Feasibility Study of Proposed Tourism Dev in Shewula, NE ...

2.5.3.2. Regional socio-economic context of the Lubombo Province
The households in the Lubombo agro-ecological zone can be characterized as semisubsistence
agricultural households. Most are engaged in some agricultural
production with other income from off-farm sources. Generally, the livelihood strategy
of all the rural homesteads is centred on producing enough maize for domestic
consumption. In addition, the households engage in several income generating
activities.
a) Agriculture
Maize is the major crop, mainly for home consumption, but some for commercial use.
Other food crops include beans, ground nuts, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, jugo beans,
and sorghum. The main cash crop is cotton, while some communities have a few
homesteads involved in sugar cane, vegetable gardening and permaculture
cooperatives.
b) Off-farm income sources
Remittances are one source of alternative income. However, there is a concern from
some parents around the absence or irregularity of remittances from their children.
Other activities include handicraft production (sleeping mats, table mats, crocheting),
women's groups income generating activities, informal vending, hawking, piece jobs
(weeding and harvesting for others, construction jobs), beer brewing, healing
(traditional), selling firewood and thatching grass and collecting water. Women carry
out most of these activities.
c) Constraints to Agricultural production
• Drought
Rain-fed, subsistence agriculture is risky, and although there is large-scale
irrigation for sugar farming, local small-scale farmers require security of water
supply for their crops. This can often be difficult and/or expensive.
• Cattle theft
Cattle represent a form of wealth for Swazi people, and are also used in
agriculture for ploughing agricultural fields. Cattle theft is therefore a major
problem because it robs rural communities of a primary livelihood option. The
majority of the Shewula community's cattle have been taken by cattle thieves
who are believed to come from Mozambique.
• Tractor Hire
Tractor hire is expensive, and many of the poorer members in rural communities
are unable to pay the charges for hiring tractors. In addition, there are often long
queues to get access to government tractors, making it an inefficient service.
• Labour
With old age comes the loss of physical labour power. This, in turn, means a
decrease in agricultural production, with a possible increased vulnerability to
poverty.
d) Constraints / problems with off-farm income sources
The following problems are associated with off-farm income sources:
• Irregularity of remittances;
• Dwindling supply of materials needed for handicrafts;
• Seasonality of grass materials;
• Beer brewing has not much profit;