Factors responsible for the constant failure of government-assisted poverty alleviation farming projects in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The Eastern Cape is South Africa’s second largest province by area and is considered to have the best of agricultural soil in the country. Though the province has the richest agricultural soil in the country, the province is rated as the poorest and with the highest illiteracy levels in the country. The government has invested large resources to reduce poverty and grow the agricultural economy in the province, which could easily feed the country. In spite of the investment into the rich agricultural base of the province, poverty has remained and seems to be increasing. The use of community -based initiatives to promote the supply of food has not realised the intended goal 28 years into democracy. Developing agriculture would inevitably create more jobs within the province and help move the province out of its current economic quagmire. Meanwhile, the country imports pea nuts, sunflower and many other crops that can be grown in the Eastern Cape. This study aimed to identify factors responsible for the constant failure of government-assisted poverty alleviation farming projects to fight poverty. The focus was on the Cala District because of easy accessibility, and at the heart of poverty reduction projects by the government. The descriptive research design was used complemented by mixed research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) intended to provide breadth and depth in understanding the situation. The target population was residence in the district who owned land but were not making progress nor helping themselves out of this poverty. Convenience sampling was used in the administering of the three -section structured questionnaire to collect data. The data was processed with the use of Excel Spread Sheet (ESS). This helped in constructing illustrations used to compare and contrast the relationships between the variables. The general impression is that working their field was not employment, most wished to go to town to look for jobs, some suggested that they needed money – but never applied agriculture loans from the government. The situation is dire and may need extensive education and the physical presence of agricultural officers on the ground to promote farming.