DAFFOfficial newsletter of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

November 2016

Sustainable farming practices were a highlight in the discussions on natural resources management at the Seventh Biennial National LandCare Conference in Kimber-ley in October. The 4-day confer-ence, which took place from 3 to 6 October was held under the theme, “Making a LandCare difference to-wards achieving land degradation neutrality.” The theme of the con-ference reinforces the department’s commitment to improve LandCare programmes in halting and revers-ing land degradation and the effects of drought.

While climate change may have taken a toll on agricultural productivity and soil care, it is important not only for farmers but the community at large to contribute towards sustainable use of natural resources. Government, through the Department of Agricul-ture, Forestry and Fisheries, farmers and stakeholders gathered at the Mit-ta Seperepere Convention Centre to demonstrate Conservation Agriculture as one of the measures to address the impact of climate change on the eco-system’s production, ecological and sociocultural services. Conservation Agriculture is a concept that involves minimum soil disturbance, permanent

Improved farming practices can prevent land degradation

By Jamela Nkanyane

soil cover and crop integration and ro-tation.

At the centre of the discussions were land degradation measures that could be taken to prevent it.

The department is already at the forefront of confronting the drought scourge by drafting legislative frame-work such as the Conservation Agricul-

ture Policy. Speaking on behalf of Min-ster Senzeni Zokwana, the Premier of the Northern Cape, Sylvia Lucas, said that the department is aware that when Conservation Agriculture is adopted, moisture conservation is achieved. This will encourage society to partici-

to p3

MEC for Agriculture in the Northern Cape Mr Norman Shushu and his en-tourage visiting the exhibition stands during the LandCare conference.

November 2016 DAFFnews No. 11 2

Departmental

Editor PiweMbiko (012)3196936 piwem@daff.gov.zaSubeditor LeratoMofokeng (012)3197927 leratomof@daff.gov.zaReporters ThuliLehong (012)3197929 nokuthulale@daff.gov.za SamuelKgatla (012)3197181 samuelk@daff.gov.za InnocentMhlanga (012)3197827 innocentm@daff.gov.za RonyMoremi (012)3196622 rincertm@daff.gov.za JamelaNkanyane (012)3196903 jamelan@daff.gov.za MerciaSmith (012)3196666 mercias@daff.gov.zaPhotographer JariusMmutle (012)3197366 jarusm@daff.gov.zaInterns KwanaleMhlanga (012)3196958 kwanalem@daff.gov.za LebogangMolopo (012)3197819 lebogangmol@daff.gov.zaDistribution SheilaFlockton (012)3197141 sheilaf@daff.gov.zaWebsite:www.daff.gov.za

DAFFnewsisthenewsletteroftheDepartmentofAgriculture,ForestryandFisheries.PrivateBagX250,PRETORIA0001.ItispublishedbytheDirectorateCommunicationServices,PrivateBagX144,PRETORIA0001.

OpinionsexpressedinDAFFnewsarenotnecessarilythoseoftheeditorialteam.Nopartofthisnewslettermaybereproducedortrans-mittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopying,recordingoranyinformationstorageorretrievalsystemwithoutpriorpermissionfromtheeditor.

Making a LandCare difference towards achieving land degradation neutrality

LandCare delegates on a field visit learning about grazing land rotation at the Prieska Conservation Agriculture Project.

No. 11 DAFFnews November 2016 3

Departmental

DN

pate in stopping actions that lead to land degradation and reversing land degradation by doing more rehabilita-tion of affected land. She further re-lated to the gathering that making this difference is the only means towards revitalising the agriculture sector, food security and improved economic growth and reducing unemployment.

Young farmers like Boitumelo Shole from the North West province have been following the conference for a while and he attests that conserva-tion Agriculture and new technologies can assist in natural resources man-agement to prevent land degradation. During an interview with the SABC current affairs programme, Morning Live, Shole said, “Because of climate change we need to adapt to new tech-nologies that will assist us to be more efficient as farmers to sustain our op-erations and also look after natural re-sources.

“We need to work with research in-stitutions to find solutions to continue farming in a sustainable manner.” Shole further acknowledged that farm-ers have a mandate to produce food for urban people and for the growing population of the world and that it’s their responsibility to look at new so-lutions. His farm already practices a concept that works towards no till or minimal soil till where they try not to disturb the soil from planting to har-vesting. This concept helps to con-serve moisture in the soil and prevent soil erosion.

Amid the drought, South Africa is also challenged with the declining ag-ricultural land resources prompted by factors that affect the capital land size availability to feed the growing popula-tion. To this effect, the department is in the process of public consultation on the policy and legislation on the Pres-

ervation and Development of Agricul-tural Land to protect constitutional op-eratives and national food sovereignty. The department is also enforcing the Conservation of Agricultural Resourc-es Act, 1983 (Act no. 43 of 1983) to ensure sustainable management of the natural resources through combat-ing soil erosion, eradication of weeds and bush encroachment and promot-ing veld management.

Further speaking on behalf of Minis-ter Zokwana, Premier Lucas appealed to all delegates in the conference to make use of the opportunity to inform the process and provide valuable in-puts on the draft documents that are under public consultation.

Delegates were also invited to join

from p 1

Improved farming practices can prevent land degradation

government’s commitment and advo-cate for the embracing of community-based and community-led interven-tions to land degradation rather than service provider driven modalities. This community—driven approach and grass-root system will indeed help to realise the goal of optimising pro-ductivity and enhancing sustainable use and management of natural re-sources resulting in increased produc-tivity, job creation, food security and a better life for all.

LandCare was launched in the Northern Cape in the year 2000 and the province appreciated hosting the conference this year. The next con-ference will be held in the Free State province in 2018.

Scholars taking part in the 7th Bien-nial LandCare Conference at the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre in Kimberley.

Eslin Wentzel and Nadjma Adams at one of the exhibi-tions.

November 2016 DAFFnews No. 11 4

Departmental

DN

The World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), the Department of Ag-riculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Food and Agricul-ture Organization of the United Na-tions held a 5-day training work-shop in Glen, Free State province.

The Free State province was the last province in the Lesotho Initiative where the smallholder farmers’ train-ing was conducted. The NAMC facili-tated training in marketing and pricing and trade, while WFP presented the Post-Harvest Handling and Storage Practices (PHHS) and demonstrated the use of the Blue Box (first quality control kit for grains).

In response to the food crisis in Lesotho during 2012, the WFP em-barked on efforts to develop small-holders’ capacity to meet the food quantity and quality standards re-quired to supply WFP’s programmes in Lesotho. As agreed with partners, there was a need to carry out mar-keting, pricing, post-harvest han-

Capacity enhancement for smallholder farmers

By Innocent Mhlanga

dling and storage practice training for smallholder farmers and enhance the government extension workers’ skills through Training of Trainers (TOT) on issues pertaining to grain quality.

During 2014, WFP made a signifi-cant impact on Free State smallhold-er farmers by procuring 625 Mt white maize and sugar beans to the value of R4 181 724.00. Twenty-six gov-ernment officials received training as part of capacity building efforts. The key purpose of the workshop was to provide smallholder farmers with the knowledge to improve the quality of their produce and have the ability to market their surplus produce in the formal agricultural market.

This training workshop was held to assist farmers to be able to produce quality grains, i.e., how to prepare for a new harvest, when to harvest grains, how to harvest grains, trans-portation of crop from farm to home, drying, threshing and cleaning and storage of grains at homes. Farmers need to adhere to the following meth-ods/topics: grain quality issues, new

harvest, drying grain, threshing and cleaning grain and storage and insect pest control.

The module provided trainers with a clear understanding of the technical aspects of maintaining high quality grain regarding good PHHS quality maintenance practices and recom-mendations at the Collection Point. This concerns grain correctly stored and prepared to be received, the in-spection of grain at intake and keep-ing the quality high.

Another aspect or module that was covered is the general principles of grain quality management. Its focus was on how to apply the specifica-tions in undertaking grading, meas-uring grain moisture content, safe storage moisture content for grain and weighing grain in and out of stor-age. It also focused on the Blue Box grain quality management and pest management concepts as it covers maintaining a warehouse, building bags stacks, good storage hygiene, receiving grain into store, insect pests and their control and lastly how to do fumigation.

