Developing capacity for seed production amongst smallholder farmers in Limpopo: a case for dry beans...
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Developing capacity for seed production amongst smallholder farmers in Limpopo: a case for dry beans The purpose of this poster is to provide feedback on the progress of a dry bean seed production project in Limpopo and derive its implications for the implementation of smallholder seed businesses in an effort to fortify seed security and self-reliance in rural South Africa. b Farmer surveys To better understand the progress of dry bean seed production amongst farmers in Limpopo, group discussions were held with Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) extension officers, ARC scientists involved in the project as well with farmers. This led to the development of a questionnaire including a protocol for assessing the success (or lack thereof) of the project. The group discussions focused on the attributes and activities of farmers related to dry bean seed production before and after project implementation. The surveys took place in September 2014. Table 2 presents results of the characteristics of surveyed households in the three district municipalities, whilst Table 3 shows disaggregated results from the five local municipalities. Table 2. Household characteristics The results of this study show that the ARC and LDA have been able to successfully introduce seed production amongst smallholder farmers in Limpopo. Farmers mainly produce the dry bean variety Kranskop which was released by ARC in 1993. However, farmers in the local municipalities still recycle seed, and exposure to demonstration sites was found to be very low in GL and LN. similarly, although Kranskop is a relatively stable cultivar, it has its own weaknesses. Further efforts should focus on sensitizing farmers on the need to use disease free seed; need to support each other and importance of visiting demonstration trials and implementing good practices learnt. A smallholder seed processing, packaging and distribution company will go a long way in helping farmers turn a profit from seed production. This may involve the use of already existing grocery stores in rural areas to distribute good quality seed to farmers and to market dry bean outputs from smallholder farmers to both rural and urban consumers. Thula Sizwe Dlamini 1 Precious M. Tshabalala 1 , Nomonde Gwebu 1 , Phonnie Du Toit 2 , Litha Magingxa 1 , Edzisani Nemadodzi 2 , Vuyisile Phehane 1 and Yolisa Pakela-Jezile 1 1 Agricultural Research Council, Hatfield. Pretoria; 2 ARC-Grain Crops Institute, Potchefstroom. Email: [email protected] Seed is the building block of crop production and as stated by Morris (1998:1): “Of all the inputs used in agriculture, none has the ability to affect productivity as much as seed”. Yet, even though the importance of good quality seed is generally well- recognised, most smallholder farmers in rural South Africa still struggle to get access to good quality seed. Several approaches have been developed to increase seed access for smallholder farmers in South Africa. These include but are not limited to the government’s seed provision scheme which seeks to provide farmers with disease free seed at the beginning of the production season. Although evidence exists that farmers respond positively to incentive programmes, such incentive programmes are often, as Minot and others (2007: 3) put it, “not fiscally sustainable in the long run”. Ultimately, farmers have to graduate out of such programmes and be able to stand on their own feet. Table 3. Dry bean seed production progress 1.Minot, N., Smale, M., Eicher, C., Jayne, T., Kling, J., Horna, D., and Myers, R. (2007). Seed development programs in sub-Saharan Africa: A review of experiences. Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division. Washington, DC, 20006. USA. 2. Morris, LM. (1998). Maize in the developing world: waiting for a green revolution. In LM Morris (eds): Maize seed industries in developing countries. Lynne Reinner Publishers, Inc. CIMMYT: I – 12. Introduction Results and Discussion Objective Materials and Methods Conclusion References Sampling design Farmers were selected using a stratified, two-stage sampling design, with the district municipalities as the strata, the local municipalities as the first- stage sampling units, and the households as the second-stage sampling units. Five municipalities namely: Greater Letaba (GL), Lepelle-Nkumpi (LN), Maruleng (MA), Polokwane (PLK) and Thulamela (THU) were selected, as shown in Table 1. Following intense deliberations with extension officers on the extent of dry bean production in the different municipalities, 13, 20 and 31 households were randomly selected in GL, LN and PLK, respectively (Table 1). Similarly, 29 and 32 households were also randomly selected in MA and THU, respectively (Table 1). In total, 123 households were randomly selected. From each household, either the head