Mzansi’s new farmer register aims to record data on where smallholders in the agricultural sector are in their outreach, demographics, production and contribution to employment. Photos: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
South Africa is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, offering a wide variety of conditions for crop farmers to flourish in. Of course, not every environment is suitable for every crop, so we chatted to some experts to give us a little insight into what you can plant and where.
Unathi Liwani, an agronomy lecturer at Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, says that even though each province tends to have a main crop they grow, many smaller farmers have success with crops that are not necessarily considered a mainstay for that specific province.
“If you want to start farming, you basically find out [if] in this particular province, it is produced, but then [you should also look at] site selection and evaluation. That’s not necessarily [specific to] that province, but every town in the province has the potential to produce.”
“So when you talk about site selection, you have to consider things like the soil type of the area, the water source and the climatic conditions. These are some of the things that you actually need to consider and think about if your farming will be successful.”
For Sphamandla Sengwayo, an extension officer from KwaZulu-Natal, the specific environment where you are farming is the most critical element you need to consider before you start farming.
“In any crop production system, the consideration of the prevailing climatic condition in that particular area should be the first priority in guiding you to which crop, despite any economic interest or the profits [you want to] attain by growing that crop. The first thing you need to consider is, is it adapted to the area or region?”
In 2017, Statistics South Africa released this report entitled Census of Commercial Agriculture (CoCA). The report shows that maize farming is by far the biggest crop produced in the country, with over 10 million metric tonnes of grain farmed in that year. South Africa’s biggest maize producer is the Free State province, but the province is also known for its potato and soya beans farming.
Liwani says that, while the potential to farm grain is dependent on the specific farming site, it is difficult for a smallholder farmer to get into grain farming.
“The first thing I think I should mention when it comes to the production of small grains – your oats, your barley, your wheat – is that you actually need a very huge area to plant. It’s unlike vegetables, where you can easily start planting in your small garden. The reason is [due to] the quantities that are required.”
She explains that usually the products made from grain require huge amounts of it, making it difficult for farmers with small amounts of land to get into the industry. “For example, when it to comes to making beer, they need very large quantities of grain. So that is why you will find that in South Africa, most farmers that are working with small grains are the advanced commercial farmers – be they in the Western Cape, the Free State or in some parts of the North West province.”
She says that for farmers who do have access to enough land, the best thing to do is look at who your market is and what the end product will be. “It depends on the consumer or the end product. In the Western Cape and Free State, for example, they produce the grain that you use to make your bread, your pastas, and so forth. The other provinces [produce grain] for livestock purposes, to sell to farmers that have [to feed] their livestock.”
In Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, the biggest commercial farmers are farming with fruit. Limpopo’s biggest crop is oranges, but it also produces other citrus fruits like grapefruit, lemons and naartjies. The Eastern Cape produces the bulk of the country’s pineapples and is also a great place to grow apples, lemons and oranges.
In the Western Cape, grapes are the biggest crop, with most of the country’s wine producers are situated in this province. The Western Cape is also the biggest producer of deciduous fruits in the country, fruits like apples, peaches, pears and plums.
Sandra van Eeden, a horticulture lecturer at Elsenburg Agricultural Institute, explains that many fruit have a very short shelf life, so having access to the right infrastructure is very important.
“If you farm with a crop that’s got a very short shelf life, for instance, blueberries and strawberries, you must have good roads. You must be close to a place where you can have a packing shed and cold rooms and also not too far from your big centre so you can take your product to the wholesale market, and then from there, as quickly as possible to your retailer.”
She adds that farmers need to look up the frost sensitivity of their produce, because many fruits have a cold requirement, and that they need to make sure they have consistent access to water. “Some fruit crops need a lot of cold units in the winter to be able to flower efficiently in the next spring. [Farmers must also] have a static or a reliable quantity of good quality water.”
When it comes to soil requirements, Van Eeden points out that this too is specific to the crop being grown. “Soil can differ greatly in terms of the drainage, the amount of nutrients in the soil, the texture of the soil. Crops are in a way very specific about the type of soil they need to grow. And I always think that a lighter, sandy soil is easier to grow in than a heavy or a clay soil, but that’s mostly dependent on the requirements of the crop.”
For your beginner farmer, vegetable farming can be a good investment, especially if they do not have access to large tracts of land. The CoCA shows that in every province at least one vegetable makes it to the top ten crops harvested. That vegetable is usually potatoes, though onion farming and carrot farming are also prominent.
In the Northern Cape, over 205 000 metric tonnes of potatoes were produced in 2017. The province also produced 66 000 metric tonnes of onions. Comparatively, Limpopo produces over 482 000 metric tonnes of potatoes and over 157 000 metric tonnes of onions.
Liwani explains that, when choosing which vegetable to farm with, you need to also look at your market. She says different markets have different requirements, and these requirements may influence how you need to farm.
“They will show you the size [of vegetable] that they want, and [that] actually does play a role in how you plant. For example, when we talk of the size of cabbages, it plays a role in the spacing of your crop itself. If we talking about the colours that they require in tomato and the sweetness, it talks about managing your water, which [controls] your EC (electrical conductivity) within the water and also your pH and of course your nutrient management.”
Liwani says that there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the country around production management practices, where farmers plant and manage their crops in a specific way in order to have them meet market specifications.
“The first step we talk about is [your] water, climate and the land itself. The [next step] goes to aspects of production management practices. You ensure that [when] you plant, you actually get the product that is required for the market. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done around that, in ensuring that our farmers know how to plant, they [are] given the plant spacing and [get to] the germination stage.”
Each province in the country clearly has big commercial ventures where specific types of crops thrive. As a new farmer, you can decide if you want to farm according to your region, or if your micro-climate allows you to farm with something different.
Here at Food for Mzansi, we have covered everything from strawberry farming to growing your own ginger. For information on growing specific crops, all you need to do is use the search function on our website!
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Born and bred in Cape Town, Nicole Ludolph is always telling a story. After a few years doing this and that, she decided that she might as well get paid for her stories. Nicole began her journalism career writing science articles for learner magazine Science Stars and interning at Getaway Magazine.
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