Agricultural transformation will only succeed if it is practical, inclusive and driven by coordinated partnerships. This clear message was reinforced in discussions at the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA) Leadership and Strategic Partnership Conference held at the Agricultural Research Council’s Roodeplaat campus on Wednesday, 26 November. Speakers were united in their call for policies, finance and institutional support to translate into real, on-the-ground solutions that farmers can feel in their businesses, their herds and their ability to access markets.
By Maphuti Mongatane, Business Development Manager at African Farming
Research, Skills and Farmer Support Must Work Together
Speakers emphasised that research and innovation must solve real production challenges and be paired with training and extension support. Knowledge, they stressed, has limited value if it does not reach farmers in usable form. Farmer organisations play a critical role in bridging this gap by connecting research institutions, extension services and producers, ensuring technology adoption, skills transfer and measurable outcomes.
Also read: The tools for transformation exist, but coordinated action is needed – DG Mooketsa Ramasodi
Finance Without Support is not Transformation
On the finance front, panellists acknowledged the impact of blended finance introduced in recent years, while cautioning that funding alone cannot deliver sustainable growth. Effective finance models must be:
- Affordable and realistic;
- Accompanied by technical and project-management support; and
- Designed around farmers’ full reality, including infrastructure, animal health, production systems and market access.
Delegates were challenged to think beyond existing instruments and develop innovative finance solutions aligned to the full value chain.
Inclusive Growth and Value-chain Participation
Industry leaders reinforced that transformation must extend beyond production figures. It must be visible in who participates in the value chain, who accesses infrastructure and who benefits financially. Statutory levies and industry funds, speakers noted, already allocate a portion specifically for transformation initiatives, but success depends on transparency, accountability and collaborative implementation.
Farmer Development and Commercial Readiness
Farmer-development organisations shared structured approaches to graduating producers from subsistence and smallholder levels into viable commercial farmers. Progression depends on:
- Practical training and mentorship;
- Financial literacy and recordkeeping;
- Mechanisation and production efficiency; and
- Readiness for formal market access and banking.
Collaboration between development programmes, financial institutions and farmer bodies was described as essential to avoid duplication and accelerate farmer growth.
Also read: ‘Stock theft a national crisis; land reform must change’ – Steenhuisen at AFASA conference
Animal Health, Traceability and Shared Responsibility
Animal health, particularly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), remained a central concern. Speakers stressed that although government plays a regulatory role, disease prevention and biosecurity require shared responsibility. Traceability systems and fair price discovery were highlighted as tools that can incentivise farmers to invest in vaccination and biosecurity, while supporting broader market access and export competitiveness.
Moving Forward Together
The conversations pointed to one overriding conclusion: South Africa already has many of the necessary tools, institutions and expertise to transform agriculture. What remains is alignment research linked to farmers, finance linked to support, training linked to real workplaces and animal health managed as a shared national priority.
Transformation, delegates agreed, will only succeed if government, industry and farmers move forward together.
Also read: BREAKING NEWS | Minister Steenhuisen announces major FMD policy shift at AFASA conference
