Abstract
Background: The government’s inability to ensure that both the local and the national markets adequately accommodate smallholder producers is inhibiting the sector’s ability to grow and expand.Aim: This article explored the influence of the governmental administrative processes on agro-smallholders’ ability to access municipal markets.Setting: The study is based in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), specifically in the eThekwini Municipality. The target population is agricultural (agro-) smallholder producers who are located within the traditional leadership and government officials (KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and eThekwini Municipality).Methods: A qualitative exploratory research methodology using semi-structured interviews was adopted for this study.Results: The results showed that the government structures and municipal markets do not provide substantial support to agro-smallholder producers who are seeking access to markets. The results further showed that there is no integration or relationship between the government institutions on the issues related to the promotion and development of agro-smallholder producers.Conclusion: Through the application of administrative theory, the article posited the recommendations that the government institutions should incorporate stakeholders’ insights, lay a policy foundation for a whole-of-government approach to planning and set the direction for agro-smallholder’s planned future. It is also recommended that the government departments create a single planning and coordination structure or forum that will be beneficial to the smallholder sub-sector and avoid duplication and resource wastage directed to this sub-sector.
Highlights
Introduction and backgroundAccording to Raju and Singh (2014:1), ‘seventy-five percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend on agriculture as their primary source of income’
When the government is formulating any such policies or plans, especially for the smallholder producers, it is essential that these constituents are involved or can participate in the process to incorporate their views
The research reported in this article suggests that the smallholder producers’ lack of participation negatively affects the sub-sector, as their issues and views concerning the agricultural sector are not integrated into the municipality’s plans or policies
Summary
Introduction and backgroundAccording to Raju and Singh (2014:1), ‘seventy-five percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend on agriculture as their primary source of income’. Aliber and Hall (2010), Hazell (2011), Singh (2012), Nelsona et al (2014), Raju and Singh (2014) and Aliber and Mdoda (2015) noted that the smallholder farming sector occupies a significant role in producing food worldwide and contributing to the reduction of rural poverty, food insecurity and unemployment. Jordaan, Grové and Backeberg (2014) and Zantsi, Greyling and Vink (2019) asserted that smallholder producers are distinctively placed to perform a key role in stimulating the rural economy towards alleviating poverty in South Africa. Whilst smallholder producers occupy a key role within the agricultural sector, http://www.apsdpr.org. The government’s inability to ensure that both the local and the national markets adequately accommodate smallholder producers is inhibiting the sector’s ability to grow and expand
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