue for the small-scale farming household. “Smallholder livelihoods all over the world do not just consist of farming … So when considering the potential for smallholder farming development, we shouldn’t think about farming viability, but household viability and increasing food sources for very poor rural households.”
The major challenge for agriculture, and with it the hopes of the country, is the emerging Black commercial farmer. Support here will enable such a farmer to become an active participant in the commercial farming sector. We need our emerging farmers to succeed, not only because of transformation targets, or for righting the dispossession of the past, or for stability and jobs in the rural areas. We need our emerging farmers to succeed because this is the sector from which our food comes. It is possible to be a farmer in the post-deregulation business environment. The 37 000 or so commercial farmers who adapted and who are now among the best in the world prove this to us.
A cause for concern is that these commercial farmers (and farm workers) are getting older, the average age being just over 60 years-old. This is of great concern to the country’s future. It’s not enough to speak about how the youth should be encouraged to pursue occupations in agriculture if we are not marking out paths for them (Sihlobo, 2017). It is a national issue that farmers are supported, and with them the ones who for no fault of their own are relatively new on the land, or those who are contemplating a career in agriculture.
Agriculture is at the heart of addressing poverty in Africa. Much more than in any other region, agriculture is a major driver of African economies, typically representing 30-40% of GDP and 65-70% of labour force.
It’s true that Africa’s agricultural transformation will be a complex, multi-sectoral agenda that requires different enabling factors, from sufficient financing and the right policies to the implementation of climate-smart agriculture. But it’s also true that success depends on one crucial factor: the engagement of smallholder farmers. Africa’s agricultural transformation will need smallholders to succeed.
Smallholder farmers continue to dominate African agriculture although some countries–for example, Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia–are experiencing a rise of medium-scale farms of between five and 100 hectares as part of the region’s broader economic transformation. Smallholder farmers still control the largest areas for production. They employ 70% of the work force, farm most of the land, and are home to most of the poor – so the most obvious way to make agricultural growth pro-poor is to engage with huge numbers of small farms.
However, smallholder farmers face major challenges today. They are at a major disadvantage in linking to modern value chains because of their low volumes of sales, poor market information and contacts, and limited ability to meet the high standard requirements of many high value markets. Because of their small size and reach, they are perceived to be high cost and high risk farmers by private agrodealers and financial institutions.
So how can people working in the agriculture sector support smallholder farmers?
The challenges facing agriculture are great but we have reasons to be optimistic. Agriculture’s value added increased by 5.1% between 2000 and 2013. There’s no limit to what agriculture can achieve—in terms of feeding Africa, creating jobs, and helping to end poverty and boost prosperity. We have to work hard to make sure that smallholder farmers will be part of the work to meet Africa’s growing food and beverage markets –which are expected to top $1 trillion in value by 2030.
Source: Ehiu, S. 2017, October 13. "How can we help smallholder farmers seize opportunities in Africa?" (adapted). Find full citation under heading 12
There are many types of skills. The technical know-how is vital, as is knowing how a business works (the farming enterprise that is not profitable will not be in business for long!)
The different livestock and crop chapters all provide overviews, mention role players and where information can be found. The best way to learn is to do something yourself or to learn it first-hand from another. Practical training is the most sure way to acquire knowledge. We trust you’ve either had practical training or have a mentor or good neighbours.
Find Nico Groenewald’s (Standard Bank) “Advice for new entrants to farming” on YouTube.
Refer to the “Marketing” page.
Markets continue to be seen as the means for ensuring that smallholder producers of agricultural products are effectively integrated into the mainstream of national economies, especially in developing countries. For one thing, markets provide the opportunity for farm production to contribute to poverty reduction through the cash income realised from sales of farm produce. In turn, markets drive production as farmers strive to meet the demands of consumers and end-users in terms of quantity and quality. But their existence, or how effectively they function, cannot be guaranteed in many developing countries.
