Smallholder Support Services Pilot Project

Investment in service provision in agriculture as an economic catalyst. This evaluation identified that post-project impact included additional benefits that had emerged from the catalytic effect of the pilot project’s initiatives. The introduction of a contracting mechanism generated capacity within the provincial government to engage more with the private sector. This resulted in other initiatives such as trade fairs for local producers, use of service providers for other agriculture sector activities, and use of improved recruitment processes in other sectors. For service providers, many had not considered use of their skills within the private sector for service provision, e.g., past provincial DAL officers, lead farmers, etc. The opportunities under the pilot project led them to start a new enterprise, marketing their skills both independently and through the SSPA. For individual farmers, the training, particularly in post-harvest and enterprise skills, led to participants expanding and diversifying their economic activities for both agricultural and non-agricultural enterprises.