Small Scale Commercial Farmers

Enabling emerging farmers
The FPEF is committed to support emerging growers in their quest to establish themselves as significant players in the fresh fruit industry. We focused our efforts on provinces that supply a significant amount of fresh fruit to international markets; and where emerging growers benefited from land claims under the government land reform programme. Training, mentorship and linking farmers to strategic partners in commercial exports, support this sector. Since needs vary from province to province, training courses and support initiatives are modified accordingly.

Mpumalanga
Generous funding from the Ford Foundation made it possible to implement a two-year project in Mpumalanga. Participants hailed from various emerging fruit farming trusts in the Nkomazi region. This particular course covers the entire value chain and theoretical content is coupled with practical field experience. A very important component of this initiative is dedicated on-farm mentorship on a monthly basis. The assigned mentor, Ewert Nkosi, has a vast knowledge of emerging farmers and agricultural practices in the area.

Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape farmers participating in the project are located close to Fort Beaufort, where farming activity is primarily focused on citrus fruit. Riverside Enterprises support the farmers on technical and administrative levels. Record keeping was the main topic, with the view of assisting farmers to comply with the food safety, environmental and social standards set by international markets.

Limpopo Province
Vast areas in the Limpopo Province are subjected to land claims and it is also one of the areas with the highest concentration of emerging farmers in South Africa. The farmers participating in this project are located in the Mopani and Vhembe regions. Mangoes, avocados, litchis, citrus and macadamias are mainly produced in the area. The Canadian High Commission funded the Limpopo Province and Eastern Cape projects.

Western Cape
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in the Western Cape supports a training programme with emerging farmers, which we plan to implement in the Ceres region.

Measuring the impact of our work
The Finnish Embassy initiated and funded an evaluation and needs assessment in the Limpopo Province (Vhembe region), Eastern and Western Cape, where the emerging farmer programme was initiated in 2009. The process will help us to improve our training and support initiatives and ensure that our work in future is based on needs identified by the farmer groups. The information will also provide an effective tool for monitoring, evaluating and assessing the ultimate impact of training and support interventions.

Strategic partners
We are fortunate to have the support of both local and international donors – without which none of this work would be possible. Our sincere appreciation goes to the Ford Foundation, Canadian High Commission, the Finnish Embassy, Tesco and the DAFF for recognising the significance of our work. We make a concerted effort to align our work with other important players in the field. This is to ensure an integrated approach to development and sustainable support for emerging growers. The DAFF is a crucial player in this regard and every effort is made to include their extension services in our training initiatives. Commercial exporters and producers play a significant role in providing mentorship and technical assistance to emerging growers. Dole SA in the Limpopo Province (Vhembe and Mopani regions); the Vintage Group in the Western Cape; Riverside Enterprises in the Eastern Cape; and Colors and Neos Estate in Mpumalanga all provide technical support to emerging growers. Our service providers are instrumental in ensuring that our strategic objectives are met and we’ve worked with a team of dedicated professionals. Appreciation goes in particular to Sandra Kruger & Associates and Agri IQ, for embarking on this journey with us and for their unquestionable commitment to making a difference. The initiatives carried out this year have reached in excess of a hundred emerging farmers throughout South Africa. All have been well received and clearly meet a desperate need for knowledge and skills acquisition amongst farmers entering the market. With equal clarity, the sobering fact emerges that we all have a very long way to go if we wish to realise a successful future for emerging farmers.