Agriculture in Africa

The Agricultural Sector in South Africa and the rest of Africa

In need of serious assistance

                                                                                                                                  Stes de Necker

There is little space left in Africa for mediocre economic activities and peace meal handouts to satisfy the needs of the masses. South Africa is the most modern economy on the African continent and has already established itself as the gateway to the rest of Africa for most overseas business wishing to invest in Africa. In order to retain this position, South Africa needs to establish major reliable and economically viable business ventures with the rest of Africa.

Away from the resources and energy of the main agricultural producing areas of South Africa, polite political expressions of loyalty, poor service delivery and sheer incompetence seems to be the order of the day. Creative and effective participation in the global economy, by all farmers in the agricultural sector, requires an entirely different mindset – a mindset that dares to be less governmental, that challenges conventional development policies and foster competitive regional and global linkages.

With the best intentions in the world, present South African Government policies, mentorships, NGO’s and commodity organizations have at best only succeeded in the establishment of a few subsistence farming operations. These efforts are doomed to failure unless a long term remedy can be found to stop the continuous decline in economically viable agricultural production.

Nowhere in modern history has governments been able to conduct farming operations economically and sustainably within the confines of rigid governmental policies and statutory regulations. Communist Russia, Cuba and most recently Zimbabwe are prime examples of this incapacity. Numerous regimes in the rest of Africa have also failed to effectively produce food for their citizens.

Inadequate agricultural development policies coupled with constant rising input costs and the accompanying inability of many farmers to maximize revenue in the market place, have forced many farmers off their land. Further more the majority of Africa’s farmers, especially emerging and existing small to medium scale farmers, are unable to stay abreast of modern scientific methodology and technology due mainly to financial constrains and inadequate support structures.

Countries like Brazil, the Ukraine and China have largely converted to new generation fuel efficient tractors and farming equipment. Combined with modern production methods like for example scientific minimum tillage and water harvesting techniques, this change-over not only made it possible for many established farmers to survive the international economic pressures on agriculture, but also to increase their production and profitability. In South Africa the only successful farmers are those who are applying modern scientific methodologies and technologies in order to ensure their eventual success.

As a result of stable government and disciplined macro-economic policies, South Africa has managed to remain part of the international mainstream economy since 1994. This is however proving to be increasingly more difficult. Greater efficiency in terms of government service delivery, increased productivity and economically productive investment is critically necessary.

Should South Africa loose further ground in competing in the international economic arena it would most certainly join the likes of Zimbabwe, Myanmar, North Korea and Somalia as the failed states of the recent world order. South Africa faces real and possible ejection from the first world economy to a position of a typical third world economy. This could happen sooner rather than later. Kenya’s recent political upheavals demonstrated just how rapidly a country can tumble towards this position.

Through a combination of skills, experience and expertise, a modern co-operative economic and sustainable  farming system was developed by Stes de Necker and Mann Oelrich which has the potential to once again bring unproductive arable agricultural land back into active production. This development model also has the potential to benefit existing land owners – both established and emergent, to stimulate the development of rural agriculture and to grow the GDP of the country where it is applied.

The thinking behind the development model is a direct result of the concern about diminishing food production while a considerable number of available hectares of potentially productive land are lying underutilized Africa. This concern is reinforced by the call of agriculturalists, politicians and the general public for attention to this critical problem.

The proposed model has the element of sustainable food production, job creation, in-house training and the upliftment of rural communities as its core function. The successful application of proven practices led by experienced practitioners, using the latest technology and practical business principles, could go a long way to encouraging replaced skilled farmers to re-establish themselves as self-sustaining agriculturalists.

Already in 2004 it was evident in South Africa that poorly developed agricultural development policies will not achieve its socio- economic objectives. Uncoordinated and sometimes haphazard funding of agricultural related projects sadly failed to achieve the economic growth needed in this sector of the economy.

These unsuccessful policies, coupled with the increased economic demands on the agricultural sector, resulted in failed land reform and agriculture related development projects throughout South Africa. Numerous once productive and vibrant farming enterprises are currently little more than unproductive wasteland. The biggest threat to future food security in South Africa and the rest of Africa, is the current exodus of farmers from the agricultural sector due to economic pressures. During the period 2000 to 2009, 175,000 farm workers in South Africa lost their jobs as a result of farming enterprises closing down. 

The increasing application of modern crop rotation systems, the development of new technology and the application of new tillage methodologies are rapidly creating vast new possibilities to solve the problems experienced with previous orthodox farming practices.

The de Necker/Oelrich development model is recognized by leading South African economists as one of the best designed and economically viable development models, containing all the key elements necessary to restore the agricultural potential of Africa.

This potential is not limited only to grain production, but through the application of these same principles, could suit the particular requirements of most branches of agricultural production.

Any one interested in this model can contact Stes de Necker via E-mail at:  stesdenecker@telkomsa.net or fax to email at 0866125254

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