Development of a Framework to Effectively Implement Agricultural Extension Policy: A Case of Smallholder Farmers in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and the Moretele Local Municipality, South Africa

This paper examines how smallholder farmers and stakeholders perceive the execution, implementation, and adoption of agricultural extension policies, and whether these policies act as barriers or enablers in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and the Moretele Local Municipality. To achieve this, the study used the Learning About Livelihood (LAL) and Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS) frameworks and conducted a quantitative survey of 124 farmers, followed by a qualitative design that included focus group discussions with 10 pairs and key informant interviews, totalling 30 stakeholders, across both municipalities. SPSS version 25 was used to quantitatively analyse the demographic and socioeconomic factors. Regression models were validated using ANOVA and residual analyses to assess variable significance. Findings revealed that farm ownership was a notable positive predictor of policy involvement (B = .424, β = .236, p = .043). Findings revealed factors such as age (most fall in the 51-60 range), education level (44.4% secondary education), and agricultural commodities (58.9% crops, 20.2% livestock, and 21% mixed farming). In conclusion, the results suggest that extension policies need to align with farmers' distinct socio-economic and operational contexts and support the development of an extension framework informed by the reviewed literature and study findings. The paper’s supported recommendations include realigning departmental priorities to emphasise tangible outcomes of extension programmes, strategies, and initiatives that address the needs of landless and under-represented populations and youth populations.