Agriculture has been the answer to many families putting food on their tables, improving quality of life, providing employment opportunities, and impacting the country’s local Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Experts and Food For Mzansi Gather to Grow host, Dawn Noemdoe explored the link between the agri sector and rural development.
Range and forage science and animal scientist from the Agricultural Research Council, Dr Andiswa Finca explained that Mzansi’s agricultural sector contributes more than 20% to the country’s GDP, adding that in rural areas, most farmers are subsistence farmers who provide employment opportunities.
Opportunities around every corner
Finca mentioned that while these opportunities are not permanent, individuals with many animals in their communities often hire people for herding, shearing, crop assistance, and chicken care during slaughtering.
“These are either casual types of employment opportunities, but also seasonal opportunities. What agriculture does provide for people in rural areas is self-employment. People can be keeping animals to sustain themselves and their families,”
“I have seen several young people starting to utilise land available to them to plant and to farm with chicken, pigs, and small and large stock. For those that are starting up, you would find that just one or two people help out when needed and for some working in the urban areas, you find that they hire permanent workers in their farms,” said Finca.
Plenty of growth beckons
In the session, she also shared that there are other ways rural farmers can participate in the agricultural sector while fostering rural development. She believes that farmers can derive benefits beyond traditional farming by positioning themselves to exceed primary producer roles and diversifying into various aspects along the value chain.
“Some people come together and look at other parts and value chains like processing for example. Mostly, this is at a commercial level in most cases,” she said, “People can find opportunities by moving beyond just growing the fruit but processing it and putting it out there as a product.”
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