by Olwetu Batyi | Apr 30, 2021 | atp1
MEC Pieters commits DRDAR to assist rural grain farmers in Deberha
By Thozi kaManyisana
MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) Nonkqubela Pieters committed the department to assist Siyazama Food Security Co-operative in Ngcobo to plough 12 hectares of land which they fenced from their own pockets.
The MEC was speaking at a Maize Information Day organized by Siyazama Co-op based in Deberha administrative area in Engcobo.
The project currently owns 28ha of land, 16ha of which is used for grain production thanks to the assistance of DRDAR and Ngcobo Local Municipality.
MEC Pieters said she was “pleased” that the co-op had started the development on their own before seeking government support.
“Farmers here have informed me they want to plough the whole fenced land and they do not only want to plough maize but they also want to plant vegetables. The department will come and test the soil in order to assist to plough the whole area. They also want to be trained ,we are committing as a department that we’ll come back and train them,” she said to a loud applause.
She declared that government wanted to create communal and emerging farmers of a “higher grade that are sustainable commercially.”
“We want to create farmers of a higher grade that are not ploughing big fields for pride but have sustainable commercial markets .
“The generation of income through farming is important in the rural space hence government wants committed farmers that are serious about farming as a business and do not treat it as pastime hobby,” she said.
DRDAR Ngcobo office Manager Thembile Mhlana said the department assisted the project with inputs that included seeds, weed killers and fertilisers to plough 6ha while the Municipality provided inputs with tractors and implements to plough.
“These farmers were assisted after they showed dedication to produce maize. We are hopeful this visit will motivate them more ,” Mhlana said.
Ngcobo Mayoral Committee member Cllr Mhlangabezi Tomose said: “we were encouraged by the commitment shown by this co-op hence and we assist them.
“ Let’s work our land like our forefathers because nothing can fight poverty in this province other than farming. Young people should see that it’s important to go back to basics by working land and rearing animals.”
An emotional Nonambala Tomose who is one of the pioneers of project, which has 15 members, 10 of them being women narrated a story of how “pensioners did not fold their arms” but started raising funds for the development.
“Because of lack of employment we decided to use our social grant monies to start ploughing in 2019.
“In that festive season, as old as I am, we were running in the hot sun and leaving traditional ceremonies to plough our land,” said the 68-year-old Tomose.
“We started with the fencing of 28ha which we funded from our own pockets before ploughing 6ha. The project later approached both DRDAR and the municipality for assistance.
“When we arrived at DRDAR, we met people who were welcoming and appreciative,” she said adding that DRDAR team visited the project and gave assistance.
Tomose said DRDAR and the Municipality assisted the project with weed killers in the 2020 ploughing season, waking up at 3am to start removing weeds was now history.
Chairperson of the project, Potsoyi Kolisi said, “MEC the sun has risen here because you have arrived here,” adding that the project also want to produce vegetables.
by Olwetu Batyi | Apr 26, 2021 | atp1
MEC re-commits DRDAR to work with private sector
By Thozi kaManyisana
Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Nonkqubela Peiters used the official handover of a R5 million poultry development to commit her department to working with the private sector to improve lives.
The structure in Gobhoti village is a result of partnership between Rand Mutual Assurance and the Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA) to support a 10-member Bumbano Siyaqhuba Multi-purpose Farming Secondary Coop that is working with DICLA training and projects as mentors and marketers.
“This is a very good project and we re-commit ourselves to work with private sector so that we can change the lives of our people.
“On behalf of government, we are grateful that National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) through, the Mineworkers Development Agency ensured the responsibility of the development of communities by providing funding as part of poverty alleviation and food security.
She said government alone will not be able to create sustainable and vibrant rural development hence the need for private sector involvement.
Project leader Mhaga Sotyato assured the MEC and those present that the “project will never die but will benefit the generations after us.”
Sotyato said the project was founded in 2017 and has 11 primary coops under it which produce grains and vegetables.
“When we heard that we would be getting this facility, we did not believe it but now it is a reality and we are happy that we have already created 14 jobs,” Sotyato said.
