Small scale farmers thrives despite challenges

She ventured into farming in 1994. Before that she used to make ends meet by hiring out her services to put up decorations at social events and functions held in her area.
She then joined Madeira Irrigation Farmers – an agriculture group who produce vegetables and grain. Things were going well as the irrigation scheme was relatively functional and operational but now a large portion of their crop production land is under threat of being proclaimed for non-food production purposes.

This is a worry to Thobetjane, the chairlady of the farming community, who sees it as a threat to their food security.
Currently they produce sweet potatoes, cabbage, spinach, beetroot and onions that are being sold in Madeira village, while maize is taken to local milling companies such as Blinkwater, Letaba Milling and Phakathi.
Irrigation has also become a challenge to Thobetjane and her fellow producers as the system has become dilapidated. Irrigation canals and dams are leaking and water is going to waste which could have been used for food production.

She says acess to production plots also constitute a problem. Inadequate support and lack of ploughing units have resulted in late ploughing and planting according to Thobetjane.
“Currently production is dependent on rain and once it starts to rain, we all want to capitalise and plant, but that does not happen given the limited support we have from the government.
“Every season we apply for assistance for grain production, but only a handful of producers receive support.

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“The selection criteria is problematic as it is detached from the reality on the ground. This has led to a decline in the number of farmers getting assistance since the farmer support programme was initiated.
“It also divides the community and creates tension. It is counter-productive to the government’s noble objective to eradicate poverty through sustainable farming initiatives and programmes,” she explained.
Despite the problems facing the community, Thobetjane was still able to produce enough maize to meet her domestic needs for the year, this despite the fact that she broke her leg two years ago.

In the 2021/2022 season, she created nine jobs for people who assisted her in harvesting and threshing.
To maximise production, she has adopted the use of high yielding maize cultivars.
She has also adopted a chemical weed control programme.
“I find it highly efficient as I only have to do it once as opposed to manual weed control which requires that I do it more than once,” she added.
“As small-scale subsistence farmers, we sometimes feel hard done by in the maize industry.

“We invest in production equipment and better input to increase quality and quantity.
“But despite the good quality of our produce, dealers along the value chain are still hesitant to buy from us.
“They insist on the exchange transaction system whereby we have to exchange our maize for mealie-meal.
“It is problematic as it does not facilitate the buying of required production inputs with ease to allow us to return to the land with better input.

“There should be a way beyond the exchange transaction. I think that the government should somehow find a way to protect small-scale subsistence producers in this regard. We also want to grow in the industry and growth depends on several factors in the transaction process other than the current exchange system,” Thobetjane concluded.
For more information contact Pauline Thobejane on 064 619 8971.