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.
by Olwetu Batyi | Mar 29, 2021 | atp1
Agricultural studies revived: intergovernmental relations in action was evident when National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development alongside the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform donated gardening tools to three Healdtown-based schools. This will see the revival of agricultural studies in the institutions.
This will see , Daliwonga, Rhwantsana and Masizakhe High schools working and producing in their gardens and supplement the state-subsidized school nutrition programme.
Today’s donation was a continuation of the schools garden and right to learn campaign that was launched in Ngqushwa yesterday by Minister of Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thokozile Didiza accompanied by Eastern Cape DRDAR, MEC Nonkqubela Pieters where they also distributed gardening tools, school supplies and sanitary towels to pupils.
Local vegetable co-operatives also benefited from the programme.
by Olwetu Batyi | Mar 25, 2021 | atp1
DRDAR MEC Nonkqubela Pieters tabling the 2021/22 Policy Speech at the Eastern Cape Legislature.
