The intervention of Rural Enterprise Development Hub Project on Maize Production in Mqanduli: The Implication on Food Security Status of Maize Farmers

Abstract

The research analyzed the impact of the Rural Enterprise Development Hub Project (RED Hub Project) on food security of maize farmers. The data were analyzed using both inferential and descriptive statistics. Values were considered to be significant statistically where the P-value was less than 0.05. The study reveals a significant average increase in annual yield from 39.52 bags (50kg) to 87.02 bags (50kg) with a percentage increase of 120.19% per maize farm (t-statistics of 32.7 t-value and p-value of <0.05). Also, none of the maize farmers were food secure before the RED Hub project, 1 (0.5%) were mildly food insecure, 97 (48.5%) were averagely food insecure, and 102 (51%) were critically food insecure. After the RED Hub project intervention, 3.5% (7) are food secure, 104 (52%) are mildly food insecure, 76 (38%) are averagely food insecure and 13 (6.5%) critically food insecure. There was also more access and affordability of other food to meet maize farmers’ nutritional needs after the project intervention. An average of 72.5 (29.2%) beneficiaries and 99.3 (47.6%) beneficiaries respectively had access to other foods to meet their nutritional needs before and after the project intervention.

The impact of Rural Enterprise Development Hub (RED Hub) project on beneficiaries maize yield in Mqanduli, South Africa

“…This study was carried out in Mqanduli Community. The community is located 30 km South of Mthatha and 22 km North of Elliotadle with the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (Iortyom et al, 2018;Iortyom et al, 2019). Mqanduli was created in 1876 and is located between latitudes 31°49 ' 9'' South and longitude 28°46'42'' East ( Figure 1).…”

“…One of the characteristics of maize farming in South Africa is low yields regardless of the size of the farm. These account for high unit costs which lead to low returns (Iortyom et al, 2019(Iortyom et al, , 2018Trefry et al, 2014).…”

“…In 2012, two years after the launch of CRDP the government of Eastern Cape Provincial in South Africa launched the Rural Enterprise Development Hub Project shortened as RED Hub Project aimed at increasing primary production activities, processing and marketing those products within the rural communities (Iortyom et al, 2019). The RED Hub project model makes it possible for rural economic activities to thrive through the facilitation of basic grains like maize, sorghum and soyabean resulting in increased rural incomes (Iortyom et al, 2019;Qongyo, 2015). The sum of R91 million over three years was allocated to ECRDA and ECDC for the implementation of the project by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) (Inkqubela, 2015).…”

“…These include lending to agricultural institutions and integrated development programs for a geographical area. CDD is a strategy that encourages community groups to be incharge of their development in terms of decisions making and implementation (Iortyom et al, 2019).…”

“…Reviews of some extant aforementioned research studies (Baird et al, 2009;Binswanger et al, 2012;Dongier et al, 2003;Kwadwo and Peter, 2012;World Bank, 2013;Obadire et al, 2014;Iortyom et al, 2019) show that the evaluation of any Community-Driven Developmental (CDD) program is relevant, whether it is funded by internationally donor organizations, national or provincial governments. Similarly, the study fills a gap that is important in the body of existing literature by critically assessing the effectiveness of the government of the Eastern Cape Province designed Rural Enterprise Development Hub project in the attainment of improvement in maize production, processing and marketing.…”