24 One of the fundamental problems standing in the way of targeting and effective delivery of food security initiatives is the lack of institutional capacity in poor areas. This is particularly the case in rural areas. Such areas lack of representation, training structures, NGOs and assistance from private sectors. Due to lack of such institutions poor people are unable advance their interests and to find out about available resources they could use to ensure food security. This lack of institutional capacity, coupled with insufficient co-ordination further make it difficult for government to channel their interventions towards the neediest, and to monitor the effects of their interventions. According to Coetzee (2003) the presence of such conditions calls for institutional reforms and establishment of special organizational structure to allow initiation of action and appropriate response to address the food insecurity plight.
From the above it is evident that the success of a food Programme like ME requires the availability of institutional structures. According to the Department of Agriculture (2001) government is required to increase its support and improve coordination of the national, provincial and local governments to ensure the success of the food programmes. Apart from the above noted measure, the following measures could also be taken:
Strengthen existing decentralized planning systems by backing them up with resources and technical support.
Enabling co-ordination among political and administrative structures.
Fostering co-operation among government, parastatals, private sector and NGO‟s.
Enabling co-ordination among Departments at national and provincial levels.
The following are also measures that could be employed to ensure success of food security programme:
Develop the residents of the community to monitor and respond to food insecurity.
Encourage local residents to support all food initiatives in the community.
Investigate alternative organizational arrangements to enable production and distribution of food.
Set up units to deal with household food security dynamics at community level.
2.8 EXTENSION SUPPORT AND THE MASIBUYELE EMASIMINI PROGRAMME
25 Extension support is crucial to established farmers and emerging farmers. It can mean the difference between success and failure. Extension support is often supplied by government departmental over the world with the aim of transferring skills and knowledge to local people. Agricultural extension was used by colonisers to transfer skills and knowledge to local people especially for the production of export goods to the benefit of the colonising mother country. Decades after the liberation of countries extension support still plays a vital role in the production of goods. Although colonisation has stopped, the practice of extension continues (Axinn 1988).
The South African government, like most governments, envisions that extension support will increase the production of farmers causing a ripple effect that will improve the socioeconomic status of farming communities. In Africa, where the majority of people depend on farming for survival, governments tend to put more emphasis on agriculture where extension support is a key factor (Axinn 1988).
Extension approaches are often decided upon from a national level and tripled down to local level.
The main aims and functions of extension services are deliberated often with the involvement and consultation of numerous stake holders such as academics and politicians. However despite gains in participatory governance there is very little consultation of local farmers on what they would want from extension services. Rather the national view is largely that Extension Officers have skills and knowledge on current developments of farming that they can transfer to farmers (Axinn 1988).
Since the focus is often on increasing production extension services are often focused on issues involving the production of crops. Issues such as seed variety, planting depth and spacing, fertilizer types are central to extension services. In summary, farmers are often supported with technical skills and crop management skills (Axinn 1988).
Extension services are carried out by formally employed officers assigned to specific predetermined demarcated localities such as municipalities which are further split into working areas per official.
Officials use various mediums to educate farmers. One such measure is the demonstration plot which is exactly as the name implies; a plot where Extension Officers demonstrate scientifically “proper”
way of farming. These plots are often amongst communal farming areas however demonstration events can be held to demonstrate a specific skill to farmers (Axinn 1988).
26 Extension Officers embark on farmer visitation where farmers at all stages are assisted according to their need; this is however still within the top down predetermined functions and objectives of government. This kind of approach has had numerous benefits for local farmers especially in rural areas who lack knowledge on new technologies and products that often give an advantage to more established farmers. Without the intervention of Extension Officers knowledge and skills would be focused in the hands of the few privileged farmers thus trapping and prevention upward mobility of farmers (Axinn 1988).On the other hand this kind of extension approach has been criticised for driving a government agenda thus not truly catering for the needs of farmers (Axinn 1988).
The Masibuyele Emasimini programme (2011) states that farmers or beneficiaries will also be supported with technical advice from extension officers. The central role extension has to play is equipping these beneficiaries with skills to effectively exploit the inputs provided to them by government. This study questions if such provision of skills has occurred and to what level; secondly, if everything continues as is with the programme, will it be sustainable?