a) Yes
b) Yes
(i) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development provides support to all farmers regardless of the production system that they use to produce their crops. This includes financial and non-financial support. There is no dedicated funding for organic farming. Organic farming is one of the production systems that farmers in South Africa use. It is relatively small compared to dominant systems like conventional farming, conservation agriculture, natural farming, agro ecology, and others. The growth of organic farming in South Africa is slowed down by factors like lower yields compared to products from other systems, pest and disease control as well as market access. There is also a perception that organic products are for high-income groups and the rich.
(ii) Funding for farmers is done through two conditional grants, namely the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP) as well as Ilima/Letsema. The farmers get funding if they qualify and meet the requirements. Non-financial support that DALRRD had been providing over the years includes information and advice on best practices regarding organic farming.
Crops produced through organic farming in South Africa include the following: