And mpat results

Analysis continue – Few households work the land

• Only 14,8% of South African households were involved in agricultural production. Most crop production took place in backyard gardens [StatsSA GHS: 2016]. This is so despite the sector’s contribution to the economy and food security.
• Only 11,1% of households involved in agriculture reported getting agricultural-related support from government. Significant support was provided for farming households in KZN (16%), E. Cape (21,7%), and N. Cape (21,1%) [ibid]
• A total of 1 125 524 ha of land is cultivated,
• 346 924 ha is cultivated in communal areas; 231 370 ha under the Recapitalisation and Development programme (RECAP) and 547 230 ha 1H1H Programme.
• However, land cultivated under RECAP is declining due to the uncertainty around the transfer of the function from DRDLR to DAFF. The issue is receiving attention.
• Only 2,2% of households reported receiving production training, while 7% reportedly received livestock vaccination services [StatsSA GHS: 2016].

Black Farming Households with access to Agricultural Extension and/or Training

Source: Statistics South Africa: General Household Survey, data amalgamated from 2012-2015
(with thanks to Prof. Michael Aliber, University of Fort Hare, for the calculations)

What the government set itself to do for agrarian transformation Progress against the MTSF 2014-2019 as at 30 June 2017

Analysis continue – power dynamic in Land Redistribution

• State purchase of land means that budgets can be spent and land acquired without any redistribution of land rights taking place.
• RECAP funds often benefit commercial strategic partners.
• Land Redistribution is governed by state officials, consultants and agribusiness ‘strategic partners’ concerned with surveillance and control of ‘beneficiaries’ in ‘projects’ with precarious tenure on commercial farms--now owned by the State ( Hall, 2017).
• While the State is playing a more interventionist role by purchasing land itself, it is not challenging the supremacy of private property, but rather becoming a significant player in the land market (ibid).
• Without redistribution of power and wealth to those who are the ostensible beneficiaries, how then could sustainable Land Reform be achieved?
• While land reform is a ‘national competency’ implemented by the DRDLR, agriculture is a concurrent competency, with the provincial departments responsible for implementing farmer support. This dynamic is a major contributor to fragmentation and variations in farmer support programmes.