Farmer Support Group Celebrates Successes in Msinga Communities

Farmer Support Group Celebrates Successes in Msinga Communities

UKZN’s Farmer Support Group (FSG), a community development, outreach and research unit based in the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) hosted its Food and Nutrition Fair at Othobothini (Emafusini) in the Msinga Local Municipality where it works to help 19 smallholder farmer groups to achieve food security.

Focusing on the theme of food security under climate change, the fair celebrated the achievements of rural farmers who have received infrastructure support, advice about growing their crops, and information about market access from the FSG. The farmers, many of them women, spoke about their efforts and innovations to enhance their food security in the face of climate change.

More than 100 attendees participated in the event, many representing their groups, and had the opportunity to share their experiences and frustration of growing their livelihoods through subsistence and small-scale commercial farming activities with the limited available resources.

After an opening prayer, FSG facilitator Mr Mfundo Mahlase introduced the programme, and local induna Mr Mfaniseni Mbawa welcomed guests. Senior facilitator with the FSG Mr Bongumusa Mbatha, who has been based with the Msinga groups since 2019 explained the theme for the day, supported by ward councillor Mr Docter Myeza.

The programme included a tour of the Zamani Garden at the host site, where farmers’ crops including sweet potato, beetroot, spinach, onions, tomatoes, strawberries, cabbage, potato, and more have thrived thanks to a modest irrigation system and fencing provided by the FSG and its project partners. Resolving water access issues has been a major factor in the garden’s success and has enabled farmers to make a living from the fresh produce they sell locally.

Ms Phindile Ngubane, who spoke on behalf of the Zamani Garden group, described how they previously collected water from the river using a pipe before installing water collection tanks, pipes, and taps. She acknowledged the effects of climate change but said the FSG’s support helped them to build resilience as they produced good-quality crops. She thanked Mbatha for his assistance and acknowledged Mbawa from the community for his help in maintaining their infrastructure.

Ngubane from Msinga spoke on behalf of her group and said they appreciated the opportunity to visit the Zamani Garden and were motivated by the results of farmers’ hard work there. She acknowledged the support of the FSG in helping them get their produce to market, with her group now supplying a major retailer in the area and encouraged other farmers to continue expanding their marketing and promote youth involvement in agriculture. Ngubane added that site visits like these were invaluable to exchange learning with other farmers.

Ms Cynthia Mngomezulu from Bergville said she was encouraged by the work she observed in the Zamani Garden and described the challenges with water resources, hail, and severe storms farmers experienced in Bergville. She said the training provided by the FSG had enabled them to cope better with the consequences of climate change.

Ms Khethiwe Mthethwa from UKZN’s Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems also contributed to the programme, speaking about the work of the Centre that aims to promote social empowerment and provide farmers with resources and knowledge to withstand the impacts of climate change.

Director of the FSG Professor Maxwell Mudhara gave the vote of thanks, reflecting on what the group had accomplished from its inception in 1998 when it worked with only four groups in the area. The FSG is also active in the Okhahlamba Local Municipality, where it works with 20 farmer groups.

He emphasised the importance of facing the unavoidable climate change challenge that presents in many ways, with too much or too little rainfall, and longer droughts, saying that careful and innovative planning is necessary to combat changes in temperature and water availability.

Mudhara encouraged farming groups to continue meeting, sharing knowledge, and discussing ways to tackle these challenges, including what crops to plant (especially neglected and underutilised crop species that could help to withstand climate change effects on food security and crop productivity), and how to protect the soil. The FSG will continue to provide support in understanding these challenges.

He thanked members of the groups for their hard work that motivated FSG facilitators to do better and encouraged a flow of resources and support from funders and collaborators.

‘We hope that next year we’ll be in another village in another group,’ said Mudhara of the annual event that was resurrected after a few deferments caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He thanked key partners who support the FSG’s work, including UKZN, the HCI Foundation, DKA Austria, and the European Union.

Words and photographs: Christine Cuénod