He applauded the “good work and willingness to assist attitude” shown by the extension and advisory services officials that are working a DRDAR offices in Ngcobo.
MDA representative Luthando Brukwe said he was “happy about this project because it came at a difficult time of the economic meltdown. We were motivated to support this project because we saw that its entrepreneurship drive was very high.”
He said the aim of the project, which has a “lifetime” offtake agreement with DICLA was to have revenue of R100 000 a month in the next three months and that would mean creation of more jobs.
Brukwe said the workers of the project had undergone AgriSeta-accredited poultry management course, adding that the building of the structures was started in January and was finished by March with the “first egg being sold the following month.”
He said the structure, which is “scientifically designed based on the needs of the chickens” has a borehole linked to secondary storage to supply water, huge generator for electricity backup, cold storage and four structures that have the capacity to carry between 2 000 to 2 500 chickens.
The project already has 4 000 layer chickens in four structures but Brukwe says they are aiming to have 10 000 chickens by the end of this year.
by Olwetu Batyi | Apr 20, 2021 | atp1
DM Skwatsha hands over livestock and machinery worth R35,5 m
By Thozi kaManyisana
Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Mcebisi Skwatsha officially handed over livestock and machinery worth more than R35,5 million to four farms in the Joe Gqabi District.
These farms benefited from the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Plan aimed to counter unemployment, food security and economic meltdown.
Following the announcement of the Plan by President Cryil Ramaphosa, DALRRD conceptualised intervention packages to support black commercial farmers who are leasing Land Reform Farms from the department.
The key interventions include provision of infrastructure, mechanisation and implements, livestock or production inputs, skills development and transfer through mentorship and access to the markets.
The deputy minister (DM) handed over a total of 308 Bonsmara cattle and 290 merino sheep to the four farms who also each received a tractor, trailer, scraper and fire-fighting equipment.
Speaking during the official handover of the livestock and machinery at the Vaalkop Farm in Venterstad, DM Skwatsha said he was “Inspired by what I saw” on Sunday at Wepener Farm where Imbumba Co-op that received 105 sheep from the department is operating.
“What inspired me in that farm is the involvement of young people. We are in a bid to make farming a cool thing so that it can be appealing to the young people. By having young people doing farming, we are building the future of the nation. We should be proud that some of the farmers are young. Gone are the days where we only saw elderly farmers only.
“Today is a joyous day for me as well as these farmers because this will help in ensuring they are sustainable and formidable commercial farmers. This stimulus fund is meant to play a big role in the eradication of poverty. This is a day when we all ought to be happy and I am happy to see that farmers are glad,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Kholisile Yalezo who is leading a family coop, Dikela Farm Project, based at Vaalkop Farm received 128 Bonsmara cattle. He said he was “lost for words to express gratitude.”
“I am very happy about what government has done for me. I never thought this day would come. Since I arrived in this farm in 2014, it was really unbearable and hard to operate but through perseverance I managed.
“Now that I have been provided with quality beef producing breed, it will be easy to sell my livestock after battling for years. The tears that I had have now been wiped away,” Yalezo said.
The owner of Hillhead farm in Aliwal North Pinkie Mbekwa who received 290 cattle said she was “thankful to the government for what it has done for an independent woman like me. I want all women to see a leaving example from me – go and ask for help and the extension officials will assist you.”
A total of 24 farms were identified in the Eastern Cape to benefit from the Plan and they will be in different commodities including fields crops, vegetables and livestock production.
by Olwetu Batyi | Apr 8, 2021 | atp1
DRDAR strengthens farming culture in Gqugesi Village
FARMERS operating in different commodities in the rural Gqugesi Village of Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape have received a major boost from government to help them further their farming ambitions .
Earlier today, President Cyril Ramaphosa accompanied by Ministers, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and some provincial MEC’s of different government departments including Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform(DRDAR) MEC Nonkqubela Pieters visited Gqugesi Village to unveil a memorial plaque in celebration of what would have been a 150th birthday of the late freedom fighter, Charlotte Maxeke.
Fort Beaufort in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality is known for its major contribution in citrus production and exports, livestock and crop production. To help strengthen the farming activities in the area, Pieters handed over two Bonsmara bulls to the community of Gqugesi / Lower Blinkwater as part of the department’s livestock improvement programme through improved genetic material.
