Q&A: “You Have to Work Nine to Ten Times Harder Than a Male Farmer”

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Interview with Martha Moside

JOHANNESBURG, Apr 30 2007 (IPS) - As activists focus on the challenges facing workers this May Day (May 1), Martha Moside is calling for attention to be paid to the situation of female subsistence farmers in South Africa.

Many encounter difficulties gaining access to markets, securing bank loans and retaining reliable workers to assist them.

These concerns were addressed recently at the 4th World Congress of Rural Women, held in the South African coastal city of Durban (Apr. 23-26) – an event that attracted more than 2,000 farmers.

But much remains to be done says Moside, coordinator for the Women in Agriculture and Rural Development Association, a government-backed initiative. She told IPS correspondent Moyiga Nduru more.

IPS: What issues need to be dealt with as regards female subsistence farmers in South Africa?

Martha Moside (MM): The market; women have problems accessing the market. We have small plots – mine is just two-and-a-half hectares. This means we produce less. As a result, the supermarkets are not willing to accommodate us because of the small quantities that we supply. We try to team up with other women, but it’s difficult: we don’t know each other. You need to develop trust before you engage in such an activity.

The solution could lie in the informal market, for example with vegetable and fruit vendors. But they, too, are unreliable. There is no guarantee that they will come back to you. They may come once or twice (but) if they get someone with cheaper products they abandon you.

IPS: Are women able to secure bank loans to develop their land?

MM: It’s the biggest headache. The banks need to know how you are managing your account, demanding a six month statement. Sometimes they come and check your property. In spite of all these troubles, the money doesn’t come immediately. The Land Bank, for example, takes about six months to process an application. The conventional banks can reject it outright…

In rural areas, communal land is still distributed by chiefs. This means that it will be difficult for a woman to get a loan because the land doesn’t belong to her.

IPS: What could be the solution concerning obstacles to raising credit?

MM: They should start a women’s fund like the youth fund. The government and well wishers can put money into it. It’s difficult for a woman to get access to finance as well as get the right staff and keep them. As a woman, you have to work nine to ten times harder than a male farmer.

IPS: Why the difficulty in retaining labourers?

MM: They believe that it’s better to work for a man because he has authority. To change this perception you need education, but you also have to try harder to keep the workers.

IPS: Is the necessary training available?

MM: We get training through the Department of Agriculture…They teach you how to keep your books, how to grow vegetables and run poultry.

IPS: Do female farmers keep track of new farming methods?

MM: The Agriculture Research Council and the Department of Agriculture have a monthly newspaper; it only comes in English. If women can’t read, they are at a disadvantage. We still have along way to go.