In South Africa, there is an urgency to address the real concern that, in spite of considerable investments into restructuring the sector since 1994 and directly tackle agrarian and land reform, poverty is still rife and there is the clear indication that much of this arises from farmers not being able to sell produce at a profit. Unlocking markets for this group of farmers is therefore considered a crucial developmental necessity.
Source: Ajuruchukwu Obi, Herman D van Schalkwyk and Aad van Tilburg’s opening chapter in Unlocking markets to smallholders: Lessons from South Africa Wageningen Academic Publishers 2012. Available at www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/book/10.3920/978-90-8686-168-2
Find the Agricultural Marketing Extension training papers on www.old.dalrrd.gov.za (take the “Resource Centre” and “General publications” options). Also find documents like “Linking producers to markets programme” on the Directorate Marketing’s pages on this website.
Before you put your money into the ground you will want to know that someone won’t take the ground away from you, be it a traditional leader, municipality or neighbour. Owning the land also means you can borrow money against it by using it as collateral.
Refer to the “Finance for new farmers and SMMEs” page.
The National Development Plan speaks of a more rapid transfer of land to black beneficiaries “without distorting land markets or business confidence in the agribusiness sector”. It also says to “Offer white commercial farmers and industry bodies the opportunity to significantly contribute to the success of black farmers through mentorships, chain integration, preferential procurement and meaningful skills transfer”.
Profit margins have decreased in agriculture, and farmers have survived by diversifying their operations (to spread the risk) and value adding. They have also increased the size of their operations to reach economies of scale. Does this changing face of agriculture mean that there is an implicit barrier to many potential new entrants?
The perspective of commercial agriculture is to link the success of Farmer Support Programmes to agriculture as a whole. It is no use trying to create a new generation of farmers if there is an unfavourable policy climate which makes it difficult for even the experienced ones to succeed.
Training is a vital part of the development programme and is definitely the foundation for success, but it is not enough. In addition to information a person needs experience to operate effectively – something you cannot get from a textbook. And experience brings confidence. A mentor can play a crucial role here, not just as a provider of knowledge but also by being a guide during this time.
Mechanised, commercial agriculture is a bonus to any country because it creates food security whilst leaving the non-agricultural players the freedom to pursue other work. The food could be imported, but it would become very expensive, and that country would become vulnerable to agendas other than its own.
Source: adapted from notes by Ajay Vashee, when vice-president of the International Federation of Agriculture Producers; and an OVK presentation by Deon van der Ross.
Read the case for commercial farmers supporting emerging farmers in the following article: Serfontein, N. 2018, July 26. “Dear Mr President, send us, commercial farmers”. Available at www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/dear-mr-president-send-us-commercial-farmers-20180726
In view of AgriBEE and the requirements that are set for the establishment of new farmers, white South African commercial farmers can make excellent contributions with regard to:
Source: a previous article on www.senwes.co.za, adapted
The National Development Plan (NDP) aims, among other things, to create a million jobs in agriculture, agroprocessing and related sectors by 2030. Actions listed include:
The NDP recommends that there should be a more rapid transfer of land to black beneficiaries “without distorting land markets or business confidence in the agribusiness sector.” And to “Offer white commercial farmers and industry bodies the opportunity to significantly contribute to the success of black farmers through mentorships, chain integration, preferential procurement and meaningful skills transfer”.
DALRRD has run several agriculture-related development programmes to respond to urgent priority issues such as food security, poverty alleviation, food safety, economic growth and environmental conservation – programmes like the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), Letsema/Ilema and the Recapitalisation and Development Programme. Read about these at www.dalrrd.gov.za.
Find information on – and contact details of – all directorates at www.dalrrd.gov.za (take the “Branches” option). Mostly of interest to this particular Agribook page are those listed under the “Food Security & Agrarian Reform” option.
Also:
Some provinces make contact details available on their websites. Find the KwaZulu-Natal Directory: Extension and Advisory Services download, for example, at www.kzndard.gov.za. Details of provincial Departments of Agriculture can be found on our “Agriculture in the Provinces” page.
