Water usage in post-harvest handling of groundnuts and beans at Luvhada Irrigation Scheme, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Water is central to sustainable agricultural intensification, as it directly influences several dimensions of sustainability, including social, economic, health and environmental aspects. Therefore, lack of water is the greatest constraint to growth and primary productivity of agricultural crops across the globe. In agriculture, and especially in cropping systems, grain legumes play a greater role in meeting global aims of increased sustainable production of nutritious food. Global increase in grain legume yields are currently met almost exclusively through increased planting area. Grain legumes popularly known as pulses are a major source of dietary protein in the daily diet of human beings as well as animal feed. Rural small-scale farmers face various challenges related to agricultural water access and these challenges are not given enough attention to understand how water insecurity affects small-scale crop value chains hence most small-scale farmers lack knowledge on how to secure and sustain water to achieve water security. The main objective of this study was to assess water insecurity in post-harvest handling of Groundnuts and Beans at Luvhada irrigation scheme, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The specific objectives were to analyse water usage in post-harvest handling of Groundnuts and Beans at Luvhada irrigation scheme, South Africa. To determine water security challenges faced in post-harvest handling of Groundnuts and Beans and to suggest possible solutions to water insecurity in post-harvest handling of Groundnuts and Beans. A mixed method design was utilised in this study. Snowball sampling technique was used to select study respondents. The referral system was used as few contacts for the respondents were initially obtained. Accordingly, at least 42 of the 79 farmers who grow leguminous crops at the irrigation scheme, were interviewed. Data was collected using telephone interviews. Collecting data through telephone was necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic regulations. A questionnaire, which comprised of both closed and open-ended questions was used as a data collection tool. Data from open ended questions was analysed using Atlas-ti version 8 software wherein coding, analysing transcripts and creating network diagrams were computed. Quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. The majority of the farmers were male aged between 55 and 64 years. It also emerged that all the respondents were full-time farmers and the proceeds from selling farm produce was their major source of income. Farmers grow legumes because they are good for business and can be grown with minimal water in comparison to other horticultural crops. Sources of water used on post-harvesting activities were farmers’ domestic taps, Nzhelele River, paying money to the nearby car wash owner to utilise the tap water, and water canals at the irrigation scheme. Results of the study revealed that farmers used water mainly for cleaning and cooking in post-harvest activities. Moreover, farmers did not measure or know the exact amount of water used in post-harvest activities either due to lack of interest or due to lack of proper water infrastructure that can allow farmers to record the amount used. Water security challenges faced during post-harvest activities are exacerbated by the absence of water storage facilities and underdeveloped infrastructure to access water at post-harvest. This subsequently embed post-harvest activities, and the impacts were poor quality products, drying of crops as well as damage and loss of stock. The coping strategies adopted by farmers included the use of residential water sources, use of open water sources and sourcing water from other business premises. Thus, proposed strategies to enhance water security in post-harvest activities were the provision of water pump, dam construction, provision of storage water facilities, upgrading of irrigation infrastructure and installation of drip irrigation, water rationing and sharing facilities. It was, therefore, recommended that government, private sectors and other relevant stakeholders should assist the irrigation scheme to improve on water usage in post-harvest activities.