Smallholder farmers and agricul-tural officials were given an overview of the training in marketing principles, which outlined the objectives, the pur-pose of the training and expectations. The focus was on the marketing prin-ciples and strategies.

The main emphasis of this training comprised of information on South Africa’s maize sector, trading require-ments (domestic and international), SAFEX, exchange rates and their im-pact on prices, etc.

Lastly, the WFP assembled the grain quality control kit called the Blue Box during the last day of the training. This was to afford participants with the nec-essary material and equipment to use when they are faced with challenges in producing quality grain.

The key purpose of the workshop was to pro-vide smallholder farm-ers with the knowledge to improve the quality of their produce and have the ability to market their surplus produce in the formal agricultural market.

No. 11 DAFFnews November 2016 5

Departmental

General Cele at the surrounded by Forestry Students from different uni-versities which are members of the International Forestry Student Asso-ciation

Youth is expected to take the reins from the current leaders of the vari-ous business sectors in South Af-rica. As such, the students of Fort Cox College of Agriculture and For-estry in the Eastern Cape have a de-sire to have the industry contribute into the curriculum to improve the skills set.

The college hosted the sixth South-ern African Regional Meeting of the International Forestry Student Asso-ciation where industry stakeholders, students and the leadership of the col-lege discussed ways to improve the curriculum.

The college currently offers a Di-ploma in Agriculture and in Forestry targeting to improve rural livelihoods in the country. However, the Head of Department, Phillip Tshidzumba agrees that industry stakeholders need to work with the institution to improve the cur-riculum and empower the students with adequate skills to enter the industry to create more opportunities in their com-munities. Tshidzuma said that the insti-tution has previously offered a Social Forestry Programme which was not well received but has produced some students who are currently offering skills to communities. He alluded to the need to create programmes which will not only focus on academic training but social and economic aspects that will help the students grow in the industry. Most students, according to Tshidzum-ba, see themselves being employed by the big fish of the industry whereas they can expand the industry by creating their own opportunities.

Norman Dlamini of Forestry South Africa said that students need transfor-mation from the approach of becoming employees in the big forestry compa-nies and understand the dynamics of building their own economy rather than depending on existing companies.

Students were also guided to focus

Roping youth into forestry sector

By Jamela Nkanyane

on innovation and research to deal with climate change and technology which may be shifting the need for paper. Dr Blessing Karumbidza of Sappi empha-sised that the company no longer pri-oritises paper but produce specialised cellulose, which makes sanitary towels, yoghurt, paint and clothing. He said there are opportunities in the Eastern Cape and encouraged the students to support rural communities with skills to develop land for rural forestry activities. Karumbidza encouraged the students to enter into the forestry sector through business ideas such as nurseries and storage facilities for firefighting equip-ment.

The Deputy Minister of the Depart-ment of Agriculture, Forestry and Fish-eries General Bheki Cele said he has visited a few farms operated by young people and has begun to appreciate that the youth is playing a role in the sector. However, government can do more to assist young people with fund-ing especially where they are expected to produce collaterals to access loans.

The Chairperson of the Local Organ-ising Committee and third year student at Fort Cox College, Kopano Khwene, expressed his gratitude that General Cele was present and that he shared his words of wisdom with the students. General Cele encouraged the students

to be the manufacturers of their own future by creating their own jobs. He said it is possible for the youth to cre-ate opportunities but determination and hard work are key to achieve the goal. Khwene has had the opportunity to join Rance Timber for a six months experi-ential training and admits that he has learned a lot from his mentor. Rance Timber has been supporting the college for some years.

The academic programmes of Fort Cox received full accreditation from the Council of Higher Education in 2002 and the accreditation status was re-af-firmed in 2004. Its curriculum was then reviewed and implemented in line with the industry and socio economic needs of the country in the year 2010.

