Abstract:
The study aimed to investigate the impact of smallholder vegetable production on livelihoods and poverty alleviation in the community of Sedibeng District Municipality of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data were drawn and collected from 60 smallholder vegetable producers using a questionnaire which was conducted through one-on-one interviews. The data were analysed using a descriptive statistics model to compare variables and the livelihood levels of smallholder vegetable producers in Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM).
The results suggest that gender, household size, marital status and household income influenced smallholder vegetable production. Women as primary caretakers of children were more involved in vegetable production than men and vegetable production increased when households were headed by females. In addition, results show that working with limited resources as a group was more productive than working individually. Smallholder farmers working in groups worked more closely with extension officers and were assisted with the latest information related to agricultural production, proposal writing, financial support, production inputs as well as markets, compared to farmers working individually. Furthermore, the results indicated that farmers working in groups created more employment opportunities than those working on their own. Hence the community was able to improve its living conditions.
In addition, the age of farmers influenced smallholder vegetable production significantly. The majority of farmers (68%) were 50 years and above which meant that they had the advantage of experience. The major crops that were grown were spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. Furthermore, farmers indicated that project implementation and evaluation were successfully undertaken with the assistance of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) agricultural advisors. Regular visits received by farmers from GDARD agricultural advisors led to the effective use of the extension services and improved productivity. Farmers highlighted that the support services they received from the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) assisted in enhancing productivity. In addition, the majority of agricultural advisors had BSc and BTech qualifications and had majored in crop production, which translated to higher production for the farmers they assisted.
This study indicated that smallholder vegetable production improved the livelihoods of Sedibeng District Municipality community. Smallholder production created self-employment and the smallholder farmers were able to provide basic foodstuffs for their families.
