The socio-cultural factors underpinning maize farming in Ethembeni location, King williams town district

Abstract

Maize is the staple food for most South Africans. This means that if maize crops are damaged that will affect the food security of many South Africans. Maize is an important staple food and a source of food security in Ethembeni location. The study found that maize has multiple uses: including that local farmers (1) use maize to make local drinks as a basic ingredient (including, amarhewu and umqombothi); (2) maize is used as food umxhaxha (a mixture of maize and pumpkin) and inkobe (maize boiled whole, i.e without being previously stamped); (3) and maize is given to livestock as feed. Local farmers also grow maize because the crop offers an avenue to raise money through which they sell at informal markets. The funds from the sale of crops are used to buy fertilizers, hire tractors and help cultivate fields. Also many people use these funds to purchase needed goods and consumables. Despite the significant role and contribution of maize production in the local economy, illiteracy, lack of credit, lack of access to agricultural lands, and desires for employment in the urban centres have added to the decline on maize farming in the study area. This bring us to the question of how we transform a traditional maize farming-system, dominated by socio-cultural constraints into a modern-farming type arrangement, whereby there is potential to advance maize production. Data was collected from 50 smallholder farmers who participated in maize production using purposive sampling and key informant interviews. The main data collection techniques used include participant observation, key-informant interviews, questionnaires, oral history and focus group discussions. Results indicate that land ownership, easy access to farmland, levels of education, age, labour, and infrastructure are essential for the development of maize farming. The researcher suggested strategies which aimed at addressing current socio-economic constraints ought to be addressed by local traditional leaders and government councillors who should view the issue of land ownership seriously and grant women land rights which are essential for any agricultural practices. What is equally important is that the current channels of communication that ought to be developed among government officials and local famers need improvement so that famers can have better assistance and improve on their agricultural production potential and capacity.