NAMPO Park, Bothaville, Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP), the farmer development division of Grain SA, hosted a high-level Plenary Round Table at NAMPO Harvest Day, bringing together government leaders, private sector stakeholders and organised agriculture to address the barriers preventing developing farmers from transitioning into sustainable commercial agriculture.
Held under the theme “Empowering Developing Farmers to Commercialisation,” the session focused on practical solutions around access to finance, land ownership, market access, infrastructure, innovation, training and agricultural policy.
The strategic dialogue featured Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, Free State MEC for Agriculture Elsabé Rockman, AFASA President AJ Mthembu, Sales Manager at Bayer, GP van den Berg, and the head of Socio- economic Development at Kagiso Trust, Quintin Naidoo, alongside farmers and agricultural stakeholders from across South Africa.
Opening the session, PGP Vice Chairperson and facilitator for the session, Thobani Ntonga said the objective of the dialogue was to move beyond discussions and focus on measurable action.
“We are not here to discuss problems as we know them. We are here to dismantle the barriers preventing our farmers from upscaling,” said Ntonga.
PGP’s commercialisation model gains national attention
PGP Chairperson Jeremia Mathebula outlined the organisation’s farmer development model, which categorises farmers according to production levels and provides targeted support aimed at helping them progress into commercial farming.
The programme supports subsistence, smallholder and new-era farmers through mentorship, skills training, market and financial access.
“Our goal is simple, to move farmers from subsistence into sustainable commercial agriculture,” said Mathebula.
Mathebula also announced PGP’s plan to identify and support five developing farmers per province over the next five years as part of a focused commercialisation programme.
The initiative received strong support from both government and private sector stakeholders during the discussion.
Private sector partnerships driving farmer growth
Long-standing PGP partner Bayer reaffirmed its commitment to supporting farmer development through investment in mentorship, training and agricultural innovation.
According to Bayer, the PGP programme has supported more than 18,000 farmers nationally through coordinated field support and knowledge transfer initiatives.
“The results speak for themselves. We are seeing farmers graduate into fully commercial operations and contributing meaningfully to South Africa’s food security,” said van den Berg.
Stakeholders also highlighted the importance of collaboration between organised agriculture, government and the private sector in strengthening farmer support systems.
AFASA President AJ Mthembu called for greater coordination across the sector.
“For too long we have worked in silos. The time has come for meaningful collaboration that creates real impact for farmers,” said Mthembu.
Title deeds and finance access take centre stage
One of the strongest themes emerging from the round table was the urgent need to convert state land leases into bankable assets to unlock agricultural finance.
Minister John Steenhuisen acknowledged that current lease agreements continue to limit farmers’ ability to access funding and committed to advocating for faster title deed transfers for successful farmers operating on state-owned land.
“Where farmers are successfully farming on state land, we should be giving those title deeds over to those farmers. They have earned their stripes,” said Steenhuisen.
The Minister further acknowledged that agriculture requires patient capital and financing models that understand the realities of farming operations, particularly for developing farmers facing high input costs and limited access to collateral.
Naidoo from Kagiso Trust noted that while funding exists within the sector, many farmers still struggle with readiness requirements, business systems and access pathways needed to secure finance successfully.
Infrastructure and market access remain critical challenges
Infrastructure constraints, including deteriorating rural roads and limited storage facilities, were identified as major obstacles affecting farmer profitability and market access.
Free State MEC Elsabé Rockman confirmed ongoing engagements with government departments and industry stakeholders to prioritise agricultural economic routes and improve rural infrastructure planning.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of improving logistics, storage access and market integration to strengthen the sustainability of developing farming enterprises.
Focus on Innovation and Skills Development
The round table further explored the role of technology, innovation and farmer training in improving productivity and sustainability.
GP van den Berg of Bayer, highlighted the use of digital agriculture tools, satellite monitoring and improved seed technologies already being integrated into the PGP support system to help farmers improve yields and decision- making.
Stakeholders agreed that skills development programmes must become more practical, coordinated and results- driven to ensure long-term farmer success.
PGP calls for measurable outcomes
The dialogue concluded with a strong call for accountability, collaboration and implementation-driven partnerships that can deliver measurable progress for developing farmers.
PGP emphasised that farmer development must move beyond discussions and pilot programmes towards scalable, commercially sustainable agricultural enterprises capable of contributing meaningfully to South Africa’s food security and economic growth.
The engagement also reinforced the growing need for coordinated support systems, bankable land ownership, improved infrastructure and stronger market access pathways to accelerate farmer commercialisation across the country.
