New agricultural development criteria: a proposal for project design and implementation

Figures & data

Figure 1: The project cycle. Note: *In recognition of the four proposed criteria, evaluation of technical reconciliation with social reality, farmer diversity quantification, structuring of business linkages and institutionalisation of skills development and participation require specific attention

Table 1: Farmer types in a typology for Sheila

Farmer type	No. of ha	No. of ha used	Mechanisation	Household Income	Yield in tons per ha*	Input*	Household size	No. of incomes	No. of livestock
Commercialising	110	75	Own	R1800	2.3	6000 kg	5.4	3.1	43
Entrepreneurs	40	40	70% own	R1000	1.5	2400 kg	5.3	2.7	8
Opportunist	15	9	92% hire	R800	0.7	1200 kg	5.3	2.4	6
Inactive landowners	15	1	hire	R750	0	760 kg	5.6	2.3	6
*Data represent a figure, combining maize and sunflower yield (or input of fertiliser and seed mass), used only as a means to distinguish types.

Table 2: Project design for ‘inactive landowner’ farmer types

	Intervention logic	Objectively verifiable indicators	Sources of verification	Assumptions
Goal	Food secure, self-sufficient households	Nutrition/health and employment data, income	Publications, reports, statistics from Central Statistical Services (CSS)
Purpose	More land used for agricultural income	Number of contracts, area planted, yield data	Contract documents, reports, records	Community and role-players committed
Intermediate results	Rectify relationships within farmer types Facilitate participative contract development	Regular group interaction, agricultural study group activities, contract numbers, area used	Input and yield data, contracts, reports, study group minutes	Goodwill and trust can be developed Support and skills available
Activities	Organise and empower viable study groups. Organise security system Establish alternative income-generating projects	Group formation process, constitution and goals, HCD schedule, planning process, resulting proposals and implementation	Minutes, programmes and schedules, project reports, proposals	Participant commitment to cooperation and project revival Means and leadership available in community

Table 3: Project design for ‘opportunist’ farmer types

	Intervention logic	Objectively verifiable indicators	Sources of verification	Assumptions
Goal	Improved livelihoods/profit	Nutrition/health data, jobs, household income, profit	Publications, reports, CSS statistics
Purpose	Increased contracts, i.e. production	Number of contracts, area planted	Contract documents, reports, records	All stakeholders committed and involved
Intermediate results	Access to capital (credit) and mechanisation	Loans granted, inputs bought, number of working tractors, area ploughed	Land Bank reports, Co-op records, ward records, reports, yield data	Debt, security issues dealt with, viable links forged
Activities	Study group development and HCD Participative contract development	Programmes, training schedule, results, records	Programme and project reports, publications, constitution	Participant commitment to process and communal action. Leadership, support and skill available

Table 4: Project design for ‘entrepreneur’ farmer types

	Intervention logic	Objectively verifiable indicators	Sources of verification	Assumptions
Goal	Improved agricultural income/profit	Yield data, net farm profit, household income	Publications, reports, CSS statistics	HCD implemented and management sound
Purpose	Increased contracts, i.e. production	Contract numbers, hectares planted, active farmers	Contract documents, reports, records	Communal commitment, acceptable agreements
Intermediate results	Access to capital (credit) and functioning mechanisation	Loans granted, inputs bought, number of working tractors, area ploughed	Land Bank reports, Co-op records, Dept of Agric. records, reports	Debt, security issues dealt with and link established
Activities	Develop linkage with Co-op, Land Bank etc., organise participative contract development	Agreements, proposals, resources: loans, mech., contracts, groups	Written agreements, contracts, North West Co-op, Land Bank records	Commitment to cooperate; links viable, facilitation effective

Table 5: Project design for ‘commercialising’ farmer types

	Intervention logic	Objectively verifiable indicators	Sources of verification	Assumptions
Goal	Improved agricultural income and profit	Input and output data, net farm profit, agricultural income	Publications, reports, CSS statistics	Sound communication, security and management
Purpose	Increased cropping area: i.e. efficiency	Number of contracts, area planted, number of active farmers	Contract documents, reports, records	All committed to process and HCD
Intermediate results	Develop linkages with key stakeholders to facilitate access to resources and services and rectify relationships	Loans granted, inputs bought, agreement contracts	Land Bank, Co-op and other reports, Dept of Agric. reports, transaction records	Relationship established between role-players through organised communication and credit arrangements
Activities	Study groups formed, HCD instituted, contracts developed, linkage agreements established	Programmes and minutes, input–output contracts, sharecropping contracts Resources: loans, mechanisation, contracts, groups	Stakeholder reports, contract records	Acceptable and skilled leadership and facilitation