of the household or the spouse was selected, in the absence of any of the two, another member of the household was selected, based on responsibility for food related decisions in the household. Category Activity Capricorn (N = 31) Mopani (N=44) Vhembe (N=48) Personal Occupation "farmer" (%) 25.81 93.2 58.3 Occupation "farm labourer" (%) 3.23 0 2.1 Age (Range) 51 - 65 51 - 65 51 - 65 Age (% below 50) 12.9 31.8 12.5 Gender (% Female) 60 54.6 83.3 Formal education (% below Grade 7) 83.87 59.09 83.87 Farming main source of income (%) 64.5 70.5 91.67 Illness (% of respondents who fell ill ) 16.1 18.2 53.7 Dry beans Ate dry beans at least once a week (%) 96.77 70.45 48.94 Why do you eat dry beans? Nutritional reasons (61.2%) Nutritional reasons (38.6%) Avaiabil ity (47%) Do you produce dry beans? (% yes) 96.67 73.17 97.42 Do you sell dry beans (% yes) 93.6 93.8 95.8 Where do you sell? (% of output sold local) 93.6 54.6 93.8 Do you produce seed (% yes) 10.7 9.68 22.92 GL LN MA PLK THU Both (% of respondents who produced both grain and seed) 5.0 5.0 6.5 - 45.8 Grain producers (% of respondents) 89.0 90.0 83.9 75.0 31.3 Seed grower (% of respondents) 6.0 5.0 9.7 25.0 23.0 Name of variety mostly grown / percent of farmers Do not know (100%) Kransko p (100%) Kranskop (77%) Do not know (54.6%) Kranskop (95.6%) Where do you source seed / percent of farmers Recycled (80%) Local seed retaile r (90%) Recycled (80%) Recycled (18%) Retailer (58%) Know of any dry bean trials in the area (% yes) 10.0 10.0 80.0 72.0 65.0 Have you visited dry bean trials? (% yes) - - 63.6 77.0 86.0 Would you like trials to continue? (% yes) n/a n/a 100.0 100.0 100.0 . Local municipality name and frequency of households sampled. Local municipality Frequency Do you Produce Dry beans? Frequency Percent Yes No Greater Letaba (GL) 13 10 3 10.57 Lepelle - Nkumpi LN) 20 20 0 16.26 Maruleng (MA) 31 31 0 25.2 Polokwane (PLK) 11 9 2 8.94 Thulamela (THU) 48 46 2 39.02 Total 123 116 7 100
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Transcript of Developing capacity for seed production amongst smallholder farmers in Limpopo: a case for dry beans...
Developing capacity for seed production amongst smallholder farmers in Limpopo: a case for dry beans
The purpose of this poster is to provide feedback on the progress of a dry bean seed production project in Limpopo and derive its implications for the implementation of smallholder seed businesses in an effort to fortify seed security and self-reliance in rural South Africa.
b
Farmer surveys
To better understand the progress of dry bean seed production amongst farmers in Limpopo, group discussions were held with Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) extension officers, ARC scientists involved in the project as well with farmers. This led to the development of a questionnaire including a protocol for assessing the success (or lack thereof) of the project. The group discussions focused on the attributes and activities of farmers related to dry bean seed production before and after project implementation. The surveys took place in September 2014.
Table 2 presents results of the characteristics of surveyed households in the three district municipalities, whilst Table 3 shows disaggregated results from the five local municipalities.
Table 2. Household characteristics
The results of this study show that the ARC and LDA have been able to successfully introduce seed production amongst smallholder farmers in Limpopo. Farmers mainly produce the dry bean variety Kranskop which was released by ARC in 1993. However, farmers in the local municipalities still recycle seed, and exposure to demonstration sites was found to be very low in GL and LN. similarly, although Kranskop is a relatively stable cultivar, it has its own weaknesses. Further efforts should focus on sensitizing farmers on the need to use disease free seed; need to support each other and importance of visiting demonstration trials and implementing good practices learnt. A smallholder seed processing, packaging and distribution company will go a long way in helping farmers turn a profit from seed production. This may involve the use of already existing grocery stores in rural areas to distribute good quality seed to farmers and to market dry bean outputs from smallholder farmers to both rural and urban consumers.
Thula Sizwe Dlamini1 Precious M. Tshabalala1, Nomonde Gwebu1, Phonnie Du Toit2, Litha Magingxa1, Edzisani Nemadodzi2, Vuyisile Phehane1 and Yolisa Pakela-Jezile1
1 Agricultural Research Council, Hatfield. Pretoria; 2ARC-Grain Crops Institute, Potchefstroom.Email: [email protected]
Seed is the building block of crop production and as stated by Morris (1998:1): “Of all the inputs used in agriculture, none has the ability to affect productivity as much as seed”. Yet, even though the importance of good quality seed is generally well-recognised, most smallholder farmers in rural South Africa still struggle to get access to good quality seed.