Best Practice In Research and Development and Extension in the provinces:
Technical assistance, advisory service, knowledge transfer through various modes including:
Find the Guides for extension officers at www.dalrrd.gov.za. These include one dedicated to agricultural marketing extension (what the extension officer needs to know and what he/she can do).
Although there are occasional places where they are dated, the “Agricultural Marketing Extension” on the same website are highly useful.
The EXTENSION OFFICERS in the provinces – see previous heading.
The PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE work closely with the AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES to provide training for emerging and small-scale farmers. Here short courses (FET – Further Education and Training) on crop, goat and dairy production, map reading, farming systems approach, entrepreneurial training, irrigation as well as health and food safety are provided.
COMMODITY ASSOCIATIONS are involved with capacity building programmes. Find these associations in the relevant chapters e.g. find details for Cotton SA on the “Cotton” page, the National Wool Growers Association of South Africa (NWGA) on the “Wool” page etc. Some of these are:
Some livestock BREED SOCIETIES provide mentorship to help newcomers. Find contact details on the “Animal improvement and breeders” page or at https://studbook.co.za.
ORGANISED AGRICULTURE bodies directly represent emerging farmers and/or have farmer help programmes. Read about AGRI Enterprises at https://agrienterprises.co.za. Some support initiatives happening in partnership with other role players like AgriSETA and universities. Find contact details of AFASA, Agri SA and its provincial affiliates, and other associations on the “Organised agriculture” page.
PROVINCIAL and DISTRICT FARMER UNIONS, affiliated to organised agriculture, are often involved with mentoring or capacity building programmes. One impressive initiative is Harry Gwala Agri where a group of commercial farmers around Ingwe, Highflats-Ixopo, Mount Currie and Zwartberg in KZN help passionate developing farmers. See www.harrygwalaagri.co.za. Find details of Agri SA’s provincial affiliates on the “Organised agriculture” page.
Find out if there is a DISTRICT STUDY GROUP in your area. These are often affiliated to organised agricultural bodies and/or commodity associations. These gather several times a year with sessions on veld management, herd management, establishment and management of pastures and more.
PREVIOUS OWNERS OF FARMS are often involved in ensuring the success of those who have taken over the property. Find the article “We wanted to be part of the solution” at www.freshplaza.com/article/174297/We-wanted-to-be-part-of-the-solution.
AGRISETA is involved in establishing Black farmers, mainly through its ACCREDITED TRAINING PROVIDERS – find the complete list at www.agriseta.co.za. Some of these training providers are:
UNIVERSITIES run short courses or forums designed for new farmers. These include:
UNIVERSITIES also build capacity through their degree courses and research. Some which have a direct bearing on extension and supporting the emerging farmer sector include:
Various BUSINESSES are involved in mentorship and training. These include:
SUPERMARKETs like Pick ‘n Pay and Massmart have partnership with small scale farmer co-operatives that supply organic vegetables to stores countrywide. See the Ackerman Pick ‘n Pay Foundation listing later.
CONSULTANTS are involved in establishing new farmer programmes (see the “Consultants” page). Some examples:
SCIENCE COUNCILS and SEMI-STATE BODIES are involved in supporting small-scale agriculture. Find details of all Science Councils on the “Research and development” page. Some examples:
NGOs, TRUSTS and FOUNDATIONS support small scale farmers and other entrepreneurs.
PROVINCIAL INVESTMENT AGENCIES are involved in farmer support programmes. Find the list of provincial and municipal-based agencies on the “Providers of financial services” page.
MUNICIPALITIES. See what your municipality offers. An agreement in the Witzenberg municipality in the Western Cape, for example, between district farmers, the municipality and the community saw the establishment of Witzenberg PALS. The aim of PALS is to establish new farmers in a way that stimulates economic growth, job creation and social harmony. Visit www.sapals.co.za.
BANKS are also involved through partnerships and funding.
Some INTERNATIONAL BODIES assist with emerging agriculture in this country and elsewhere:
Refer to websites listed earlier on this page.
