The place of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in small-scale farming in KwaDlangezwa, KwaZulu- National, South Africa.
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Date
2022
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University of Zululand
Abstract
The study's goal was to give a broad picture of the effects of agricultural growth that focuses on optimum output by utilising 4IR agricultural instruments. While acknowledging the role played by government in increasing agricultural manufactured goods. As for the national and provincial departments of agriculture (DOA) of the South African government made concerted efforts after 1994 to implement policies and programmes targeted at making the country's agricultural industry stronger and more robust. Increased equity among farmers in terms of racial and gender representation,as well as access to land, modern technologies, and other inputs, was critical to this strategy. As the process progressed, it was met with criticism from a variety of areas. Many post-1994 policies and programmes, including the 1995 White Paper on Agriculture, the 1998 Agricultural Policy in South Africa discussion document, the 2001 Strategic Plan for South African Agriculture, and the 2004 Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme have exemplified the criticism that there is an obvious shift away from supporting the poor and more vulnerable farmers, particularly female farmers, towards an overwhelming focus on the better off.
The implications of the 4IR and small-scale farmer development in KwaDlangezwa were investigated using the theoretical framework of the classical/political economic and capacity approach theories. Traditional leaders, commercial and small-scale farmers, the manager at Felixton Mill, lecturers at Owen Sithole College (Vice Principal and students), and community people were interviewed using a qualitative technique in which twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted. The study further conducted four telephone interviews with Department of Agriculture officials, University of Zululand lecturers (The Physics department is in the Faculty of Science & Agriculture) and Agriculture Research Council (researcher). Farmers require not only land, but also education, technology that is appropriate for their farming needs, and proper agricultural extension support, according to the study's conclusions. Small-scale farmers in South Africa can use digital technologies to overcome some of the barriers that prevent them from participating in economic development. However, the adoption of digital technology by small-scale farmers faces major hurdles and limitations. This study adds to the digital development literature in three ways: it presents the technology(4IR), the political and social variables influencing digital adoption in small-scale farming in KwaDlangezwa. It also adds knowledge to the analytical value of the capacity approach and 4IR technological adoption by small-scale farmers under five categories: economic, political, social aspects, institutional and governance.
Through three interconnected sets of technologies, namely automation, additive manufacturing, and the Industrial Internet, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is having an impact on South Africa's industrialisation possibilities. The ramifications of the 4IR were examined in this research, including the potential and challenges that the 4IR poses for small-scale farmers in KwaDlangezwa. The agricultural sector has experienced job losses and sugarcane growers’ productivity has declined.Products-as-services, the sharing (collaborative) economy, and digital services and digital exports for small-scale farmers, on the other hand, are among the potential. The study's findings revealed that in order for small-scale farmers in KwaDlangezwa to benefit from 4IR agricultural instruments, they must enhance their entrepreneurship, education, land issues, market value chain, and finance scheme policies. In South Africa, small-scale farmers have been identified as a vehicle for achieving poverty reduction and rural development goals. To realise this potential, it is necessary to comprehend the diversity of small-scale farmers in order to create effective policy interventions. The findings also highlight the importance of social grants, particularly old-age pensions and child assistance payments, which have aided most small-scale farmers in KwaDlangezwa in sustaining their agricultural activities. According to additional information, only a small number of households can market their produce without the use of digital technology, which impedes business growth.
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Keywords
Agriculture, Agriculture growth, Fourth industrial revolution, Small-scale farming