Mainstreaming small-scale farmers in Qwaqwa, Free State Province, South Africa

English: Small-scale farming has always been heavily debated within the agricultural sector all over the world, and Qwaqwa farmers are no exceptions, because they are constantly faced by numerous challenges. Prior to the incorporation of homelands into South Africa, farmers received assistance and as a result they developed a dependency syndrome. Poor management capability, lack of farming skills, lack of information, poor quality of products, poor management and leadership skills, poor access to markets, poor infrastructure, etc. were found to be the constraining factors that contribute to the poor performance of smallscale farmers. It is therefore part of the strategy to overcome these constraints by mainstreaming small-scale farmers into the economy of South Africa. However, these farmers need to overcome many obstacles during the process of being mainstreamed into the economy. Using primary data gathered from the small-scale farmers in Qwaqwa, this study highlights and points out issues and factors that constrain these farmers. The investigation focuses on the role that is played by both government and the private sector, and their contribution to the small-scale farming community with regard to assisting these farmers to improve their farming abilities and their integration into the economy. The methodology applied in the study involves cluster analysis, principal component analysis and logistic regression analysis. As expected, several components have significant influence on the success of small-scale farmers, whereas others are tested as being insignificant. Those that have significant influence include production capability, financial skills, physical access to markets, optimal resource use and experience gained and scale of operation. Even though only one component was found to be insignificant, managerial skills, it is still regarded as playing a crucial and an important role in determining the success of small-scale farmers. In conclusion, both government and private sector have a significant role to play in the development of these farmers. The study concludes that assisting smallscale farmers to improve their living standards, thereby mainstreaming them into the economy, will contribute significantly towards their farming success. It is also important that farmers liaise with media within their regions as part of accessing crucial information that will help them in achieving good results. Apart from media, farmers should also make use of other sources such as cooperatives, technical assistants (extension officers), buyers and supermarkets. These components clearly show that institutions have a crucial role to play in terms of influencing the development of farmers and assist them to achieve good results. Intervention from government will also play a crucial role. The latter observation therefore stress the need to revisit the policies and frameworks that are much talked about, but rarely implemented nor put into practice. The adoption and implementation of advanced policies is of crucial importance in supporting the small-scale farmers on the farm, as well as beyond the farm gate.