Several approaches have been developed to increase seed access for smallholder farmers in South Africa. These include but are not limited to the government’s seed provision scheme which seeks to provide farmers with disease free seed at the beginning of the production season. Although evidence exists that farmers respond positively to incentive programmes, such incentive programmes are often, as Minot and others (2007: 3) put it, “not fiscally sustainable in the long run”. Ultimately, farmers have to graduate out of such programmes and be able to stand on their own feet.
Table 3. Dry bean seed production progress
1. Minot, N., Smale, M., Eicher, C., Jayne, T., Kling, J., Horna, D., and Myers, R. (2007). Seed development programs in sub-Saharan Africa: A review of experiences. Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division. Washington, DC, 20006. USA.
2. Morris, LM. (1998). Maize in the developing world: waiting for a green revolution. In LM Morris (eds): Maize seed industries in developing countries. Lynne Reinner Publishers, Inc. CIMMYT: I – 12.
Introduction Results and Discussion
Objective
Materials and Methods
Conclusion
References
Sampling designFarmers were selected using a stratified, two-stage sampling design, with the district municipalities as the strata, the local municipalities as the first-stage sampling units, and the households as the second-stage sampling units. Five municipalities namely: Greater Letaba (GL), Lepelle-Nkumpi (LN), Maruleng (MA), Polokwane (PLK) and Thulamela (THU) were selected, as shown in Table 1. Following intense deliberations with extension officers on the extent of dry bean production in the different municipalities, 13, 20 and 31 households were randomly selected in GL, LN and PLK, respectively (Table 1). Similarly, 29 and 32 households were also randomly selected in MA and THU, respectively (Table 1). In total, 123 households were randomly selected. From each household, either the head of the household or the spouse was selected, in the absence of any of the two, another member of the household was selected, based on responsibility for food related decisions in the household.
Category Activity Capricorn (N = 31) Mopani (N=44) Vhembe
(N=48)
Personal Occupation "farmer" (%) 25.81 93.2 58.3Occupation "farm labourer" (%) 3.23 0 2.1Age (Range) 51 - 65 51 - 65 51 - 65Age (% below 50) 12.9 31.8 12.5Gender (% Female) 60 54.6 83.3
Formal education (% below Grade 7) 83.87 59.09 83.87
Farming main source of income (%) 64.5 70.5 91.67
Illness (% of respondents who fell ill ) 16.1 18.2 53.7
Dry beans Ate dry beans at least once a week (%) 96.77 70.45 48.94
Why do you eat dry beans?
Nutritional reasons (61.2%)
Nutritional reasons (38.6%)
Avaiability (47%)
Do you produce dry beans? (% yes) 96.67 73.17 97.42Do you sell dry beans (% yes) 93.6 93.8 95.8
Where do you sell? (% of output sold local) 93.6 54.6 93.8 Do you produce seed (% yes) 10.7 9.68 22.92
GL LN MA PLK THU
Both (% of respondents who produced both grain and seed)
5.0
5.0 6.5
- 45.8
Grain producers (% of respondents) 89.0
90.0 83.9
75.0 31.3
Seed grower (% of respondents) 6.0
5.0 9.7
25.0 23.0
Name of variety mostly grown / percent of farmers
Do not know (100%)
Kranskop (100%)
Kranskop(77%)
Do not know (54.6%)
Kranskop(95.6%)
Where do you source seed / percent of farmers
Recycled (80%)
Local seed
retailer (90%)
Recycled(80%)
Recycled (18%)
Retailer (58%)
Know of any dry bean trials in the area (% yes)
10.0
10.0 80.0
72.0 65.0
Have you visited dry bean trials? (% yes) -
- 63.6
77.0 86.0
Would you like trials to continue? (% yes) n/a n/a 100.0
100.0 100.0
Table 1. Local municipality name and frequency of households sampled.
Local municipality Frequency Do you Produce Dry beans?
Frequency Percent Yes No
Greater Letaba (GL) 13 10 3 10.57 Lepelle-Nkumpi LN) 20 20 0 16.26 Maruleng (MA) 31 31 0 25.2 Polokwane (PLK) 11 9 2 8.94 Thulamela (THU) 48 46 2 39.02 Total 123 116 7 100
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