Photo 2a: Mr Jurie Mentz from
Grain SA addressing attendees at
the Farmers Day on 25 March 2014
Photo 2b: MBLI and Matracca CA hand planters
demonstrated
laboratories’ and their group meetings as social learning events.
their areas.
They have undertaken to increase their planting areas as
well as the use of CA since the
benefits from this season have
been obvious: saving money on
hiring of tractors, saving labour
after the initial planting process,
less infestation of weeds, increased production and improved food security.
Eighty (80) farmer-led trials have
been conducted in the Bergville area
during the 2014/2015 season as
part of the smallholder CA project
(see Photo 1). These farmers are
also members of CIG’s, all of whom
participated in the learning processes. Around hundred-and-twenty
(120) farmers have been involved.
Participants in this project’s innovation process have recognised the
following outcomes and benefits:
They have experimented with
new ways of field crop production (maize, dry beans and cowpeas) that have shown good
growth, increased yield, increased soil fertility, reduced soil
and water erosion, reduced
weed pressure and increased
food security and incomes from
selling maize and beans.
They have learnt about soil management and how to use and
apply agricultural inputs such as
fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides.
They have worked together as
teams to plant their plots, which
have helped considerably to prepare the fields in time and reduce the burden of labour.
They have spread the word to
other members in the community and have generated a positive
force towards working together
and increasing production in
Yields for legumes have been exceptionally good and comparable to
commercial yields. Average yields
for beans have been from 720kg1.8t/ha and for cowpeas from
400kg-1.2t/ha. Maize yields thus
far have been equally good averaging around 4.2t/ha.
Considerable awareness was generated at several smallholder communities in Bergville through the CA
innovation process. Farmer days
were held in each of the three areas
towards the end of the 2013/2014
growing season to showcase the
work being done. These were well
attended by local people and stakeholders alike. The main farmer’s day
was held on 25 March 2014 (see
Photos 2a to c). People within the
area and from neighbouring areas
have taken proactive steps towards
being included in the process in the
2014/2015 season and four new
CIG focus groups were established.
Bergville farmers gaining momentum
Groups have now been set up to
Photo 2c:Mr Nicolas Madondo, local project facilitator, explains
one of the farmer-led trials
facilitate bulk buying and SCG
members have planned their savings in order to buy inputs for field
cropping. In addition, a process for
borrowing and hiring of CA equipment for the broader community
has been initiated.
Positive links were formed in the
local Agribusiness community, including joining study groups set up
through Grain SA, forming relationships with Afritrac for supply of CA
implements, forming relationships
with the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs
(DAEA) and Farming Systems Unit
for promotion of CA in the area.
At this stage the process is scaled
out in the Bergville area and surrounds, linking as many villages and
communities as possible and working with a model whereby more
experienced farmers will each facilitate and assist five new farmers to
establish CA practices in their fields.
In this way around 1 000 smallholders could be on board within the
next few years. In the long-term the
vision is to establish an incentive
scheme, to sustain and grow farmers’ ado ption of CA without relying
on continued dedicated project
funding. Already the CA project
platforms among smallholders in
Bergville are gearing-up to meet
these challenges in view of sustainable crop production and household
food security.