The meeting at Fort Cox gathered forestry students from the University of Venda, the Nelson Mandela Metropoli-tan University; George Campus, the Na-tional University of Science and Tech-nology in Zimbabwe and the University of Pretoria. The meeting was previously hosted by other institutions and the dis-cussions are a lead to the International Forestry Students’ Symposium that will be hosted in South Africa in 2017. This symposium will gather students and forestry experts to present educational research about the role they play in the forestry sector. DN

November 2016 DAFFnews No. 11 6

Departmental

agriculture,forestry & fisheriesDepartment:Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesREPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

LANDCARESOUTH AFRICA

Free State Junior LandCare Project

PROJECT BACKGROUNDWith this project, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, LandCare section in Free State aim to expose grade 9 learners to the holistic approach of environmental management and nature conservation; particularly focusing on identifying and controlling invasive alien plants, identi-fying the importance of indigenous plants, soil erosion minimisation and the rehabilitation of damaged areas. An element of team building is be embedded in this programme to make learning exciting, adventurous and to promote a spirit of team work amongst the youngsters to be utilised later in life.

This Junior LandCare Project recognises that children are the key to environmental sustainability. This project wants to address environmental issues in combination with the relevant culture in the area. The project will be addressing critical LandCare and cultural issues.

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS5 000 learners have attended the Junior Land Care Project and learners who understand the impor-tance of indigenous plants have a basic understanding of what alien invader plants are. Learners have a better understanding regarding the impact and rehabilitation of soil erosion and they also have an opportunity to partake in team building and leadership exercises.

FUNDING:Since the 2014/15 financial year up to 2015/16, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has contributed R1 650 000 to raise awareness to school children and educate learners about the importance of natural resource management. 2 500 learners participated in the Junior LandCare Project during the 2014/15 financial year and 2 500 learners are participating in the Junior LandCare Project during the 2015/16 financial year. More than 500 school gardens were developed as the result of the training learners received. All 5 000 learners attending have received practical outdoor education on the topic of soil conservation (they also visited sites with erosion), practical outdoor education on the topic of alien invader plants and practical outdoor education on the topic of in-digenous plants, as per the prescribed curriculum.

Outdoor education on alien invader plants:

No. 11 DAFFnews November 2016 7

Departmental

agriculture,forestry & fisheriesDepartment:Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesREPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

LANDCARESOUTH AFRICA

JUNIOR LANDCARE FIGHTING FOOD INSECURITYJunior LandCare is part of the LandCare programme themes designed to empower the South African youth, particularly disadvantaged youth in rural areas. Junior LandCare seeks to address issues of youth unemployment, skills development, school nutrition and environmental education. It is divided into two legs, which are Junior LandCare in school and Junior LandCare out of school.

OBJECTIVES OF JUNIORCARE• Management of natural resources in a sustainable manner.

• Empower youth in communities and schools to care for land.

• Increase number of youth in farming communities.

• Increase capacity of young people on issues of sustainable natural resource management.

• Improve productivity for greater food security through greening and sustainable food gardens that supplement the school feeding scheme.

• Awareness raising

• Promote hands-on and outdoor environmental education activities for, in and out of school communities.

• Develop partnership and institutional corporation within departments, municipalities and NGOs.

WHAT IS FOOD INSECURITY?• Food insecurity is not “the government’s definition of hunger.” It is a broader term that describes outright hunger and the

coping mechanisms that households use to avoid hunger.

• Food insecurity is a household situation, not an individual situation. While food insecurity affects everyone in a house-hold, it may affect them differently. Specific individuals in a home (such as children) may be shielded from some aspects of food insecurity by caregivers.

• Food insecurity is a year-long measure. It is impossible to say whether a food insecure household is “hungry right now,” “going hungry tonight” or “does not know where their next meal is coming from.” Research shows that food insecurity tends to be episodic and often cyclical.

• Food insecurity does not mean that a household lacks access to grocery stores, lives in a “food desert,” or does not have time to shop/cook. It only refers to lack of food access based on financial and other resources.

HOW JUNIOR LANDCARE HELPS SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH TO FIGHT FOOD INSECURITY:Junior LandCare seeks to empower previously disadvantaged young people with regard to training in facilitation and lead-ership skills. This includes promoting food security at home and schools by establishing food gardens, creating awareness in sustainable agriculture stimulating the formation of youth clubs and small projects that aim to promote other components of LandCare. The school food gardens contribute to the school feeding schemes as part of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ strategy to provide quality and nutritious food to the young people of South Africa through the LandCare Programme.

