Family farmers discuss needs and challenges
A special financing mechanism, similar to the old agricultural credit board, will help a great deal in improving the bankability of new entrants.
That’s the belief of farmers that attended the Re Gola Mmogo Farmer’s Day organised by the Southern Africa Agri Initiative (Saai), at The Hub in Tzaneen last Wednesday.
Saai is a network of family farmers and people with an interest in farming that look after family farmers.
As part of the day’s activities, intense discussions were held with communal farmers, small-scale and settlement farmers, commercial farmers and beneficiaries of land reform regarding their needs, aspirations, frustrations and challenges.
It emerged during the discussions that emerging farmers are struggling to access finance from the banks because of the current financing mechanism.
Black family farmers are also struggling to farm profitably and in a sustainable manner, and require serious adjustments to the policy environment to be successful.
“Few black farmers get access to financing because they often don’t own the land on which they farm.
The state was last week forced to sell the farm in Limpopo on which David Rakgase has already been farming for 27 years, to Rakgase.
Without the broadening of property rights, investments in agriculture will cease to grow, and black farmers made it clear at the farmer’s day that they want title deeds,” said Dr Theo de Jager, Chairperson of the Board of Saai.
De Jager said that poor research to determine the validity of land claims, infighting among the communal property associations (CPA’s) and poor management of state land are setbacks on the road to success.
He added that practical utilisation of technology could contribute to the growth of the sector.
