The hazards faced by farmers in the Eastern Cape

In his research dissertation for a postgraduate degree, Ross Goodwin of Stellenbosch University explores the risks pertaining to stock farmers in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.

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Farming is a risky occupation, with farmers constantly facing threats to the long-term success of their operations. The factors that farmers must consider when making important decisions are diverse and often unpredictable. Those working in the agriculture sector understand that some years produce a great net revenue gain, while others create only expense and debt.

However, the general belief that farmers express is ceteris paribus (all things remain the same), as the years of good harvests and sales ultimately outweigh the bad, making farming profitable in the long run. Today, however, this belief is being challenged by new and emerging risks such as increasing climatic abnormalities, the resistance of adaptive and resilient natural hazards, an unstable political landscape, and complex social issues.

THE STUDY 

My study focused on a small commercial farming area in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape. These farmers are presented with a unique set of challenges and a wide variety of hazards to their operations, which require a great level of innovation to combat.

The study area is home to a wide array of farming practices due to variations in topography, grazing pasture, soil types, and local climatic conditions. I focused on farms in the vicinity of three towns, namely Fort Beaufort, Bedford and Adelaide.

These farms were selected due to the wide range in farming practices within a relatively small geographic area and their proximity to human settlements and transport infrastructure, which presents an array of complex hazards.