November 2016 DAFFnews No. 11 8

Sector

agriculture,forestry & fisheriesDepartment: Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesREPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

On the 3rd of June 2016 the Department of Environmental Affairs, supported by the Department Of Agriculture, Forestry And Fisheries hosted the World Desertification Day and Environmental Day by exhibiting and distributing pamphlets, leaflets CA posters, LandCare pens and key holders at the Cottondale Sportsground in Bushbuckridge Municipality – Mpumalanga province. The event was attended by 370 participants. In attendance were Minister of Environmental Affairs , MEC and officials from the Mpumalanga Department Of Agriculture, Land , Rural Development and Environmental Affairs, Chief Monise, officials from the Department Of Agriculture, Forestry And Fisheries ,Councillors and ward committee members of the Bushbuckridge Municipality, CPA ,Mayor of Bushbuckridge ,Tribal authority of Moletele , SANPARKS and surrounding community members from Cottondale ,Tulamahashe etc. Miss South Africa 2016, political parties ,cultural groups , members of Endeavor and Lamington Community Association were also in attendance.

The Executive Mayor welcomed all the honorable guests and the participants including surrounding communities. He said that they appreciated the presence of the role-players who managed to attend the event. The chairperson of CPA passed some remarks to appreciate that we should not convert our areas into deserts and to appreciate the progress made at Endeavor Limington in terms of infrastructure development. He said Endeavor Limington land claim was about to be concluded and the land given to the owners as the final application exercise was done a few months ago. The secretariat together with the chairperson of the CPA were called to the Office Of Land Claims Commissioner to sign a settlement agreement document so that it could be forwarded to various businesses. The restitution process would be finalized in September as currently they were busy working with the municipality on the Integrated Management Plan which would guide them at the nature reserve on the planning process. However, the discussion document would involve the real owners of the land and adjacent communities. They wanted the game reserve to be people-driven so that its benefit would not only be to the surrounding communities but to the entire world. “We want to see the importance of existing property and in that manner the reserve will be protected against poaching and vandalism. Lastly we would like to thank the surrounding communities for their support,” he concluded.

The chairperson of the National People and Community Park team Mr. Mogakala thanked the Minister Edna Molewa for her contribution towards poverty alleviation. He said,”There are a lot of programmes from Environmental Affairs such as Working On Fire, Working For Water etc. which contribute to poverty alleviation and create job opportunities for people, we have now registered a Non-Profit Organization (NGO)and realised that there is a serious need for working together and bringing understanding to members of our community especially those who are adjacent to the nature reserve. Poaching is

a problem and it is very important to capacitate our people and surrounding communities about the importance of conservation, whilst allocating funding for capacity building. “The Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa said that they were working together with an organization called People and Parks to bring the community of South Africa together. South Africa, as part of the United Nations has signed two agreements on development goals which focus on education, health and environmental issues. She said that they should ensure that those goals were achieved and that our nature was very important. “If the area has a high carrying capacity and livestock that area and soil is carried away by water and becames hard, there will be no food growing on that type of soil which would lead to land degradation. We should fight against land degradation as our human activities should not contribute to the success of land degradation. We should stop littering along our streams and rivers. Our researches have indicated that they had found small plastics inside the ocean which were eaten by the fish. Plastic should be recycled and processed into products,” she emphasized. The Department of Environmental Affairs had contributed R7 billion during the past three years to desertification projects. Madile, Sesete and Retsamaile Primary Schools were chosen and made presentations about desertification. Madile Primary School won the first position and a voucher worth R18000 was presented to them to buy environmental equipment at Makro Nelspruit. The 2nd prize worth R 12 0000 went to Retsamaile Primary School and Sesete Primary School won an R8000 voucher as a third prize.

Learners of Madile Primary School

World Desertification and World Environmental Days celebration

No. 11 DAFFnews November 2016 9

Sector

DN

The year 2015 could be described as one of the driest years in recent history. Not only in the Limpopo province but throughout the coun-try. By November 2015, it was immi-nent that the country was going to experience a high shortage of food, both for its human populations and livestock. To minimise such a nega-tive effect and its repercussions to social life, the Department of Agri-culture and Rural Development in the Limpopo province at Maruleng Municipality mobilised available resources to revive and stimulate interest in gardening, namely veg-etables production to address food insecurity at schools and Tradition-al authorities.

