The role of agricultural development projects in poverty reduction in the OR Tambo District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the role the Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) played in poverty reduction in OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape Province, and to determine farmers’ perceptions on ADPs in reducing poverty. The researcher followed a qualitative research methodology in this study. The study was conducted in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, under the OR Tambo District, with eight ADPs being visited in Mqanduli communities. The study had a population of 80 participants, 10 from each of the 8 ADPs, purposefully selected. The unit of analysis of the study comprised household heads of all households benefiting from the ADPs. The study also conducted research on extension officers of the eight ADPs visited. The data was captured using two questionnaires, which were conducted through interviews, with the researcher and enumerators present. Descriptive statistics and a Likert scale were used for the analysis of poverty status, including the perceptions of the participants of Mqanduli communities. The Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for analysis of data, which was imported from Microsoft Excel, to calculate means, frequency, and percentages. Furthermore, SPSS was used to do T-tests. The study focused on the ADPs, farmers, and extension officers who provided service support to the farmers, such as training services, farm visits and market access. The results of the study indicated that females were predominant in the projects (54%), older (mean age: 53) and mostly with a secondary level of education and with no schooling and were unemployed. The study also indicated that the majority of the respondents (40%) were mostly dependent on farm income, followed by remittances (20%) and old age pension grants (15%). The projects only produced maize crops that were sold for processing in milling plants. The study indicated that the poverty status before (mean: 2.51) had a significant difference from the poverty status after (mean: 4.10) the introduction of ADPs, with a majority (70%) approving project strategy as an effective tool to fight poverty. The study further indicated that extension officers performed their role in providing farmers with extension services. The study concluded that although the project strategy was an effective tool, producing one seasonal crop would not effectively solve the poverty crisis. However the study recommended that home gardens as a farmer’s individual project constitute a tool for cooperatives projects. Vertical gardens were also recommended for rural farmers as their success was noted in urban areas. Not only can a farmer produce quantity on a very small gardening area, the farmer can also provide for his or her family’s nutrition diet, and sell the surplus.