Evaluating Food Security Strategies Implemented by Smallholder Farmers at Mthonjaneni Local Municipality Under King Cetshwayo District, South Africa

S.B. Khumalo; M. Zenda

doi:10.17159/2413-3221/2025/v53n2a16422

Authors

S.B. Khumalo University of the Free State
M. Zenda University of the Free State https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6069-8226

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2025/v53n2a16422

Keywords:

Food Security, Determinants, Interventions, Coping Strategies, Households, Mthonjaneni, South Africa

Abstract

This study evaluated food security strategies implemented by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture for smallholder farmers in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality. A total of 49 respondents were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Livestock farmers faced constraints, including stock theft (53%), parasites/diseases (39%), and inadequate labour (4.8%). Crop production was affected by lack of implements (24%), temperature (29%), rainfall (23%), soil fertility (16%), and pests/diseases (8%). Households employed various coping strategies for food shortages, such as limiting meal portions (42%), skipping meals or days without eating (42%), borrowing food (39%), and reducing adult consumption to prioritise children (42%). Viable food security strategies identified included agricultural inputs from the Department of Agriculture (61%), poultry projects (20%), household and community gardens (18%), and drought-resistant seeds (10%). Alarmingly, 98% of respondents experienced food insecurity severe enough to go to bed hungry. The study highlights the critical need for extension practitioners to revise food security strategies to enhance support for smallholder farmers. This includes strengthening agricultural input supply, improving market access, supporting land tenure rights, and promoting diversified farming systems. Extension services must prioritise tailored interventions that address systemic barriers while building resilience to climatic and socio-economic challenges in rural communities.

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