How Effective is the Agricultural Advisory Service Rendered to Land Reform Beneficiaries in South Africa?

A.J. Verschoor; S. Zantsi; L. Mdiya; C. Gandinzanwa

doi:10.17159/2413-3221/2025/v53n5a21387

Authors

A.J. Verschoor Agricultural Research Council https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6556-776X
S. Zantsi Agricultural Research Council https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9787-3913
L. Mdiya University of the Free State https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2207-9261
C. Gandinzanwa University of Pretoria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9596-2453

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2025/v53n5a21387

Keywords:

Agricultural Extension, Land Reform, Effectiveness, Service Delivery

Abstract

Agricultural advisory services play a crucial role in enhancing agricultural productivity, ensuring food security, and promoting rural development. Monitoring agricultural advisory services is crucial for enhancing the quality of services provided to farmers, particularly in light of the limitations in delivering agricultural extension services. This article employs descriptive analysis to focus on the agricultural advisory services provided to land reform farms acquired under the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS). The authors draw from an extensive survey consisting of 1,956 PLAS farms conducted in 2018 through face-to-face questionnaire interviews with beneficiary farmers. The inquiry involves a comparison of farm performance between farms that had access to extension service and those that did not receive it. This article examines the effectiveness of these advisory services for beneficiaries of land reform in South Africa. The article examines the role and state of public agricultural advisory services, as well as the factors contributing to their poor performance, drawing on relevant secondary public data and literature. Results show a slight difference between farmers who had access to an agricultural advisory service and those who did not. This indicates a need to enhance agricultural advisory services. Secondly, the article recommends potential solutions to the limited agricultural advisory services, which entail incorporating digital technologies.

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