In this regard, schools and Tradition-al authorities were selected as strate-gic points for the idea as they are often frequented by the public for one rea-son or another. This is so that learning basic skills of vegetables production and spreading the idea would be easy and quick.

‘’Of importance also it would be a matter of attracting and catching learn-ers at a young age in addressing food insecurity’’ said Rirhandzo Shingange Extension Officer in this area. “Not only will such projects prepare learners to be future producers, it will also contrib-ute in our feeding schemes which we as schools run. Learners will some-times be fed with fresh vegetables picked from our gardens,” Mr Samson Mathaba who is a teacher responsible of gardening activities at one of the participating schools in the area said.

As said in the introductory paragraph above, the main objective of this initia-tive was to introduce both the learners and the public to elementary garden-ing principles and change some nega-tive perceptions among some people which associate gardening with a form of punishment. Therefore all efforts

Successful school gardening

were made throughout to make the ex-ercise both exciting and an interesting learning experience, in the process, taking into account sustainable use of available scarce resources like soil and water. With seeds and compost received from the Department of Agri-culture.

The following activities were demon-strated to school participants and pro-duced good results:• Seedbed preparations and

sowing• Recommended and manageable

seedbeds size• Soil fertility management• Proper transplanting patterns• Moisture conservation practices • Irrigation rate frequency.

To ensure that the projects are suc-cessful and food insecurity is ad-dressed, monitoring was regularly car-ried out by responsible role players; namely teachers and extension offi-cials. This process went through until transplanting was carried out at four weeks from the sowing dates.

In more than one way, the idea of stimulating and reviving gardening in-terest at schools and turning school premises into food production skills learning areas have born good fruits. “From such a small beginning, as a department, we have had a situation

where several backyard producers vi-siting the department enquire and request training towards successful gardening practices. Such call included members of School Governing Bodies in some instances and other commu-nity members. Such an interest indeed could be attributed to this humble ap-proach of taking Extension to strategic places for a good purpose,” Mr Shin-gange said.

Mrs Malale, who is a gardening co-ordinating teacher at Balloon Mant-jana Primary School expressed the same sentiments about the projects: “whenever community members asked us about the project at our school we explain to them and refer them to the Department of Agriculture for more in-formation.”

“Despite the dry conditions experi-enced, the school has managed to pick and had a good taste of green mealies of the 2015/16 season when in some areas that has not been achieved. To-day we are happy as we are able to feed our learners with fresh vegetables from our garden. We are also able to raise funds for our school by selling to the community members,” she concluded.

For more information you may con-tact Rirhandzu Shingange on : 072 824 9925.

Compiled by Mr John Mthembi.

Balloon Manjana teachers and leaners in their beautiful garden with exten-sion officers.

November 2016 DAFFnews No. 11 10

Sector

Rural roads characteristically carry relatively low volumes of traffic. However, in the major agricultural producing areas of South Africa, the role of these rural roads is not only to provide access, but also to facilitate mobility in terms of the transportation of agricultural cargo to viable markets.

In the typical national gross domestic product (GDP) context the role of rural road conditions is not viewed as being of major economic importance. Rural roads are seen in terms of an accessi-bility provider and their importance for the local communities in the provision of access to health and educational opportunities.

Road conditions affect the opera-tion and costs of vehicles using the infrastructure. Most Vehicle Operating Cost (VOC) models provide an indica-tion of road roughness’ effects on fuel consumption, additional damage to vehicle and tyre wear. These models do not include the effect of road con-ditions on the condition and potential damage to transported cargo. Rid-ing quality of a road is defined as the smoothness of the ride experienced by a vehicle on a road.

In normal conditions, the protec-tion of goods is mainly provided by the packaging used to transport the cargo. In the case of agricultural transport, packaging is often not a solution to the problem, as the use of older vehicles operated on mostly rural roads with lower riding quality levels is a main contributor to cargo damage. Research that was done on the effects of driving on rural roads on damage levels of tomatoes revealed new insights into this issue.

