Marketability and sustainability of food security programmes : products and productivity of agricultural projects
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Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Journal Of Agricultural Extension
Abstract
This paper addresses the marketability and sustainability of food security
programmes in Limpopo Province. Food security features prominently
because poverty and inequality remains a huge challenge in South
Africa’s rural sector. Thus the Government has initiated the establishment
of agricultural community projects as part of interventions for creating
jobs and improving income levels. However, lack of monitoring mechanisms
in established projects create a challenge of nonsustainability of these
projects. The study has used formative evaluation approach to determine the
effectiveness of the established food security programme. A mixed
model approach was used to collect data from key informants and project members.
Descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS. Most projects were on vegetable,
poultry and piggery production. The study has found that 64.1% of the respondents
reported that access to inputs was not a challenge. Project products are sold to
community members who accounted to 79%, and few (1%) to individuals owning
business, clinics and outside the community. Project members advertised their
produce mainly verbally (47.2%). Marketing strategies for project products were
lacking and this creates a negative impact on income generated and sustainability of
projects. The paper concludes by suggesting that project members should be advised
on appropriate marketing strategies.
Description
This article is published by South African Journal Of Agricultural Extension and is also available at https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC129907
Keywords
Citation
S.Afr. Tydskr. Landbouvoorl./S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext.,Vol. 40 2012: 1 – 15