The Role of Inappropriate Agricultural Practices on Soil Degradation in the Eastern Cape: the Case of Farming at Sheshegu Community

Abstract

This study examines the role inappropriate agricultural activities play in erosion development in the Eastern Cape, using the case study of Sheshegu community, South Africa. A cross-sectional data, collected through a random sampling collection process, from 50 smallholder farmers, form the basis of the study. According to findings, though several anthropogenic variables were mentioned as influencing factors on the Sheshegu soil erosion, agriculture-related activities were perceived higher (47%) in importance, and its level of impact was ranked as high as 90%. This finding was also corroborated by other results, as income from agricultural production (29.4%) contributed the most to farmers' overall income, and free-range animal production system (64%), a system known to be soil erosion-prone, ranked the most out of all farmers' production system. Since livestock farming is the main source of income for farmers in the area, farmers should be supported to establish closed-range lands for their livestock.