Reviving the Extension and Advisory Programme of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, may kick-start agricultural production on fallow land in communal areas. This could then drive equitable and inclusive transformation and development in the agriculture sector, writes Zamikhaya Maseti, senior specialist for public and sector policy at the Land Bank.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), in collaboration with the South African Society for Agricultural Extension and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, recently hosted the 3rd African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services Extension.
According to a 19 October Cabinet statement, the main objective of the conference was to promote professionalism, enhance the image of public extension services in the country, and to recognise excellence in the agricultural sector through the establishing of the inaugural National Extension and Advisory Services Awards (NEASA).
This is an especially convenient time for an increased focus on creating a more professional extension service because of the significant role agriculture must play in transforming the economy and society. Thus, extension and advisory practitioners form a part of the agricultural value chain, with real potential to drive transformation and effect development.
HOW THE SYSTEM COLLAPSED
Government-employed extension and advisory practitioners have previously been seen to play a critical role in the agricultural development of the former Bantustans during the apartheid era. In the former homelands, these practitioners worked very closely with communities, helping them with livestock and veld management and providing veterinary services. They assisted with implementing proper records management, which required cattle farmers in the rural areas to keep a register of their livestock. This proved very effective in helping them to better manage their herds. The extension and advisory practitioners also advised villagers on how to alternate the grazing fields, or veld, between seasons. These services fostered a culture of discipline and order amongst rural farming communities, contributing to a sense of self-sufficiency and food security.
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