Agricultural Value Chain Analysis Essay

TOPIC

How can emerging black farmers join mainstream agricultural value chains as efficient and competitive players in the Northern Cape Province?

1. TITLE

Factors constraining emerging farmers within the Pixley ka Seme District to be effective and competitive role player in the Kalahari kid goat project.

1.1 BACKROUND

Agriculture in the Northern Cape Province is currently the second largest economy (Republic of South Africa (RSA), 2009). Although the emerging sector is underestimated, it plays a major role in contributing towards food security, poverty alleviation and job creation (Molewa and Doidge, 2010). Small-scale farmers need effective support, extension services and education to be effective and competitive in the liberalised market environment. Providing such support to small-scale involves an effective involvement of government and other key role-players within other agricultural value chains.

The Northern Cape Provincial Government, Commercial promoters, and Emerging farmers in the Northern Cape joined an initiative to anchor a commercialization of goats through the Kalahari Kid Corporation which dedicates itself in producing only superior quality goat and lamb products for both the local and intentional markets, But it also provides a platform to a range of opportunities for earning income in production, processing, distribution and retailing phases of the food value chain. Emerging farmers

The study focuses on the factors that compel smallholder farmers to make certain marketing decisions. Thus, it considers factors that guide farmers in deciding whether to sell produce or not. It further looks at the factors that influence the choice of marketing channels when selling