These studies were done by the University of Pretoria, the California

Rural road conditions’ effects on agricultural cargo

Department of Transportation and the University of California. Vehicle and cargo responses to road conditions were measured during operations on a range of rural routes. Damage and failure levels for the tomatoes during transportation were determined and these damage levels were used to calculate typical costs to the agricul-tural suppliers due to road conditions. Damage levels for the tomatoes dur-ing transportation were determined and these damage levels were used to calculate typical costs to the agri-cultural suppliers due to road condi-tions.

Various studies correlating the road riding quality and the vibrations, ac-celerations and responses in vehicles and cargo have also been conducted.

These studies mainly concluded that a decrease in riding quality of a road is a major cause of increased vibra-tions and subsequent structural dam-age to vehicles and cargo. This leads to direct negative economic effects to the producer and farmer, such as in-creased transport costs, loss of mar-ket value of the transported cargo and reductions in revenue.

It is not only the riding quality and truck and cargo response, but also the time spent on the specific roads, as longer trips would typically cause more damage to the cargo. Losses of up to 8% in income can be incurred due to damage caused by transport over rough roads.

For further information, contact Prof Wynand Steyn, Cell: 0822199704.

Road conditions affect the operation and costs of vehicles using the infrastructure.

DN

No. 11 DAFFnews November 2016 11

Sector

DN

One of the essential elements of hu-man well-being is food security and this places agriculture at the core of a green economy. There is inter-national consensus on the key role that agriculture, in particular small-scale farming has to play in a green economy and this has been articu-lated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the African Union (AU).

In South Africa, agriculture has been identified as one of the sectors that will drive the green economy, says Mr C Musvoto of the division: Natural Re-sources and the Environment (NRE) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Small-scale farming is also aligned with government priori-ties to address poverty and unemploy-ment and to achieve sustainable devel-opment driven by a green economy.

Although South African agriculture is dominated by the large-scale commer-cial sector, the government of South Africa recognises the potential role of small-scale farming in the economy of the country and in job creation.

In the context of Outcome 7 of the Presidential Outcomes Approach which states that “vibrant, equitable and sus-tainable rural communities and food security for all” will be achieved. The minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has explicitly stated the need to encourage small-scale farmers to produce and drive economies in their respective communities.

South Africa has adopted the princi-ple of a green economy and is in the process of transitioning to a low-car-bon, resource-efficient economy. The green economy is a response to the challenges of sustainable development and integrates social, economic and environmental objectives. It also en-deavours to improve human well-being and social equity while protecting the environment.

Agriculture is well placed to con-tribute to a green economy as many agricultural activities potentially of-fer solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges that SA faces. However, the kind of agriculture that is relevant to a green economy is different from the regular industrial agri-culture which is dependent on practices and inputs such as chemical fertilisers and pesticides. For agriculture to con-tribute to the green economy, it has to be able to produce food and other com-modities and meet social objectives such as job creation and poverty reduc-tion, while protecting the environment, Mr Musvoto says.

The Natural Resources and the En-vironment (NRE) unit of the CSIR is, in collaboration with various stakeholders, conducting research to build the infor-mation base required to facilitate South Africa’s transition to a green economy.

Vegetable production, a subsector of agriculture could contribute to a green economy. Experiences from countries such as Cuba and Moldova show that small-scale organic vegetable produc-tion can drive green economic growth. Rural communities in different parts of South Africa practice small-scale farming and some produce a variety of vegetables for sale. While not con-ceived for the green economy, these small-scale initiatives may provide op-portunities for participation in the green economy.

As part of its green economy research programme, the CSIR, in collabora-tion with the Limpopo Department of Agriculture is analysing small-scale vegetable farming to identify potential constraining factors for contribution to a green economy. The analysis is be-ing conducted in Tzaneen in Limpopo Province. According to Mr Musvoto, the information generated in Tzaneen would be relevant to other parts of the country as conditions are generally

similar.Farmers in Tzaneen grow a variety

of vegetables on areas ranging be-tween 1 ha and 20 ha. Some farmers use organic production methods, while others use industrial farming methods. The farms which use organic methods use compost and organic fertilisers and do not use chemical fertilisers and pes-ticides, therefore reducing the risks of pollution and poisoning. Farms which follow industrial farming methods can potentially have negative impacts on the environment and people. Organ-ic farming generally uses resources more efficiently and has fewer nega-tive implications on the environment than industrial farming.