The two bulls will join a herd of other livestock of superior genetics that were handed over to farmers in the 2020/21 Financial Year.
The department had aided the local livestock farming groups with two Bonsmara Bulls, ten Dohne Merino ewes, ten Boer Does, two Brahman Bulls, nine Dohne Merino Rams, 10 Boer Goat Bucks, one Tuli Bull, 10 Tuli Heifers and 10 Bonsmara Heifers.
On top of this, Pieters catapulted four co-operative crop producers, namely Thembalabantu, Lee Magamle Ltd, Khathala Community Garden and Sinemizamo with 8000 vegetable seedlings (2000 spinach, 2000 beetroot, 2000 cabbage and 2000 onion) and 10 sets of gardening tools.
With the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality being among the areas that were hard-hit by severe drought that resulted in livestock feed shortages, DRDAR further gave local farmers a steppingstone towards the augmentation of a fodder production.
“The Lucerne production inputs in the form of Lucerne seeds, fertiliser, inoculant, herbicides will see fodder production extend by 10ha in the Gqugesi / Lower Blinkwater area. This will in turn produce 180 tons of Lucerne in this coming production season,” said Pieters.
She added: “Furthermore, hay-making equipment will also be handed over to this community to support fodder conservation.”
Livestock farmer, Zenzile Nxitywa said local farmers embraced and supported the livestock improvement programme as it placed them on a level where they would be able to provide what the market needed.
“Many of us in the community have sheep, goats and cattle but they are mixed breeds. Because of this, we have a limited market. Few meat traders buy from us because they come looking for specific breeds. Even wool traders with large flock of sheep still fail to produce high quality wool but this is definitely going to change. We have merino lambs now and our flocks are changing at a high rate,” he said.
Furthermore, MEC Pieters handed over two tractors that will be based at DRDAR’s Mpofu Training Centre and the two machines will provide support to farmers whenever a need arise.
Nomvuyo Kama of Thembalabantu –a local vegetable co-op said the tractors would breathe life to other vegetable producers and household food producers who had stopped working their gardens due to consistent mechanical breakdowns on the one tractor that serviced the Gqubesi and Blinkwater villages.
by Olwetu Batyi | Apr 1, 2021 | atp1
DRDAR scoops two prestigious award
The department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) scooped two prestigious Batho Pele Service Excellence Awards from the Office of the Premier for its contribution in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 virus by producing sanitisers and cloth masks.
The department’s institutes, Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) in Tsolo and Dhone Agriculture and Rural Development Research Institute based in Stutterheim flied the department’s flag high by scooping gold awards during the provincial awards.
The institutes were awarded the outstanding contribution during the Covid-19 national lockdown for Best New Comer of the Year 2020/2021 with TARDI producing cloth masks and Dohne making sanitizers in programme where it partnered with the Rhodes University.
According to the institute’s principal and initiator of the programme Dr Toyota Ndudane, TARDI won the prize by “thinking out of the box by producing cloth masks before it was made mandatory to wear masks”
“This shows the importance of not being scared to present the idea and I am happy that it was well accepted by the department and that has motivated us.
As the team we are very excited, feel honoured and appreciated. What one is doing in a little corner can make an impact,” said Dr Ndudane.
Dr Ndudane said she approached her sister who donated the initiate investment of R10 000 to kick-start the programme that was supported by the department with R45 000 and it is still continuing to produce the masks that are distributed across the province.
Dr Thembakazi Silwana a recipient of an award for Donhe told of a story about how “I came back empty handed when I went to buy a sanitizer. The following morning I met with specialists in our lab to see if we can start doing sanitisers because we had resources.
“Thanks to the support of acting HoD Bongi Dayimani because when he heard about this initiative he gave us all the necessary resources and today we have a dedicated lab that produce them .
We are very excited and feel motivated as the team to be recognized by the whole province.
Donhe is producing a mixture of 80% alcohol-based sanitiser from ethanol, glycerol and hydrogen peroxide in line with the World Health Organisation regulations.
