Improving institutional support to emerging farmers for improved livelihoods in the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Area

Abstract

This report covers Deliverable 1 of the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA) project entitled ‘Improving institutional support to emerging farmers for improved livelihoods in the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Area’. The project emanates from the Water Research Commission (WRC) Project 2310 entitled ‘Approaches for Emerging Farmer Participation in Water Resource Management: The Case of the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA), Western Cape. Both projects are run by the Water and Agriculture Niche Area at the Centre for Water and Sanitation Research, Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The WRC project aims to develop an ideal approach for involving emerging farmers in water resources management. Since October 2015 water institutions in the BGCMA became active participants in the WRC project. This led to the development of the BGCMA proposal is response to the recently signed BGCMA/CPUT funding Memorandum of Understanding. The water institutions identified a number of critical challenges that hamper effective support to emerging farmers, with lack of information being identified as one of the major problems. The water institutions, with the involvement of farmers, therefore decided to develop ways that could make information more accessible to farmers. Therefore the compilation of a farmer support information package was proposed, followed by information roadshows. A combined water dialogue was held with emerging farmers and water institutions during the annual BGCMA/Cape Peninsula University of Technology Water Seminar in March 2016 where participants brainstormed the approaches to compiling the package. This report covers proceedings of a recent follow-up combined institutions/emerging farmer water dialogue held at the BGCMA on the 19th August 2016. The workshop was held at the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency Offices in Worcester, on the 19th August 26, 2016. The main objectives of the workshop were to present what had been collected so far in compiling the information and also discuss ideas for the road shows. The following institutions attended the dialogue, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Department of Water and Sanitation, Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA), Western Cape Department of Agriculture (DoA), Hex Valley Water User Association (HVWUA), Rural Development & Land Reform (DRLDR), African Farmers' Association of South Africa (AFASA) and Theewaterskloof Municipality (see also Figure 2, participant list also attached).