AGRIBUSINESS PERSPECTIVES: Lack of trust is impeding farmer development

Many role players across the agricultural sector agree that South Africa needs both large and small farmers. However, many black farmers fall in the category of smallholders and often do not have access to land. Even in cases where some do have access, the land is often not equipped with adequate resources such as irrigation and other necessary infrastructure needed to unlock scale benefits for commercial operations. Access to, and ownership of, land for economic activity is an essential component of economic development.

It is thus important to reflect on the history of black farming, especially in the context of the current land debate in the country.

I would like to highlight some of the claims I made in my master’s thesis titled ‘Key factors influencing smallholder market participation in the former homelands of South Africa’, which is supported by scientific evidence.

Prior to the implementation of the infamous land acts and other legislation that came with these acts, black people pursued vibrant, sustainable agricultural activities, and their output was enough for their subsistence and nutritional needs, as well as to sell to markets around the country.

DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION

Undoubtedly, the implementation of these discrimatory laws by the previous government was unlawful, illegal and unjustifiable. As a result, they had devastating socio-economic consequences for black people, whose survival had traditionally been dependent on land as their prime asset for agricultural and farming purposes.

While some groups believe that the country should just move forward and not think or talk about the deeds of the past, unfortunately the impact is still visible and being greatly felt even by the current generation.

However, while it is crucial to reverse the injustices of the past, we should never again as a country embark on pursuing policies that only seek to divide us as citizens of South Africa, and leave future generations to face the consequences, as is the case now. Both large and small famers have a crucial and unique role in the economy. For example, smallholder farming is usually a platform from which emerging farmers advance to commercial farming. It is also important for serving local, informal markets, especially in areas where large farmers rarely participate in this regard.

Given their competitiveness, economies of scale and/or ability to adopt the latest technology, large farms are key to ensuring national food security, driving exports and creating employment, especially in horticulture industries such as fruit and vegetable production.

FINDING WAYS TO COEXIST AND COOPERATE

Both large and small farmers need to find ways to coexist and work with each other for the benefit of the sector. But this cannot happen unless these two groups trust each other.

Unfortunately, over the years, these groups have been running their operations in isolation from each another, with just a few cases where there are forged partnerships between a group of small farmers and large farmers.

The lack of trust is often driven by politics linked to land issues. Hence, when this happens, we see certain dynamics at play, with the haves being forced to protect what they have, while the have-nots feel they have a justifiable reason to have more so that they can also reach the level of the haves.

Of course, the land question in South Africa is something that needs to be addressed, but this should be done in a way that enables both large and small farmers to work closely together. It is therefore important that farmers of all sizes use the current environment in which the land issue is being discussed as an opportunity to forge partnerships.

This is already happening in some parts of the country, but at a very low rate. At Agri SA’s recent congress, two young black farmers attested to this. Essentially, what they said was that had they not partnered with bigger role players, they would not have achieved the farming status they had attained.