Arabfields, Sana Dib, Financial Correspondent, Johannesburg, South Africa — South Africa’s small-scale sugarcane farmers are playing a major role in rural economies, but many are producing well below what their farms could potentially deliver. A six-year research project has found that weak planning, rising production pressures and limited access to technical support are holding back growers across KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
The country has about 25,653 small-scale sugarcane growers, making the sector an important source of income for rural communities. Sugarcane farming and milling activities support about 65,000 direct jobs and 270,000 indirect jobs, while providing livelihoods for more than one million people in the two provinces.
Yet the number of jobs supported by the sector does not necessarily reflect its productivity. Researchers found that many growers face difficulties that begin well before harvesting, from securing suitable planting material to controlling weeds and arranging contractors on time.
For farmers working on small plots, even a minor delay can have lasting consequences. Sugarcane is not replanted every year, meaning that a poorly managed crop can affect production and income across several seasons.
Weed control has emerged as one of the most immediate problems. Some growers reduce the amount of herbicide they use because of financial pressure, while others wait until weeds have already become established. This can leave sugarcane competing for water, nutrients and sunlight, reducing yields while labour and input costs continue to rise.
The problem is also linked to a lack of practical support. Farmers may know that weeds need to be controlled early, but limited cash, uncertain access to advice and difficulties measuring or applying chemicals correctly can make timely action difficult.
Planning presents another challenge. Seedcane orders, planting, fertiliser applications, weed control and harvesting are often arranged later than recommended. Researchers found that one delayed decision can trigger several others, leaving farmers with fewer options and higher costs.
Contractors are another important part of the picture. Many small-scale growers do not own the machinery or have enough labour to carry out land preparation, planting, crop maintenance and harvesting themselves. They therefore depend on contractors, but delays, poor communication and inconsistent service can affect the entire production cycle.
For farmers, the relationship can be particularly difficult when they lack the technical knowledge or confidence to assess whether contracted work has been completed properly.
Access to quality seedcane is also uneven. Some growers obtain planting material from neighbours, informal networks or their own farms because certified varieties are expensive, unavailable locally or ordered too late. This can leave farmers planting whatever material they can find rather than varieties suited to their soil, climate or local pest and disease conditions.
The research suggests that improving productivity will require a more coordinated support system rather than isolated interventions. Farmers need practical extension services, better access to planting material, improved contractor coordination and simple tools that can help them plan production and manage costs.
The findings also point to the value of demonstration plots, where growers can see the results of improved techniques before adopting them on their own farms. Low-cost approaches, including hand weeding and using dried cane leaves to cover the soil, could also help reduce weed pressure where chemical treatments are too expensive.
Looking ahead, the sector has room for significant gains if these weaknesses are addressed. Even without a major expansion in the number of growers, better timing of farm operations, stronger weed management and improved access to suitable seedcane could raise output and profitability over the next several seasons.
The research experience in countries including Brazil, Kenya, Mauritius and India suggests that integrated support can improve smallholder sugarcane productivity. South Africa could see similar results if farmers, contractors, extension officers, researchers and millers work more closely together.
The economic impact could extend beyond individual farms. Higher yields would give growers stronger household incomes, provide millers with a more reliable supply of cane and create greater stability for communities that depend heavily on agriculture.
For small-scale farmers, however, the issue is not simply about learning new techniques. Many already understand what needs to be done. The bigger challenge is having the money, equipment, planting material, reliable services and practical assistance needed to put that knowledge into practice.
If those gaps begin to close, South Africa’s small-scale sugar industry could become significantly more productive, strengthening one of the important agricultural income sources for rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
