Chapter 4 Figure 4.1
4.5 The socio-economic rural structure of agriculture .1 Introduction to the issue of land tenure
4.6.1 Crop-cultivation
In Mapholaneng catchment, crop farming provides a livelihood to about 85 % of the households. However, productivity is extremely low. There is wide spread soil erosion.
All farming is dry-tand, without irrigation and highly dependent on weather conditions,
even though the local rivers: Khubelu and Mabunyaneng are perennial. Moreover,
adequate credit and marketing facilities are also lacking while the use of fertiliser may
not be known to most farmers. Most households use unskilled family labour for all
agricultural activities. In fact, in general, there seems to be a general lack of incentives
to motivate farmers to devote adequate attention to the condition of the soil. Crop
cultivation is basically of subsistence type and is practised on the individual households
fields. These fields are located within the vicinity of the settlements or in some cases
up to 7 kilometres away from the homesteads. Those fields that are relatively far way
from the settlements (5-10km) cause great concern among the affected households
in relation to the security and the transportation of both farm inputs during the
ploughing season and of outputs after harvest in winter. Photographs,4.3 and 4.4)
show different locations of catchment fields in relation to settlements and homesteads
in Tiping case study village ofthe catchment. It may also be learned from these photos
that in both Khukhune and Tiping villages, settlements and fields are established on
the remote and mountain landforms unsuitable for productive crop farming activity.
Photograph 4.3 East Tiping village
Generally, the slopes are too steep for any meaningful crop-cultivation and arable land is very limited, so people try to put any available and relatively flat land to cultivation, ultimately even on the slopes which are too steep and rugged. Soil erosion caused by people and animals is noticeable along the footpaths leading to the fields. Even though Mabunyaneng river passes below the village, due to farmers poverty and ignorance, they are unable to utilize this water during periods of drought.
Photograph 4.4 Central Tiping village
The presence of foot-path erosion within the village is visible. Location of fields on the steep slopes, which makes them liable for erosion, is also identifiable. The remote nature of the village is indicated by lack of modem buildings and the steep terrain makes modern transport and communication impossible.
93 Fields are developed on the slope land which makes the use of farming machinery such as the common plough impossible, and also contributes to the initiation of downslope run-off erosion. Major crops grown are the food crops: maize, sorghum and wheat followed in importance by the pulses: peas and beans and then potatoes and pumpkin. The crops are grown in relation to the type of soil at the disposal of each farmer. Maize, potatoes and sorghum are grown and mostly suited to black-loam soils along the Mabunyaneng and its tributaries to its confluence with Seate and Khubelu rivers in Lower Mapholaneng. In Motete village, maize is produced better than in other areas in the catchment. Sorghum and beans are grown in relatively sandy soils, while wheat does best in black mountain soil. As a result, upper Mapholaneng villages of Khukhune and Tiping are always associated with the best production of peas and wheat while maize, potatoes and sorghum thrive best in low-lying fields along the river valleys around Motete and and Meketeng villages. Pumpkin and potatoes are not, as a tradition, grown alone, but are inter-cropped with maize production. It is therefore not surprising that in every maize field, either potatoes or pumpkin will also be grown and in some circumstances all three are produced on the same piece of land at the same time. A limited amount of barley and oats are sometimes grown by some farmers or households as fodder crops. Most households have gardens around the vicinity of the home. In such gardens, domestic vegetables are produced. Forexample, cabbage, carrots, spinach and raddish.
Although production is basically aimed at household consumption purposes, as with major food crops, a portion of output is occasionally sold to earn cash needed for households requirements. Cow-dung is now not used for enriching the soil but instead is burned as a source of household fuel, thus contributing to poor yields.
4.6.2 Grazing land (livestock-farming)
At present 1999, to some rural households in Mapholaneng animal husbandry still represents a principal source of income. The catchment is suited to livestock farming more than to the cultivation of crops. Although the physical environment of the catchment has tended to be more suitable for the production of livestock, during the
1990's, livestock has become far from productive. Traditionally personal savings were invested in livestock. This traditional practice has, however, culminated in overgrazing, and together with inadequate livestock control and poor feeding methods, have contributed to and continues to diminish the quality of animals reared by individual households. For instance, among most households in Mapholaneng, some farmers stilt adhere to the traditional quantitative approach to livestock, instead of implementing modern qualitative methods of commercial livestock farming. This is due to cultural background for the procurement of social status and social recognition and for the ceremonial and factional purposes of the households.
For example, some livestock have through historic times been needed as items for transport and for ploughing purposes. However, this traditional quantitative approach to livestock farming has had disastrous impacts on the local physical landscape. For example,
it
resulted in excessive livestock populations which were beyond the carrying capacity of the land and which, in turn, has led to the present continuing land degradation taking place within the catchment. At present in 1999, only a few households still keep large herds of livestock as most households have had their livestock reduced by a complexity of rural factors over the past years.o
Climatic conditions:Extreme weather conditions such as torrential rains, hail-storms and heavy snowfaUs during the winter season are often experienced. In October 1987, heavy snowfall killed a substantial number of livestock in the catchment and farmers lost sheep, goats, horses, cattle and donkeys.
o
Stock-theft and sale:Poverty among the communities has aggravated incidences of stock-theft and the increasing sales of live livestock over the past ten years. For example , since 1993, when the main mountain road connecting Butha-Buthe district in the lowlands region with Mokhotlong was tarred, transportation of livestock from Mapholaneng for sale in the lowland was made easier than before. This has also opened new avenues for rural production. It has facilitated the
95 transportation of live animals to the relatively better livestock markets in the lowland towns such as in Butha-Buthe, Leribe and Maputsoe. The road has also brought about other livestock production initiatives such as local butchery enterprises in the catchment. The availability of livestock markets has in turn increased the sale price for livestock the catchment thereby giving livestock farmers an incentive in the industry. However, this trend has also led to livestock theft for the same purpose of selling them. In fact, stock theft has currently become one of the major rural problems facing the livestock owners in the catchment and the surrounding villages.
4.6.3 Residential settlements.
Rural settlements, of which Mapholaneng is a part, are those whose inhabitants are mainly engaged in primary farming for their subsistence materials. In Mapholaneng catchment there are basically two forms of residential settlements: the homesteads and the cattle-posts. The location of residential settlements in Mapholaneng is a combination of a complex of related factors ranging from ecological, cultural and economic advantages. In this case, settlements tend to be established in relation to the accessibility to sources of water, grazing pastures, arable land, defensive sites, transport and social services for health care, schools and markets.
For example, Makalieng village is located where it is, due to accessibility to a perennial natural spring in the middle of the village. It is also positioned in a relatively open land suitable for grazing purposes, but away from land suitable for crop cultivation.
Similarly, Khukhune and Tiping villages were historically positioned where they are, due to the relative warm conditions in sheltered upper river valleys away from strong winter and spring westerly winds and for both accessibility to water and grazing land.
For cultural reasons the land is used for performing the secretive ritual of traditional circumcision. Homesteads in these villages are found consisting of nucleated patches on the hill slopes and along the upper Mabunyaneng river valleys and streams(Photographs 4.1,4.4 and 5.4).