The smallholder irrigation scheme development is seen as an important strategy to transform resource-poor communities by enhancing food security and alleviating rural poverty, which has led the South African government to prioritise and invest significantly in irrigation establishment, rehabilitation, and revitalisation. However, little information is available on the effectiveness and impact of smallholder irrigation schemes in improving rural livelihoods. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the impact of smallholder irrigation schemes on household welfare, specifically on household income in farmer-managed irrigation scheme communities in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Primary data in the form of structured questionnaires was used to collect data from 160 farmers using multi-stage sampling. Descriptive statistics and propensity score matching were used for analysis. The study results reveal that smallholder irrigation schemes can significantly transform smallholder farmers' lives by increasing productivity and providing reliable income from farming. The study found a positive impact and relationship between smallholder irrigation schemes and household welfare in the study. Farm characteristics and socioeconomic and institutional factors influence smallholder participation in smallholder irrigation farming. Based on the results, the study recommends that the government continue investing in irrigation schemes to increase the rural economy, improve rural livelihoods, and attract young people to farming. Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform must encourage farmer participation in irrigation schemes and build their capacity through training using agricultural extension agents and subsidising farmers with agronomic practices to improve participation in smallholder irrigation schemes.

Cabbage is one of the most cultivated vegetable crops that are used as a staple crop because of its affordability and nutritional value. Improving profit efficiency in vegetable farming is important for both economic, livelihood, and to certain extent - food security. The crop plays a significant role in reducing the poverty levels of the previously disadvantaged in different parts of South Africa. We argue that cabbage is mostly grown by smallholder farmers whose technical efficiency is not well known. It is for this reason that we take measures towards developing empirical evidence on technical efficiency to enhance its production and advancement. The study estimated technical efficiency and factors of technical inefficiency among smallholder irrigation producers of cabbage. A total of 150 growers were selected from a list of vegetable farmers from Eastern Cape Municipalities using a multi-stage sampling. A stochastic production frontier model was employed while correcting for heteroscedasticity in stochastic and inefficiency error terms. Gross margin was used to determine the profitability of smallholder cabbage farming. The study findings revealed that farming is practiced by the elderly who mainly had primary education. There were increasing returns from cabbage farming and farmer average technical efficiency of about 78%. This implies 21.16% inefficiency level, indicating that there are reserves available to raise revenues through refining practical and allocative competencies of farmers. Farm size (Area), seed and capital were production-increasing variables while fertilizer and labour used were reducing farm returns of cabbage production. Sources of farmer technical inefficiency were age, farm experience, years spent in school, access to extension services, household size and transportation to markets. The provision of formal skills development training and resources for farmers could improve the technical and managerial capacities of farmers.

Intolerably high rates of food insecurity and micronutrient deficiencies still prevail at an alarming rate in rural poor communities who practice subsistence farming. Despite the fact that, the indigenous fruits and vegetables are abundantly available and are easily accessible in these rural communities. The consumption of indigenous vegetables and fruits can combat the food insecurity and micro-nutrient deficiencies in the resource-constrained communities. This is attributed to negative perceptions shared among rural communities specifically the younger generation are unaware about the indigenous foods. Against this background, the study was developed to assess awareness and perceptions towards indigenous fruits and vegetables in Port St Johns of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Intolerably high rates of food insecurity and micronutrient deficiencies still prevail at an alarming rate in rural poor communities that practice subsistence farming. Even though indigenous fruits and vegetables are abundantly available and are easily accessible in these rural communities. The consumption of indigenous vegetables and fruits can combat food insecurity and micro-nutrient deficiencies in resource-constrained communities. This is attributed to negative perceptions shared among rural communities, specifically the younger generation, who are unaware of indigenous foods. Against this background, the study was developed to assess awareness and perceptions towards indigenous fruits and vegetables in Port St. Johns of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to evaluate the availability of the perceptions of households and the contribution of indigenous fruits and vegetables to household food security. A total of 340 respondents were purposively selected in the study area. A positive impact on household food security was revealed, suggesting that consuming indigenous fruits and vegetables may address rural household dietary diversity and food insecurity. The study argues that indigenous fruits and vegetables may be used as a food security coping strategy at the household level in rural areas, given their availability, especially in summer. Additionally, dispelling several negative perceptions and targeting consumption drivers will enhance the food security nexus of indigenous fruits and vegetables at the household level.

The agricultural sector in the world and Sub-Saharan Africa faces the pressing challenge of meeting the growing food demand driven by the exponential population growth. With smallholder poultry farming playing a critical role in food and nutritional security, this systematic review synthesizes literature from the past two decades to assess the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) among smallholder poultry farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The review focuses on the benefits and barriers impacting this adoption. Following the PRISMA methodology, 19 peer-reviewed studies were analyzed to explore how ICT facilitates market participation, enhances information exchange, and improves producer livelihoods. The included studies in this review were sourced from four major academic databases: Science Direct, Web of Science, Wiley online library, and EBSCOhost. The findings reveal that ICT adoption significantly reduces information asymmetry, enables farmers to access market and production knowledge, and thus improves their profitability and inclusion in informal and formal market platforms. The review underscores the potential of targeted policy interventions and digital platforms to empower smallholder poultry farmers, enhance their commercialization, and contribute towards agricultural sustainability in the region. This study highlights the critical need for increased ICT accessibility, capacity building, and infrastructural improvements to support the digital transformation of smallholder poultry farming in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) are promoted as pathways for improving productivity and resilience among smallholder farmers; however, empirical evidence on their welfare effects remains limited in South Africa. This study examines the impact of CSAP adoption on household welfare among smallholder maize farmers in KwaZulu-Natal Province. A cross-sectional survey of 300 households was conducted using a multistage sampling approach. Welfare outcomes was measured using multidimensional indicators including the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), the Coping Strategy Index (CSI), and the Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) poverty index. An Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) model was employed to correct for selection bias and to generate counterfactuals that estimate what adopters’ welfare would have been in the absence of CSAP uptake. Results show that access to extension, group membership, and training significantly increased the likelihood of CSAP adoption. ESR outcomes indicate that adopters had higher dietary diversity, lower food insecurity, and reduced reliance on severe coping strategies. Counterfactual analysis reveals that adopters would have experienced significantly poorer welfare outcomes had they not adopted CSAPs. The findings demonstrate that CSAP adoption yields measurable welfare benefits and improves household resilience. The study recommends targeted investments in extension support, farmer organizations, and institutional arrangements to accelerate the adoption of CSAP and enhance household welfare.

The main reason cited for the low participation rate in indexed insurance in Africa is the lack of farmers’ involvement in the initial conception. The main aim of this article was, therefore, to design an improved participatory methodology that would help farmers in South Africa gather information on the value they place in new crop insurance initiatives based on weather indices. The main objective of this study was to determine their willingness to pay (WTP) crop insurance in the Eastern Cape. The study adopted a cross-sectional design, and the respondents were selected by using a probability sampling procedure. A sample of 150 respondents was selected. The results from descriptive statistics showed that 62% of the smallholder irrigation scheme farmers were between 52 and above years of age, male and female: 87% and 13%, respectively. The results from the probit model revealed that out of nine variables included in the model, only four namely, logAge square, gender, marital status and age were significantly influencing the WTP index-based crop insurance at 1%, 5% and 10%, respectively. However, age was found to reduce the chances of participating in crop-based insurance. A large proportion of those who were willing to pay insurance had not previously experienced losses because of natural hazards. Therefore, it recommended that the government should use existing extension officers to educate the farmers and promote the importance and benefits of insurance products. Contribution: The results are expected to contribute to the local government to improve disaster resilience through strengthening regional financial funding.