Linking academic research to meaningful community engagement is a challenge faced by many universities. The North-West University (NWU) endeavored to do this by conducting three farmers’ days in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZNDARD) and Wesgrow Potatoes with smallholder farmers in Swayimana and Applesbosch (South Africa) in January 2023. This was to celebrate the end of a successful 2022 summer planting season for the Climate Resilient and Responsible Innovations in Potato (CRRIsP) project, which led to potato yields as high as 40 t/ha. This was in the context that South Africa’s agricultural industry is dualistic in nature, being comprised of 35 000 commercial growers who are largely able to circumvent the effects of climate change while two million smallholder farmers struggle to do so. The farmers’ days were designed to share results from potato cultivation trials that had been conducted in the summer of 2022 and transfer knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices that can be used when planting potatoes in the area. The events were attended by 193 farmers. The programme started with a field demonstration of the potato production sites, followed by a line-up of speakers who shared tips on how to grow a farming business. The chairpersons of the farming co-operatives that planted the trials were awarded with certificates for their excellent work. The attendees were joined by the uMgungundlovu District Director Ms Phindile Shozi who praised university researchers for bringing the project to the community.

Nomali Z. Ngobese
Associate Professor
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management,  North-West University

We would like to thank the South African National Research Foundation and the ERA-Net Cofund on Food Systems and Climate for financial support to conduct the project