Abstract

SMIT, PR  and  MELNTJES, AJ. Variables influencing the success of subsistence farming: is business management a solution?. JCMAN [online]. 2017, vol.14, n.1, pp.1165-1193. ISSN 1815-7440.

South Africa has a dualistic agricultural sector entailing commercial farming units along with subsistence maize farmers. Essentially the subsistence and small-scale farmer sector develops and improves production in an effort to increase rural development, create jobs and stimulate the rural economy. The aim of this study was to investigate possible factors influencing the development of subsistence maize farmers as well as the ambition of these farmers to grow their practices into more commercial farming units. A quantitative, exploratory study was conducted among the target population of subsistence maize farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape provinces. A questionnaire based on recent literature was compiled by the researchers and found valid and reliable. A convenience sample yielded 344 usable questionnaires. The results exposed certain factors that influenced the ability of the subsistence maize farmers to develop, including poor access to resources such as land, finance and equipment, limited support from government and private agricultural companies, restricted access to off-take markets and insufficient financial and agronomic skills. It was also found that the farmers generally have the ambition and the will to expand their farming operations as well as the intent to produce maize on a more commercial level.

Keywords : commercial farming; farmer development program; subsistence agriculture; subsistence maize farmers.

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