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Abstract:
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The study aimed at evaluating successful agro-processing models and make recommendations on their replication in the rest of the Limpopo Province. At the outset, it was agreed that the study would focus on four (4) crops: i.e. bananas, mangoes, oranges and tomatoes, since Limpopo Province is a major producer of these commodities.
The study findings indicate that production, processing and marketing of the 4 commodities quoted above is currently being dominated by commercial interests, with rural and emerging farmers relegated largely to informal markets. These commercial interests have access to market information which has enabled them to penetrate domestic and export markets. At the same time, commercial farmers, through their growers associations, have access to extension workers who provide valuable technical assistance. Rural and emerging farmers, on the other hand, do not have access to similar resources. |