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CHAPTER 8
Advanced farmers
There is still a gap between the more advanced developing farmers and the
commercial farmers. All the developing farmers cannot be supported at the same
basic level. In the study groups farmers are supportedwith information and training
to get them into best practice production. Many farmers have grown and are now
beyond this type of support since they are already farming on a semi-commercial
scale. They are however not quite yet positioned to be left entirely to their own
devices in the competitive commercial world. These are mostly the small holder
farmers (10 ha to 250 tons). We also try to alert these farmers to the importance
of marketing and we link them to agents who are willing to walk that road with
them. The free market is very challenging for many people and especially for
developing farmers.
The purpose of this programme is to support the outstanding candidates who have
emerged from the study group system. These farmers need one-on-one support in
terms of production planning, management, support in terms of financial applica-
tions and reporting et cetera. The Grain SA team also draws up detailed business
plans for these farmers when necessary. When the farmer is producing in excess of
250 tons/year, and has met the ‘commercial standards’ of production, he/she will
be handed over to the commercial producers in that region to fast track the integra-
tion of the black farmers into the commercial sector. In 2015 the different offices
have supported a total of 154 advanced farmers.
The progress towards the New era commercial status has been slower than
anticipated as these farmers face many challenges:
Production loans
• Many farmers do not meet the security requirements of the lending institutions
(including the Land Bank).
• The farmers do not qualify for multi-peril insurance.
• Should the farmers be lucky enough to qualify for multi-peril insurance, the
guarantee is not enough to secure the loan.
• The small margins in dry land grain production make it risky for someone who
is learning ‘the trade’ – there is no gap for mistakes.
Tractors and machinery
• In many areas, mechanisation is not available.
• In cases where there is mechanisation, the condition is often very poor.
• The government has given some areas shared equipment and the management
thereof creates poor productivity.
• The use of contractors is widespread and there are huge challenges relating to
this which include the timing of operations, the quality of the work being done
and the high cost thereof (only the contractor ends up making money).
Issues with land and soil
• In the communal areas there is often insecure tenure (farmers ‘use‘ the unused
land of absent farmers as well as their own land and the tenure on this land is
not secure).
• The pH of the soil is low (particularly in areas with higher rainfall and higher
potential), and in many areas, the phosphate levels are very low as a result of
years of cultivation without the application of adequate fertilisers.
• Low potential soils are being cropped (unprofitably).
• In some areas, like the irrigation plots in Taung, four farmers share one centre
pivot which creates much tension.
Demonstration trials and farmer days
The purpose of the demonstration trial plots is to SHOW the developing farmers
the results of good production practices: correct soil preparation, correct
application of lime (if applicable), correct fertilisation (resulting from the soil
sampling), correct plant population and cultivar selection, proper weed and
Farmers receive training in several areas of
farming and management.