By Lebogang Mashala, editor of African Farming
My letter last week regarding the farmer support programmes evoked strong emotions and sparked a one-sided debate among farmers who share similar frustrations. Some people spoke to me directly, while others commented on social media about their experiences with these programmes.
While I acknowledge that many farmers have received assistance from various government programmes – something I have addressed before – a significant number have not been as fortunate. In fact, their experiences with these programmes are far from positive.
To start, some of the farmers we celebrate today as shining examples of black excellence have, in one way or another, benefited from state assistance. Many of these farmers are thriving on state-owned farms acquired through the land reform programme, and although not all have received support, a significant number have. This assistance has come in various forms, such as the Recapitalisation programme or the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), which I criticised last week.
The RECAP Programme: Promise vs. Reality
Take, for example, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s former Recapitalisation and Development Programme (RECAP). It was designed to rectify the mistakes that led to the collapse of many state-owned farms. RECAP focused on land reform farms acquired since 1994 that have received little or no support but have the potential for sustainability. These distressed farms were offered both technical and financial support.
An article by Shiba W.T., a post doctorate and lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension at the University of Fort Hare, and Aliber M., a professor and senior lecturer in the same department, stated that 1 807 distressed farms were targeted for recapitalisation, and by the end of the 2012/13 financial year, 1 269 had received recapitalisation.
According to this article, published in the South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, RECAP funding had no ceiling on the amount of money an individual farmer could receive. Farmers were eligible for any amount, but grants are approved based on a bankable farm business plan. RECAP financed the business plan for a period of five years, allowing beneficiaries to access their funds uninterruptedly. In the first year, RECAP covered 100% of the farm business plan; in the second year, 80%; in the third year, 60%; in the fourth year, 40%; and in the fifth year, 20%. After that, funding ceased.
While this seemed like a promising initiative, we have very little to show for it.
In my opinion, the major factor contributing to these failures, as many have raised in the debates following my previous letter, is the implementation of these programmes. First, the selection process for beneficiaries is often questionable. Some farms that received funding were not even operational and were not worth the investment. Secondly, like many other state interventions, everything goes through middlemen via a tendering process, which does not always benefit farmers.
Time To Cut Out The Middlemen
Recently, I attended the launch of a farm, which I prefer not to name. Among the attendees were government officials who had supported this particular farmer. They showcased the interventions made at the farm on their official social media page, detailing all the items purchased with the intervention amounting to over R2 million. However, after taking a walk around the farm and knowing the actual costs of these items, it became evident that the total value could not have even reached a fraction of that amount, which I’m only slightly exaggerating.
I have visited numerous other farms where farmers have been funded by the state, and they all face the same middleman issue. Many of these middlemen lack any real understanding of farming; some probably don’t even know the difference between a bull and a cow! Most of them live in affluent urban areas, yet they continue to secure tenders to supply goods to farmers. This situation likely means our farmers cannot access local agribusinesses or manufacturers for the supplies they need.
This is seriously hindering our progress and contributes to the failure of valuable intervention programmes, as some individuals prioritise theft. If we are genuinely committed to supporting our farmers and ensuring the success of the land reform programme and farmer development as a whole, we must make bold decisions. The reliance on middlemen for basic supplies must be eliminated. Let farmers take responsibility for their own projects, so that if there are any shortcuts taken, they can only blame themselves.
On A Lighter Note
I hope everyone has been enjoying the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Let’s hope our team, Banyana Banyana, can secure at least third place against Ghana in their WAFCON match tonight. Wishing all the best to the girls!
