State dependency and a culture of handouts are what concerns Elijah Ramafoko, who retired following 41 years’ service at the Northern Cape department of agriculture, land reform and rural development.
Upon retiring, Ramafoko was the deputy director responsible for farmer training. Though he was happy to pass on the baton to a new generation, he was gravely worried about the calibre of extension officers produced.
In a no-holds-barred interview with Food For Mzansi, Ramafoko also expressed his concern about up-and-coming farmers who solely rely on government to make things happen for them.
Recently, Ramafoko was honoured for his service to government by MEC Mase Manopole. She described him as one of the faithful servants who laid the foundation for the department, and as a knowledgeable source about agriculture in the province.
“I have been in the sector for all my life,” said Ramafoko. He started his agricultural career in the 1980s, and quickly rose through the ranks with a key focus on the development of farmers in rural areas.
“I’ve been an animal health inspector where I worked with both commercial and small-scale farmers in the province. I have been responsible for training extension officers. I assisted farmers with market access and how to sell their produce and crops. I’ve been in the research unit. I believe I have laid a solid foundation.”
Many areas of concern
Ramafoko urged his former government colleagues to invest more time and resources in the up-skilling of extension officers whom he described as the faces of the department.
“Extension officers need to be trained. In my engagements with a few of them, [I’ve noticed that] they lack morale and do not have the necessary skills and qualifications to assist farmers. Some of them are still new in the sector and are supposed to deal with farmers with a vast experience in the field. There is a huge gap there,” he cautioned.
Having a solid team of extension officers would help government to better understand where it should be channelling its resources, especially with regards to some of the food security projects.
“We need to be at the level where extension officers can be accredited and train farmers but, firstly, we need to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge.”
With a master’s degree in business and public management, Ramafoko also believed that a greater investment in agriculture colleges would be “the only way” for black South Africans, in particular, to hold their own in the sector.
“My heart skips a beat when I pass through Taung Agricultural College, which used to be the best in the Southern Hemisphere,” explained Ramafoko. “I used to be a lecturer there. We need to revive such institutions. The transformation issues can only come once we have the know-how of working the land.”
Young people not filling the gaps
Furthermore, Ramafoko also expressed his concern that young people are not fully utilising farming opportunities in the Northern Cape. “In Kuruman, for example, the majority of farmers are elders over the age of 60. We need to win back young people into farming. They have the energy to do all the work.”
He also called on government to prioritise women in the sector as a key strategy to alleviate poverty and unemployment. Among Ramafoko’s many career highlights was implementing an awards function for women farmers.
“I used to travel about 10 000 kilometres looking for female farmers in the province. As I stand here, I can proudly say the province do have women with potential in farming,” he added.
As he bowed out, he assured Food For Mzansi that he remained eager to share his knowledge and experience with the agriculture sector. He wants to mentor farmers on the impact that climate change was already having on farming.
“As part of my studies for my MBA, I worked on the effects of climate change. It is a pity I was not afforded an opportunity to use it while in the department, but I want to work with farmers I know to teach and advise [them] how to handle too much rain and drought. Those are climate-related topics they need to know [about].”
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