Tzaneen farmers use water saving drip irrigation, which also reduces leach-ing of plant nutrients from soil. Leached plant nutrients can pollute surface and ground water. Drip irrigation equipment is expensive and although most of the farmers would like to increase produc-tion, they generally cannot afford extra irrigation equipment.

Each farm employs between two and five people at any given time and therefore contributes to employment creation and poverty reduction. The creation of jobs on farms is aligned with the objectives of South Africa’s green economy. The farms also con-tribute to food security and to the local and national economy as they supply produce to national markets.

The transition to a green economy should be a process where alterna-tives to practices which are not com-patible with green economy principles are identified and introduced into farm-ing practices over time.

Small-scale vegetable production contributing to a green economy

November 2016 DAFFnews No. 11 12

Sector

DN

Sound business and risk manage-ment principles dictate that farm-ers give due consideration to and properly plan the way to address the uncertain environment in which farming businesses operate. This forms part of TLU SA’s strategy to ensure that members and other ag-riculturists are empowered to make the right decisions.

Various initiatives and opportunities exist for farmers to achieve proper di-versification. However, they are not necessarily aware of the various op-tions, factors and aspects to consider.

In light of the above, Old Mutual, TAU SA and Agri All Africa have agreed to present joint information/ educational sessions in various regions in order to afford commercial farmers the oppor-tunity to discuss options with experts, enabling these farmers to take more informed decisions.

TAU SA’s General Manager, Ben-nie van Zyl, said that, due to the el-ement of uncertainty associated with agriculture, it is essential for farmers to manage risk in different ways to ensure sustainability. This includes having a proper financial plan in place to manage farming risks more effec-tively, creating security for families by means of a proper succession plan and accumulating assets outside the farming business.

“In addition, given the uncertain policy environment and future of agri-culture in South Africa, it is important to consider options to diversify outside the South African economy. In this re-gard TAU SA has already investigated possibilities in Georgia and Bulgaria offering favourable agricultural op-portunities to farmers. However, it is important to consider all significant options. That’s why we would like to introduce farmers to opportunities

in Africa, joining hands with Agri All Africa, as well as hedging options available through financial institutions and platforms, where Old Mutual has been approached as a partner,” van Zyl said.

Dr Theo de Jager, Chairman of Agri All Africa, said “Agri All Africa’s aim is to make opportunities in Africa more accessible to farmers by clarifying pol-icy environments, entering into agree-ments with host countries, establish-ing networks and providing advice to prospective farmers and agricultural businesses. More than 3 000 South African farmers are already operating in Africa and the expertise of our local farmers is in high demand. We are pleased to participate in the initiative to provide guidance to farmers as we know there is a strong increase in the demand for food, creating opportuni-ties for farmers in South Africa as well as in the rest of Africa.”

Koos Nel from Old Mutual’s Agri Marketing team said accumulating assets and investments outside the farming business was a fundamental building block of a well-thought-out business plan to realise long-term ob-jectives. “Apart from protecting your lifestyle, these assets also reduce risks through diversification. Re-

search conducted by the MSSA (Mar-keting Surveys and Statistical Analy-sis) and commissioned by Old Mutual showed that 6% of farmers in South Africa have offshore investments as a hedge against potential underper-formance in the SA economy.

“We are keen to support the op-portunity created by TAU SA to bring commercial farmers up to date with the various options, implications and potential implementation. Several in-vestment opportunities in the global market are now available and acces-sible from the comfort of your own of-fice or vehicle. It is important for farm-ers to be aware of and consider the options available to hedge the hard-earned proceeds of their farming op-erations in the context of a relatively small SA economy and the volatility of the local currency,” Nel said.

The educational sessions will be held in early 2017 in four regions (Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga). Additional education-al sessions will be presented on de-mand. Those interested may contact Lynne Kayser at (012) 804-8031 or media@tlu.co.za at TAU SA. Further information will be made available as soon as the arrangements have been finalised.

Hedging strategy for uncertain times