According to Lukhanyo Nkombisa, the CGA Grower Development Company general manager, South Africa faces food insecurity due to poverty and lack of agricultural knowledge. He shares why effective farm extension services can empower rural communities, enhance productivity, and promote sustainable practices for economic growth.
South Africa’s rural communities, too often characterised by poverty and unemployment, hold immense economic growth and food security potential. A key strategy to unlock this potential lies in the effective implementation of farm extension services – the sharing of knowledge, skills, and expertise.
These services, provided by agricultural experts, offer invaluable guidance and support to small-scale subsistence farmers and new commercially orientated black farmers, helping them to increase productivity, improve livelihoods, and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
The recent National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNS), conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on behalf of the department of agriculture, showed that two-thirds of South Africans do not have reliable or consistent access to sufficient, nutritious food. The NFNS suggests that this problem is at least partly due to a lack of participation in agriculture and a lack of knowledge of farming techniques.
Extension services are often a vital way to connect farmers with cutting-edge research and techniques or inform farmers about ways to mitigate pests and diseases, and where to access the best plant or seed stock for their specific needs. South African agriculture is a highly developed industry with world-class research, and it is the role of these experts to connect this to all farmers.
The NFNS study further states that “agriculture extension services were reported to be very low and almost non-existent in some communities across all the provinces. This partly explains why households that had access to land were not utilising that land for subsistence purposes or selling surpluses.”
Therefore, the report argues, it is critically important to connect the knowledge and skills of the industry to developing new citrus farmers to ensure more South Africans are economically active and producing food.
Building a transformed future
The Grower Development Company (GDC) of the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) has been providing extension services in the citrus industry since it was founded in 2016. A substantial part of the levies citrus growers pay funds the GDC’s activities and is the way established growers invest in a transformed future.
This model of commercial citrus farmers supporting up-and-coming farmers was recently highlighted by President Cyril Ramaphosa in parliament when he outlined methods through which inclusive growth can be achieved.
The citrus industry is indeed a good example of how collaboration between commercial and developing growers can transform the industry. South Africa now boasts over 120 successful black commercial growers, many of whom export their produce to overseas markets.
A key strategy to unlock this potential lies in the effective implementation of farm extension services within the citrus industry. These services, provided by the agricultural experts of the GDC, offer invaluable guidance and support.
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Farm extension services play a crucial role in enabling food security by providing farmers with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt modern agricultural practices. This includes training on varietal selection that best suits the climate and consumer demand, effective pest and disease management, soil fertility enhancement, and efficient irrigation techniques where relevant.
By equipping farmers with these tools, extension services can help them produce higher yields of crops, reducing food insecurity and improving dietary diversity.
Enabling growers means that farmers – whether small-scale or commercial – can expand their operations and hire additional workers. Growing the agricultural sector in this way makes sense, as there are often fewer employment opportunities for rural communities. This stimulates rural economies and helps to secure the livelihoods of rural communities. Citrus already supports over 140 000 rural jobs.
However, the effectiveness of farm extension services depends on several factors. Adequate funding is essential to ensure that these services can reach a wide range of farmers, particularly those in remote areas. Collaboration between various government departments and agencies, as well as the private sector, is crucial for developing and implementing effective extension programmes.
A new era of black commercial exporters
The GDC model provides training, mentorship, and support to young and established black growers. Being part of the CGA also means that black farmers, with the assistance of the GDC, receive the same information and technical expertise available to large commercial growers.
This extends to advice on cultivars, disease management, and other aspects of the citrus value chain, such as cold storage and transport. The GDC also plays a role in advising these farmers on the business aspects of their farms and also facilitates land access and funding opportunities.
Because of these efforts, black growers are increasingly becoming successful, commercial citrus exporters. As minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen said when he unveiled the NFNS study, food security is a problem for the whole of South Africa to address.
The government will remain a key element in the solution, providing several resources to new or developing farmers. But carefully considered collaboration between industry expertise and government is critical to ensure those new and developing farmers can successfully help address South Africa’s food insecurity.
- Lukhanyo Nkombisa is the general manager of the CGA Grower Development Company. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Food For Mzansi.
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