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Abstract:
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In Sekhukhune District of the Limpopo province, seven (7) irrigation schemes were revitalized through the
installation of floppy irrigation system by the Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA). Prior the revitalization
of the schemes, farmers were allocated Units where they were farming individually. The improved infrastructure
and the commercialization model which was facilitated by LDA required famers to merge their units to increase
the economic scale. Farmers at these irrigation schemes are mostly adult black women who were not having
tractors & implements, production costs and skills to farm at commercial level with high technological irrigation
system to match with the improvement of the scheme. The strategic partnership model was then introduced
to all irrigations schemes aiming at: knowledge & skills transfer to farmers, linking the farmers with potential
markets, and provisioning of production costs & machinery.
Out of the seven revitalized irrigation schemes where strategic partnership model was implemented in
Sekhukhune district, one scheme is currently functional. In the six non-functional irrigation schemes the
partnership between the stakeholders ended by either the strategic partner (SP) pulling out or the farmers not
wanting to work with the SP anymore. LDA identified the non-functionality of the six irrigation schemes as a
problem and commissioned a study to review the strategic partnership model through the Agricultural Research
for Development (ARD) approach. A team of professionals from various disciplines was formed to review the SP
model. The team members were orientated to tenets of the conventional/scientific research versus participatory
research; they then went through knowledge acquisition phase of ARD at Tompi Seleka Farmers Development
Centre to be skilled on action/participatory research; the training was facilitated by International Centre for
Development Orientated Research in Agriculture, Agricultural Research Council, University of Limpopo and
University of Venda. Unlike the conventional research, ARD integrates research within the broader, more complex
development process, exploring livelihoods through systems thinking.
Interview checklist was prepared and every team member knew what was expected from the checklist; this
gave the researchers opportunity to probe for more information. Key informant interviews, focus group sessions
were implemented using participatory tools such as Venn and Chapatti diagrams among others to ensure that
participants freely air their views and learn during the teams’ data collection. The following stakeholders were
interviewed; Strategic Partners (SP), Extension officers working with the schemes, the farmers, councillors and
the Traditional Authority. During the diagnosis of the problem, it was discovered that lack of transparency on
financial matters is the main cause of conflicts between the SP and the farmers. It was found that farmers agreed
to register as a Co-operative without thorough understanding on how it is to function and what this actually
entails. Merging of individual farmers units into one-large plot resulted into farmers losing sense of ownership
and control resulting in less commitment to the operation of the scheme. It was also noted that the farmers’ role
in the day-to-day operation of the scheme was not clear indicating that perhaps the transfer of skills was not
appropriately done. |