Ensuring access to water for emerging small-scale farmers in South Africa: a water reform policy perspective

One of the key components essential to the productivity of emerging small-scale farmers who secured farms through the land redistribution programme in South Africa is access to adequate and reliable sources of water for irrigation. The lack of access to water compounds the adverse impact of challenges that inter alia include the high cost of electricity and lack of farming knowledge prevalent among these farmers. Securing a water use licence and accessing water for irrigated agriculture is not guaranteed for most emerging farmers. Often, they do not have sufficient finance and access to technical expertise to invest in sustainable water supply-systems for irrigation. Consequently, the operations of the majority of these farmers are sub-economic, which indicates a need for greater efforts towards ensuring improved access to water for them. Ceteris paribus, this will enhance their chances of realising greater agricultural production and, in the process, improved livelihoods.