Factors influencing the level of vegetable value chain participation and implications on smallholder farming and food security in Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal.
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Date
2020
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Abstract
In less developed countries, smallholder farming is important for development that could alleviate
poverty, improve livelihoods, and contribute to household food security. However, Smallholder
farming in South Africa is synonymous with a myriad of challenges. Key among them being access
to markets. Most of the smallholder farmers in South Africa lack access to established commercial
markets because of a lack of or limited access to information, assets, and institutions that can
support smallholder farmers to produce for formal markets. This study aimed to introduce and test
the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) model for vegetable value
chain development in Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal. The SHEP model was used to psychologically
empower smallholder vegetable farmers to practice market-orientated agriculture while also
acknowledging “Farming as a business”. The study aimed at identifying the existing food value
chains in the study area along with the different linkages between value chain actors. The study
further identified and explored the factors that influence the participation level in the vegetable
value chain and implications on smallholder farming in Swayimane. Furthermore, the study
explored the impact of participating in agricultural value chains on household food insecurity.
Business linkages between farmers and market actors were identified through the practical
implementation of the SHEP. The research approach was both community-based participatory and
translational research because it involved training of smallholder farmers. The research adopted a
mixed-methods methodology where both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data
were used. The data was collected from a purposive sample of smallholder farmers using a survey
questionnaire, baseline surveys, and a semi-structured focus group discussion questionnaire. The
data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, value chain mapping, the nehurdle model, and an
instrumental variable Poisson model. The value chain map showed that the coordination among
value chain actors is strongly influenced by opportunities and constraints such as a lack of access
to credit, lack of access to agricultural inputs, water in-security, infertile soils, lack of storage
facilities, packaging, poor infrastructure, lack of market information, and price fluctuations Results
from the nehurdle model showed that the age of the respondent, marital status, farm income,
household size, cooperative, market information, radio, extension officer, and formal education
significantly influenced the participation decisions of smallholder farmers in agricultural value
chains. The results further showed that off-farm income, marital status, cooperatives, access to
credit, access to irrigation scheme, radio, extension officer, contact with non-government
organizations, and formal education significantly influenced the level of value chain participation
of the smallholder farmers. The results from the instrumental variable Poisson model showed that
Value chain participation, marital status, age of the household head, formal education, farm
income, lease rent on land, access to NGOs, access to credit, access to agricultural agency, access
to extension services and access to irrigation schemes were significant in influencing household
food insecurity status of smallholder farmers. It can be concluded that the level of endowment in
the physical, financial, and human resources influence participation in agricultural value chains.
The farmer’s level of success and improved outcomes are influenced by access to markets. It is
recommended that a market-led approach to farmer development be adopted to improve the
commercial prospects of farmers while also enhancing food security. Policy should consider
empowerment for market access through effective market- based farmer training and the creation
of market and business linkages. This study also concluded that value chain participation had a
positive impact on enhancing food security among smallholder farmers. The factors that influence
the level of value chain participation among men and women farmers respectively in the study area
were identified. Therefore, policymakers must take into consideration and understand the influence
that these factors have before drawing policies for value chain development. Furthermore, the
SHEP influenced the behavior of the farmers to focus on planting crops that were demanded by
the market and to keep records while practice farming as a business.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.